Creating a Press kit
After launching my social media and online book campaigns, I decided to reach out to local libraries and schools about shelving my indie book. When they responded asking for my press kit, I panicked. But after doing quite a bit of research, I found that a) I already had most of the materials and b) it’s pretty simple.
Every press kit requires 8 main parts: Contact Information and Bio, Product Information, Promotional Information, Interview Resources, Media Reactions, Press Release, Book Excerpt, and Title Page.
Let’s start from the top.
This guest post is by Jamie Jo Hoang. Hoang is the author of the award-winning book BLUE SUN, YELLOW SKY. After graduating from UCLA with a degree in screenwriting, she worked in entertainment as an independent producer. In 2011, she moved to Houston, Texas to write a book. Why Texas? Why not! Her debut novel, BLUE SUN, YELLOW SKY, was named Kirkus Indie Book of the Month (February 2015 Issue) and a finalist in the International Beverly Hills Book Awards and the National Indie Excellence Awards.
Hoang currently lives in an apartment in Los Angeles with a décor made up almost entirely of Post-It Notes.
1. Contact Information and Bio:
Your contact information should include:
- Full name
- E-mail address
- Phone number
- Website
- Links to your social media accounts (Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, etc.)
- If you have an agent, manager, or publicist, their information should go here as well.
For the bio, I used the one that I created for the back of my book. A good author bio should include relevant information such as degrees and writing history, but also give readers insight into your personality. Booksellers and librarians are critical readers, so make sure you pitch yourself in such a way that it entices them to read your story.
You should also include a high-resolution, professional headshot. A good size would be around 1500 x 2100 pixels at 300 DPI.
2. Production Information:
Your book cover goes here. Make sure you include a large enough image that all of the text is readable.
Below your cover add the following information:
- Title
- Author
- Publication date
- Available at
- ISBN (include both your e-book and paperback)