22 MARCH 2020 http://www.writers-online.co.uk
Precision
press releases
In the first of two articles on managing your media coverage,
author Simon Hall tells you how to craft an attention-grabbing press releaseyour research.
Or it could be something strange that
happened to you in the course of the
writing, that epiphany moment which
led you to produce the book, or the local
folklore which inspired you.
There’s no limit to the angles you
can find, because there’s no limit to
human creativity.Examples include:- In Hazel Prior‘s wonderful book, Ellie
and the Harp Maker, the publicity talked
about how you can find love in the most
unlikely places.
Who wouldn’t be interested in reading
more about that? - For The Editor, I delved into the
heart of that story to find an appealing
angle: If you’ve lost hope in life, how do you
set about rediscovering it?
An interesting angle is critical
in getting your book noticed by a
journalist, and tempting them to write a
story about it.
The opening line
Journalists are busy creatures, so if you
don’t attract their attention from the first
few words of your news release they will
simply delete it.
Your opening line should be based on
your angle, and short, sharp, and striking.
This is what I wrote for The Editor:
In a city familiar with the turmoil and
trauma of the spy trade, a former agentOnly the biggest names of the writing
world tend to make it into the national news.
Local and regional media are the
best place to start, and because stories
are the lifeblood of the trade all news
organisations display their email addresses
on their websites.
Make a list of your local outlets,
look them up online, find their email
addresses and send off your release.
But, and this is a big, important but.
Bear in mind journalists receive hundreds
of press releases a day. So you have to work
hard to make yours stand out.
How do I do that? I sense you asking.
Here’s a rundown of the dos and don’ts
of putting together a press release.The all-important angle
Prepare yourself for a shock.
Writing your book, and getting it
published, might be the most important
thing in the world to you, but it’s not for
the rest of the population.
Thousands of books are published
every week, so you need something
else to really grab the attention of the
passing world.
Which is where your angle comes in.
To uncover it, you need to reach
inside your book and find a fascinating
nugget of gold.
It could be the most interesting
revelation you write about, the most
striking place you visited, or the most
remarkable person you spoke to inM
edia coverage can
instantly increase sales
of your book, and
enhance your profile
as an author.
And if you’re thinking about stopping
reading now because journalists wouldn’t
be interested in you, think again.
Stories about local people doing
impressive things are always enticing for
the media.
Coverage of my latest novel, The
Editor, provided a big boost for sales.
And if it works for me, it can work
for you.
But what’s that I hear you say?
I was a BBC news correspondent, so
I’ve got lots of contacts willing to help
me get my book into the media, whereas
you don’t have that advantage?
Don’t worry. The good news is there’s a
straightforward and effective way of telling
lots of journalists about your writing.
So here’s how you go about interesting
reporters in your book.Your very own press release
A press release is the standard way of
getting in touch with the media.
Once you’ve written yours, it takes
only a few minutes to send it to all the
newspapers, radio and TV stations, and
news websites in your local area.
You might be tempted to send it to the
national media, but it’s unlikely to attract
their interest.