You’re pitching your book to editors, reporters, or producers, you need a media kit. Your kit should provide media decision makers with the information they need to interview you or run a review. Here are some general tips for creating a media kit.
|
|
This Will Get Their Attention:
|
| Create the Components. A media kit consists of a press release, an author bio, suggested story ideas, sample interview questions . . . and other potential add-ons such as endorsements, checklists, fact sheets, and the like. |
|
|
| Find a News Hook or Media Angle. The media kit — especially the press release — lets the media know how your book is newsworthy, relates to current events, or would inform or entertain readers, listeners, or viewers. |
|
|
| Get Their Attention. Begin the press release with an enticing headline, and include the most important points in the opening paragraphs of your press release — just as if you were writing a newspaper story. |
|
|
| Build Credibility. Eliminate any hyperbole or unsupportable claims, and use your author bio to convince the media that you’re an expert on the subject matter — or that you’re simply the right person to address the topic at hand. |
|
|
| Visualize the Perfect Interview. What questions would provide you with the opportunity to say exactly what you want — either to disseminate the most information or persuade people to take a specific action? Capture those questions, and use them to create your sample interview questions. |
|
|
| Give Them Ideas. Some media decision makers require a bit of help to imagine what type of story they can create around your book or your expertise. Offer them 5 to 10 story ideas. Create an appealing headline for each, and then add a one- or two-sentence explanation. |
|
|
| Offer Controversy. Offer a viewpoint that will either surprise or shock media decision makers. Create a stir — that's sometimes what it takes to capture their attention and persuade them to build a story around you. |
|
|
| Share It With Others. Once you’ve drafted a media kit, check it for typographical and grammatical errors. Check your facts. Then ask friends to proofread your media kit, and ask them to be sure it’s free of jargon and hype. |
|
|
| Differentiate Yourself. Provide enough of your perspective and style so that the media will understand how your approach to the topic would compare to that of other experts. If you can convince the media to do a story about your topic, you’re still competing with other others for airtime or space. |
|
Remember That Less Is More. Don’t squander your publicity budget on folders for your media kit, color printing, or photos. Fold the stapled media kit in half and place it inside your book. Have digital author photos and a book cover available to email editors and producers. The content of the kit, and not how much you spent to produce it, is what impresses the media decision makers.
|
