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SELF-PUBLISHING - Part Six - Distributing Your Press Release

SELF-PUBLISHING
Part Six - Distributing Your Press Release

Now that you have your press kit it’s time to do your research and begin pitching to the media.
You can submit your press release to the media either through email or through the postal service.
You can pay to have your press release distributed for you but you don’t have to!

Jennifer Mattern at nakedpr.com says… It’s not impossible (or even hard) to distribute your press release on your own, especially if you’re trying to save money.

In light of that fact, I’ve put together a list of 5 easy steps you can follow for more effective free press release distribution:

1. Choose one or two free press release distribution sites (any more than 3-5 is just a waste of your time, assuming it’s worth anything). Choose based on which ones will get the release added to news engines. Just because some bigger distribution sites (who will remain nameless) charge an arm and a leg for this service, not all do. For example, PR.com’s free option will pretty much always get your release picked up in Google News (I’ve never had it fail yet). Now you’re available via search… yippie!
2. Send it to the Associated Press. It never hurts to try, and if they deem your release newsworthy enough to pick up, you just might get some decent “real” media coverage out of it. Just email or fax the release to the appropriate editor, writer, or regional bureau depending on your location and news.
3. Send it to your local newspaper or other media with a local spin on it. It won’t take more than a few minutes for you to add a local spin to the intro and / or headline of the press release. Send it to the most relevant journalist or editor at your local paper. Smaller papers especially eat that stuff up when a local is doing anything remotely newsworthy. Try to build a relationship with the editor or writer whenever possible while you’re at it.
4. Send it directly to niche or industry outlets. If you know of the top blogs, magazines, or websites in your niche, see if they have press release submission guidelines, and submit it directly to them. Don’t just assume they’ll find you through Google news or a press release distribution site. Work on the bigger ones first, and submit to as many as you have time for. If you get bigger pickups, they’ll often lead to smaller niche blogs and such copycatting the story anyway. Again, try to build relationships if you can.
5. Add your press releases to your own website or blog. Why is this so often ignored or neglected? Some clients complain when I suggest it, saying “well, I don’t want duplicate content on my site.” Well, if you give a damn about promoting your site, get the f*ing releases up there and quit whining about duplicate content! Who the hell cares about duplicate content? Maybe it’s just me, but I thought the purpose of a press release was to bring exposure. It can’t do that if you sit on it. On top of putting the news out to your regular readers, customers, or visitors, it also allows you to archive your releases for journalists who visit the site wanting to learn more about your company or site history. If you don’t have a press room or at least a press release archive, ADD ONE!!! And when it’s on your site, you can take that opportunity to add all the little social media tools and gizmos that your heart desires, add commenting (especially if it’s on a blog), or frankly do whatever gets you off in the moment. Add it to del.icio.us. Digg it. Do whatever the hell you want with it. Just publish the thing, and be done with it already! Why people refuse to grasp this concept is just beyond me. It’s easy… promise.

The BIG list of free press release distribution sites as provided by nakedpr.com:

• 1888PressRelease.com
• AddPR.com
• BizEurope.com
• eCommWire.com
• Express-Press-Release.com
• Free-News-Release.com
• Free-Press-Release.com
• Free-Press-Release-Center.info
• FreePressIndex.com
• FreePressRelease.co.cc
• FreePressReleases.co.uk
• i-Newswire.com
• IndiaPRWire.com
• MediaSyndicate.com
• MyFreePR.com
• NewswireToday.com
• PageRelease.com
• PR.com
• PR9.net
• PR-Inside.com
• PRCompass.com
• PRlog.com
• PRurgent.com
• PRzoom.com
• PressAbout.com
• PressBox.co.uk
• PressFlow.co.uk
• PressMethod.com
• PressRelease.com
• PressReleasePoint.com
• TechPRSpider.com
• TheOpenPress.com

Well that's it for now, if you wish for more information contact me directly.
I hope this mini series was helpful to get you started on Self-Publishing and that I was able to provide you with some useful resources. I may pick this series back up so check back!

Article: Self-Publishing - Part 5

SELF-PUBLISHING
Part Five - The Press Kit

The press or media kit is a set of promotional materials that are to be distributed for promotional purposes. Not everyone will need a full blown press release kit but you should have a copy of your basic author information. Here are some things that you can include:

· Basic Biography

· Author Photograph

· Book Information - Including the full title, your name, publisher, date published, and ISBN.

· Order Information - where the book can be purchased ie. Amazon.com or URL to your bookstore.

· Book Cover Image – even if it is just a B&W photocopy

· Reviews

· Media List – list of appearances

· Bookmarks & Postcards

Include your contact info on every page

Not only should you have a hardcopy of your press kit but if you have a website it is a good idea to post your materials online so you can easily include a link to them when necessary.

Your release should not exceed 500 words in length.

Avoid excessive use of adjectives and stick to ordinary language.

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Press Release Template:

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:

Contact:
	Contact Person Telephone number Fax Number Email Address Web Site URL

Headline: The Headline of your press release should include one line only. It is the most important ingredient of a press release and should be written in the form of a newspaper headline in order to grab the reader’s attention. Don’t be afraid to make bold claims about your book as long as you can back them up.)

City, State / Province, Date.

The Text Of The Release: (These paragraphs should contain information in the form of a regular news story; who, what, where, when, and why. You should also outline the major benefits of your book and what makes your book unique. Including quotes from other book reviewers adds more weight and credibility to your release).



For additional information or sample copy, contact:

Contact Person Telephone Number Fax Number Email address Web site URL

### (This indicates the end of the press release)
sample from: www.artbookbindery.com

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Remember, your press release is not an ad to sell your book, but instead, an information package to generate interest in the media.

UP NEXT: DISTRIBUTING YOUR PRESS RELEASE

Article: Self-Publishing - Part 4

SELF-PUBLISHING
Part Four - The Marketing Plan

A marketing plan should not just be a piece of paper but should be your plan of action on how you are going to move your book forward.

What to include …

· Book Title

· Your Name

· Contact Information

· Book Description

· Your Pitch – A couple of sentences that captures the essence of your book.

· Your Backstory on why your wrote the book.

· Biography

· Target Audience

· Competitive / Comparative Titles

· Goals - both Short and Long Term

· Marketing Strategy

· Media List & how you want to target them. (I will write more on this later)

· Sales Leads & Contacts

UP NEXT: THE PRESS KIT

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