Building a Better News Release
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Beth E Peterson
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In order to drum up good publicity you will almost certainly need a good news release (aka press release). But what makes up a good news release...one that will do the job you need it to do? Well, it begins with... The Golden Rule of News Releases: Always remember that you are talking to extremely busy people who have unbreakable deadlines. Therefore, the news release must be timely, clear, concise, organized for media consumption, and have a fact-based style. Timeliness: Do not send out a news release unless you have something important and newsworthy occurring even as you speak. Old news is no news. Future news, however, can blow up in your face. The media will probably not even share your future news with the public; it isn't news yet. But if they do, your problems may be worse. The public can easily forget that your book exists by the time the publication date or other happening actually rolls around, and since the media has already reported on it, they will be reluctant to report on it again. Worse, the public may misunderstand and go searching for your book before it is available. Your potential buyers may end up loudly resentful since they can't find the book now. Clarity: Be certain that your sentences actually say what you mean them to say. Be specific and concrete. Keep sentences short and to the point. Avoid flowery language. Conciseness: Do not allow yourself to go on tangents. Clearly define the focus of the news release and stick to it, no matter what else you would like to say. A news release concerning a book should not refer to anything that is not directly related to the book or its specific subject matter. Organization: As you are organizing your material, bear in mind that the media is interested in news...not necessarily your book. Therefore, greater emphasis should be placed on the importance of the subject of your book and/or the information it contains. Having said that, the media has a specific organization of material that they require. The most important aspect of the news must come first, almost always in the headline. For example, "Ground-breaking Book on Manipulative Relationships Just Released". This should be followed by the next most important aspect of the news or of the book, then the third-most important aspect, and so on working downwards until you reach the least important aspect. These aspects will include: why your book is important to the news outlet's audience; the benefits of the book to the audience; and the timeliness or newsworthiness of the topic. Keep in mind that these aspects must be ranked for the particular market segment served by the particular news outlet. The last paragraph of the news release might give a little background on the book and/or the author. Information establishing the author as an expert is especially pertinent. Fact-based style: The media is concerned only with facts, not opinions, literary dialog, or soap-box stumping. You should use a third-person voice, never first- or second-person. Make your presentation as professional as possible. Again, be certain to stay focused on the book and whatever it is presenting. So much for the body of the news release. But is there more? Well, since you ask.... Anatomy of a News Release: The ideal news release is one page long (although if necessary it can extend to two pages). Use 8.5" x 11" paper, front side only. Use double or one and a half line spacing and 12 or 10 point type. At the top, be sure to identify this as a news release. Also, be sure to include the book's 'vital statistics' block either at the top or bottom of the page. This block should include: title; subtitle; author; ISBN; publisher; number of pages/illustrations; distributor/wholesalers or other 'this book is available through' information; and the publication date. In addition, you should also give a specific contact person's name, their business address, phone number, possibly their e-mail address, and any other information such as 'photos available upon request'. This can often be formatted as a second information-block placed horizontally across from the 'vital statistics' block. As you develop your news releases, just keep in mind that what may strike you as literarily sexy or personally important may strike the media as a giant waste of their time. If you follow the Golden Rule of News Releases and take into account what the media needs, you will build a much more successful news release and professional relationship with the members of the media who you come in contact with. The Added Bonus Paragraph Anatomy of a Media Kit (aka Press Kit): A media kit is an expansion of your news release and in fact includes it. The kit should also contain one or more BW/color glossies of the author and/or book, a biography of the author, and a quote sheet (favorable quotes from reviewers, advance readers, opinion leaders, and tearsheets/reprints of published reviews). As in the news release, remain focused and do not allow extraneous items to intrude. All of the kit's materials should be in a professional-looking folder with pockets. The front cover of the folder should include the book's title, author's name, the publisher and the contact person's name and phone number. Using overrun covers of an 8.5 "x 11" book as the folder can give the recipient a great deal of information, but it may or may not be appropriate. Avoid the slap-dash look; give the recipient clear, concise and professional information. Again, it is a matter of being aware of your recipient's needs.
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