Back in the day, when the internet wasn’t around, a press release was used to inform the media about important announcements. Today, the purpose is a little different — online and offline publications can pick up your story if they find it interesting. Besides, there is the advantage of being found on search engines.
In this article, I’ll share the purpose and benefits of using a press release and an easy 3-step process you could use to craft one.
Let’s get started.
Why Should You Write a Press Release?
You have a great book and you want to ensure that people know that it’s available. The press release for a book is written in a concise and structured format that appeals to journalists. Most press releases are below 550 words.
You’re hoping that journalists will be intrigued by it and then write about your book or publish the release as is.
But, even if journalists do not pick it up, it can still be an invaluable resource, since it’s available on the internet and can be found on search engines by prospective readers.
Writing press releases is also a great way to build relationships with journalists. If you cultivate a network of journalists, there could be other related ways through which they could help promote you and your book in the future.
Perhaps you had a riveting and challenging childhood, which you’ve transcended to be a notable professional in your niche. A journalist could interview you or craft an irresistible story around one of the themes you explored in your book and end with a link to your book’s website.
Even though the goal of a press release is to promote the book, it should never read as an advertisement. You’ve got to position it as news.
Next, we’ll explore a step-by-step process for writing an effective press release. I have compressed it into three easy steps.
A Step-by-Step Process for Writing a Press Release for Your Book
- Start with an irresistible headline
- Compelling lead
- Quotes, links, and pictures
Let’s look at what each step entails.
- Start with an irresistible headline
Journalists and prospective readers of your book release are bombarded by too much content, day in day out. Most readers are just skimming through content. The purpose of the headline is to entice your reader to read the rest of the content.
So, even though it’s the first step, you don’t need to write it first. Devote enough time to it, because most readers won’t read the body of the press release if they are not captivated by the headline.
- Compelling lead
The lead — the opening paragraph (s) — is the next important part of the press release after the headline. You start with your city, state, and date. A short dash
(-) follows, and then, you write an opening paragraph that summarizes the most vital details about your book. Ideally, you want to find a newsworthy angle to tie it to, which will make it more likely for journalists to pick up your release. Remember that journalists are not primarily interested in promoting your book, they are interested in news their readers will enjoy.
So, you want to position the content in the lead in a refreshing way such that they can see how it’d benefit their readers. To help you, use the “5 Ws” — Who, where, what, when, and why. It’d help you ensure that you cover the most vital details. Ideally, the lead should be about two paragraphs. It contains the most vital details.
And, note that releases are written in the third-person. (So, don’t use “I” or “we”).
- Quotes and links
In the third paragraph, you could share some powerful quotes from your book, a brief review of the book, vital statistics unearthed in your book, and a link to how it can be purchased.
- Contact
Simply add your full contact details so that journalists and others can easily reach you.
Conclusion
In this article, we’ve covered the benefits, purpose, the right approach, and the process of writing a press release. We’ve seen that it’s a short document (ideally a one-pager), but it’s highly powerful. It’s best to hire a quality press release writing service that will craft and distribute your press release to major publications.
You could try PublishEdge, a reliable service provider, that will write and distribute your press release to over 50 publications at a reasonable price. Click here to order your press release.
