Due to the introduction of platforms like IngramSpark and Amazon as well as the growth of independent publishing, every year innumerable books get published. Not everyone has time to read all unless the author or the content of the book manages to catch the attention of the right audience. However, in most of the cases, the new authors just go out there and publish their books, expecting people to read their books without even proper marketing. Well, this is not going to happen at all. Effective marketing is certainly needed to allure the readers and incite interest among them to purchase the book. This is why the distribution of press releases is very important and the following tips will certainly help you in creating the perfect press release to catch the media attention.
Make it Attractive
The first thing that needs to be done in order to catch the attention of the editors is making the headline or the title attractive. A headline that reads ‘Author XYZ publishes his debut book’ is not at all attractive and will do no good in catching the eyes of the journalists. In terms of the journalism school, this is recognized as ‘The So What?’ syndrome, which is unable to cast the desired impact. On the other hand, crafting a title that emphasizes the subject matter in a more dramatic way will do a whole lot of good for the marketing of the book. The most important thing to learn here is that you need to ensure that the much-needed interest and excitement get incited among the journalists as well as the readers.
Keep it Compact
Always try to keep the content of the press release short and to-the-point. Do not spill out every detail about the book. Make it like a teaser, informative enough to generate a buzz but not enough to give away the true essence of the subject matter. If it gets picked up by an editor, he or she will certainly get in touch with you to know more about the book, in order to run a story over the press release. In the case of the publication of a non-fiction book, mention the ‘talking points’ – the three significant aspects of the book. This will help in stirring up the excitement yet not providing too much information to the readers.
Make it Different
Competition prevails in all kinds of industries. And, here too, there will be competition with contemporary writers. What makes your creation different or more specifically better from others? In the press release, importance needs to be put into this fact as well. You need to differentiate your content from that of the others so that the editors get something new to pick up, otherwise, no one would like to read the same thing over and over. Mention characteristics of the book that make it unique, interesting, and worth reading. Hit the right spot of the minds of the audience by choosing the right language.
Follow Up
Most of the authors spend a major part of their time in writing books. And, after releasing a book, they start to work on their next book. This is not good for marketing, as after distributing a press release, the author needs to follow up with the editors, in order to remind the person about the press release. This will help in making the editors recognize the particular press release. As an author, one can follow up with the journalists through calls or e-mails.
Take Professional Help
Well, in most cases, taking professional suggestions helps in the entire marketing process. There are many press release distribution companies present in the market that help in crafting engaging press releases as well as help in the distribution process.
These methods will help you in gaining the much-needed attention and creating a great buzz around the release of your book.
