Think only SMEs and corporations should do press releases? You’re wrong. Even authors, given their vast writing capabilities, do – and should – write press releases. Wouldn’t it be a good idea for authors to become their own PR for a while?

But should authors bother to write press releases (or contract someone else to write for them)? It matters, especially if they want to attract media or public attention to their latest works or upcoming book tours and schedules appearances. For new and struggling authors, they may want to leverage the benefits of press release distribution to drum up readers’ interest for their books, which deserve the same attention and praise Stephen King, Nora Roberts, and Nicholas Sparks get.

What is a press release?
Personal finance website The Balance rightly defines press release as “a written communication reporting specific but brief information about an event, circumstance, or other happening typically tied to a business or organization.” Many companies send out press releases to promote their business or inform media about their upcoming events, recent accomplishments or significant changes (in hopes that media will write actual news articles about them).

Thanks to the partnership of the media and the internet, it has become faster and easier to send out press releases. A press release that is distributed in electronic form is a web press release.

Many organizations send out web press releases to various media outlets or paid/free press release distribution sites. While a well-written press release has the potential to enhance a business or organization, it isn’t always picked by news media, but thanks to social media, it may still be picked up by bloggers, content curators, LinkedIn and Twitter users, and others who find it worthy of sharing and promoting within their social networks.

PR and SEO advantages for authors
Web press releases are practical for any authors who want to gain readers. Not only it helps them generate serious traffic to their web pages but also provide internet users and potential readers vital information about their authorship. This kind of communications tool helps authors leverage search engines.

New, self-published or struggling authors should maximize search engine and social media with original and well-written content, including web press releases. Authors could get on the first page of Google Search or Google News or both and even drive traffic to their e-commerce website and Amazon page using SEO backlink building method.

While an author could find it easy to entertain his/her readers, he/she may face the challenge of helping internet users find his/her book(s) or their way to his website or Amazon page. Like in all forms of internet content, the rules of SEO apply to web press releases, which rank on Google for their relevant search terms (keywords) pulled from the press release headline and body. In this aspect, the author will need to be his/her own SEO specialist too.

With original, well-written, keyword-rich web press releases, authors could dominate the search engines, drive traffic to their e-commerce web pages, and gain readership.