Once
you have your romance novel written, you want people to
buy it and read it. And in order to accomplish this, you
need to get the word out that it’s available. This is
where a well crafted press kit can come in handy.
Basically with your press kit, you’re providing an
overly inundated media with all the information they
need to write a story about you, making their job
easier. And you’ll want your press kit to be as
professional as possible, standing out from the rest.
Building your press kit doesn’t have to be intimidating.
There are some essentials that the media expect, and
once you have a handle on those, it’s easy.
The
press release
is probably the most important element of your press
kit. This is the piece that you will use to grab the
media’s attention, and hopefully persuade them to do a
story about you and your novel. There is an accepted
formula for writing these, as follows:
Begin with the
phrase "For Immediate Release". Underneath this
write the catchy "hook" that will explain what you
are promoting eg., LOCAL
AUTHOR TAKES A LARGE LOOK AT LOVE
Beside the above, put your contact information;
name, phone number, email address
Beneath your hook, draft your headline, something
that captures your book in one sentence. Eg.,A.Z.Author
has crafted a new twist on the traditional romance,
creating a sizzling story featuring a full-figured
heroine. Make sure the headline answers the
question "why should anyone care?"
Write one or two paragraphs to back this up. Answer
the who? what? when? where? why? questions including
biographical information, and essential information
about your product (publisher, prices, availability)
Here’s the hardest part. Keep it brief…to one page
is best. A press release must be concise, snappy,
and interesting.
The
biography is
the section where you can be open about your
accomplishments, abilities, talents and knowledge. Here
you can tell how you came to where you are today. What
are your credentials? What is it you are promoting at
the moment? What is it that makes you special as a
romance writer? For me it is the fact that I write
romances that feature full-figured heroines. This is a
hook that can be used to promote my books. Make sure
your biography includes this kind of information. Write
the biography in the third person. You’ll find it makes
it easier to sing your own praises. As with the press
release, however, keep it clear and concise. This is not
the time to ramble.
If you
have a particular book you are promoting, provide a page
that gives all the pertinent details of that book;
title, author, publisher & contact information, ISBN,
distributors, number of pages, and price.
A list
of good reviews and endorsements would also add
credibility to your press kit.
If you
have more than one book available, you might want to
create a more "corporate" press kit which includes
everything you have to offer. You can highlight the
title you are currently promoting in your press release,
but have information on your other work within the kit.
This gives the media more information to work with in
finding an angle for your interview.
But why
should a tv or radio host interview you? The pitch
letter should explain this. Its purpose is to
explain why the public should listen to you. Perhaps you
can talk about ten ways to liven up your love life, or
how to feel sexy at any size. Find a way to use your
expertise as a romance writer, and sell it.
Begin
with an intriguing lead to introduce your subject. If
you’ve done interviews or talks before, include some
testimonials or quotes from contacts. In a paragraph,
give details about what you can talk about. Finish off
with contact information and when you are available. Try
to be open to any hour of the day or night, to increase
your chances of being interviewed.
Producers and hosts are extremely busy people. You may
be asked (as I was for a daytime TV talk show) to
provide a list of questions the interviewer could use.
It would be useful to develop a list of five to ten
FAQs related to your romance writing that you
would like to have asked about your book/s.
And one
final piece of your press kit should be a good picture
of yourself. As a romance writer, your picture should
reflect this. It would be worth the expense to go to a
professional photographer and get some glamour shots
taken. If your image says romance, then the media and
your reading public will believe in your role as a
romance writer.
