3 Press Release Don’ts for Authors by Dee Stewart

As a literary business hybrid, I get to see the publishing industry in three dimensional terms. As a writer, I share the same pangs and long hours of marketing my latest writing project or literary event. As a publicist, I spend hours creating the best press release for my clients with hopes that it grabs my media friends attention. As a member of the press, I take great care in scrutinizing author requests to be featured in on my blog or magazine department or radio show in my charge.

All three aspects of me require basic marketing acumen. All further require a brilliant press release(either on the part of me creating one or me receiving one) to help me stay successful.

What I’ve found is that my press release submission ratio is higher than most and my press release acceptance ratio is very high. In short, I’m pretty successful creating press releases, but unsuccessful retrieving good ones to help me satisfy my many writing assignments.

So I thought it would be best if I share the three major guffaws a writer should never take when creating a press release. All three are mistakes I’ve witnessed and/or participated in before I knew any better.

3 Dont’s:

1. Do not send a boilerplate press release to media contacts and book group gatekeepers. I can’t tell you how many Facebook, Twitter and email messages I receive about promoting their book on my sites, columns or on Media Candy Radio, and how many of those messages I never read. Instead take the time to research the media (including blogging) outlets that fit your book’s audience. Learn the correct contact’s name, when to contact them and the type of content they prefer to receive from you. Then provide exactly that. Generally, here at the blog I work with about five publicists, three editors, ten trusted literary sources, ten published authors, and three book clubs to source content. These people have become my dream team. Imagine if you were a member of your favorite blog’s dream team.
2. Don’t submit a boring, non buzzworthy event. Newsflash to you and unfortunately to some of my present and former clients…Submitting a news release about your upcoming book club event isn’t good enough anymore. It’s no longer news, but a community event that is befitting for a local events calendar(nothing wrong with that, by the way.) To ensure that your media contacts take you seriously, however, listen to what they want from you, submit them press releases that are relevant and helpful and trendy. Otherwise use the online events calendar to submit your book club meetings and signings.
3. Don’t include your book’s synopsis in your press release. A press release should be formatted correctly and contain info that suggests to media that my book has a public takeaway value. Use your press release to do that. Here are two examples:

The 2009 Faith and Fiction Retreat
Sherri L. Lewis Award Announcement

We will talk about the DO’s next time. In the meantime send me your current press release and let me fix it here on the blog. Email me at deegospel pr at gmail dot com for details.

Dee Stewart
www.christianfiction.blogspot.com

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