Tips for Writing an Effective Press Release

The structure of a press release
Whether you want to launch a new book in style or put new life into an older publication press releases can be a fantastic way of spreading the word. 

Writing a compelling press release is a great way to drum up interest in your virtual book tour and get potential buyers to notice your book. It can also help hook you some interviews and other media exposure.

Here's a few tips for writing an effective press release:
  • Include a killer title to grab readers attention.
  • When it comes to writing a press release it's important to put all the "need to know" information first. 
  • Remember to include contact details.
  • Keep paragraphs short and direct.
  • Excite the reader.
  • Try to keep the press release to one page if possible.
  • Include a quote or two to give the release dialogue. 

Jennifer Mattern from All Freelance Writing has a great template for a press release to announce a book launch on her site at  http://allfreelancewriting.com/2007/09/12/writers-resources/writers-resource-sample-press-release-template-for-a-book-launch/ that you can download for free.

You can find a huge amount of information about writing and distributing press releases at http://www.ereleases.com/howtosubmit.html

2 Comments

  1. Anonymous9 October 2012 at 20:34

    An effective press release follows the simplest guidelines. It should contain the proper format; the writing style should be both easy to read and engaging; it should be disseminated through a widely-exposed social media outlet; and most importantly; it should target both the search engine and the readers.

    Darryl Tay

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Jo Linsdell16 October 2012 at 10:43

      Very good point Darryl. It's important to write both for search engines AND readers.

      Delete

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