A press release is an essential marketing tool for authors who want to get the maximum publicity for their books. It is still important today even with the emergence of various online platforms. It is the basis for all other promotional materials, print or digital. A press release allows the authors to present their works to media outlets and eventually to the reading public. A direct media press release targets specific readers, taps reporters, trade publications, and topic-based media institutions with an editorial focus. Readers will be able to see all the important details about your work, which hopefully will translate into sales and further extending your media publicity.

A Golden Needle in a Haystack Getting a getting media outlet to publish your press release is not easy. You have to spend time building a list of various media outlets.  Then you have to carefully research each one of them and find out if they are within your niche. Let’s say 50 media outlets within that particular niche. You may have to contend with hundreds of other authors who also want to land a press release for their books. Direct media news release is one of the most effective weapons in the marketing arsenal. Companies, corporations, and people who mean business recognize its value. But finding a perfect media partner is like searching for a needle in a stack of hay.

According to Robert Wynne, “I receive more than 500 emails a day. An astonishing number of them are pitching topics that neither I nor my staff has ever covered – sent by people who’ve either never read our publication, or never read our coverage, or noticed what bylines go with what stories. I edit Company Town, which covers the business side of the entertainment industry. We are not interested in stories about developments in dental hygiene.”

How to Pull the Golden Needle In the movie Avengers: Age of Ultron, Tony Stark quipped that pulling out a needle from the haystack only requires a huge magnet. If we are going to apply that principle to your book promotion, the only way for your press release to see publication is to make sure that it has a magnetic pull, which means it’s newsworthy. Your direct media press release can come from any of these: Events. These are events about your book or any social event your book can participate in order to further promote your book. Attending a local book fair is not as interesting as attending a book fair and giving free writing workshop or donating a percentage of your sales to a local library. Updates. Well, not just any updates. These updates are mostly to support your earlier press releases, if you have any. You can write updates for a major event, your latest milestones, or an update about your sales or future activities. At any rate, updates are necessary for the plain and simple reason of updating your readers. Holidays. Marketing experts see calendar holidays as an opportunity to tap into a specific target audience. For example, if your book is about war and war heroes, the Memorial Day is a good opportunity to write a direct media press release pitch about courage and your book. Also, you can tap unofficial holidays and observances such as World Poetry Day (March 21) or the International Children’s Book Day (April 2) and find a connection you can use to promote your work through a press release. Milestones. Your book launching event is hardly an achievement worthy of a national press release. Every day there are hundreds of new books being published in the United States. Making a direct media press release about one more new book is hardly news. Selling 5,000 copies in less than two weeks, however, is a remarkable achievement. Book awards, reviews, recognition, endorsements, and ratings are all milestones that should generate good publicity for you and your book. Announcements. Direct media press releases carrying announcements are also important, depending on the announcement. A new edition of your book is not really something that could attract interest from the public. The launching of your book online is important for both your readers and the eBook community. Just be sure to make your announcements timely and concise. Another important thing to know is when to compose a local or national press release. Remember, not everyone is interested in what you have to say. A well-crafted media press statement is comprehensive and newsworthy. By consistently providing refutable media outlets with interesting press releases, you build a strong promotional relationship with the media. You can then use this to your advantage to further promote your author brand.   Press Release Campaign is one of the marketing services ReadersMagnet provides. Contact us at 1-800-805-0762 | 619-354-2643 or email at [email protected].