Author: Bill Marson
Date:   11-06-03 18:47

Hi.

I'm in the process of building my Press/Media Kit to be distributed, first, to the printed media with hopes to spark a book review.

Second, after hopefully landing that reputable book review, I plan to use this same package to send to the TV/radio media with hopes to land an on-camera/on-air interview.

My question is this, which is more appropriate to include in this kind of package, a cover letter or a press release?

It seems to me that a cover letter can be tailored to be more personable as you can "address" it to the individual you are pinging. The Press Release seems to be very generic.

Most resources seem to lean towards the Press Release (Midwest Book Review, for example, kind of asks for this).

Thoughts, opinions, lessons learned ...

Thanks,
Bill

Author: Kaz
Date:   11-06-03 19:16

Hi Bill,

Jim Cox from The Midwest Book Review requests both a cover letter and a press release. I have a newsletter of his available at the Suspense page on my site in which he gives some good tips on how to approach reviewers. It is down at the bottom left of that page.

Regards, Kaz
http://www.carolkluz.homestead.com Click on Suspense button.

Author: Bill Marson
Date:   11-06-03 19:55

Thanks Kaz.

If anyone has a sample cover letter (for the purposes described above) and are willing to share it with me, please send me an e-mail at wmarson@hotmail.com.

Thanks.

- Bill

Author: danielle S
Date:   11-06-03 21:40

Kaz is right, both. The letter pitches the interview opp, pointing out the story/book's hook, why the audience will benefit from the interview, credentials behind the spokesperson/author giving the interview and a few bullet points covering what can offered in an interview. Also identify any visual opps for photography or television.

Your press release is really a news article - yours - about the book and would serve as background for interviews. Naturally your hook and coverage points in the pitch letter should be addressed in the news release.

Author: Bill Marson
Date:   11-07-03 05:52

iUniverse has a tool called a "Sell Sheet". Customized for your book, it's used to accompany your book when pitching primarily to a bookseller. My particular "Sell Sheet" combines information that would appear in both a Press Release and a Cover Letter--a merge of the two, so-to-speak. So, do you think that I should forego the Press Release and/or Cover Letter in my Press/Media Kit as my "Sell Sheet" addresses the desired components of both ???

Since I did not create a Press Release when my book became available, it just feel weird to create one now ... backdating it to the time of publication (5-6 weeks ago).

Any additional thoughts ... I just want to make sure I create the most appealing package.

Oh yeah, another thing. I did have bookmarks made when first started to promote my book this summer. They came out great, however, my book's title changed. I have all these extra bookmarks ... would you include a few in a Press/Media Kit even though the title of your book has changed (everything else is the same, including the cover art) ??? I know this sounds dumb, but I wanted some feedback on this too.

Thanks and enjoy the weekend.

- Bill

Author: Eva S
Date:   11-07-03 00:35

Bill,

The press release goes inside the media kit with the other materials, reviews, etc. The cover letter goes on top of the kit, personalized, to get the attention of the person to whom you are sending it.

No, those bookmarks are collectors' items -- keep 'em to sell on eBay when you've got a hit. Take the time and money to make up new ones with the coreect title. Believe me, it'll be worth it in the long run.

Author: danielle S
Date:   11-07-03 10:34

Your media kit given to reporters, editors and producers in the business of covering news. A sell sheet is nothing more than advertising. Again, a news release is a news story created by you. A newspaper just might run that news story as is. That would never happen with a sell sheet. They may kick it back to the advertising department with instructions to contact you about buying an ad in the paper.

I believe several posters here have shared excellent resources in the past for developing book publicity. You might want to search these forums again.

As for not issuing a news release (or press release, same thing no matter what anyone tells you)when the book came out,it doesn't matter. You don't report the issue date, you just say the book has been released and is available at...Of course,you've placed advertising about the book, then you've shot all chances for any news coverage. News coverage comes first, then advertising buys.