Today I'd like to welcome Marian L. Thomas, she is the wonderful author of Color Me Jazzmyne. Today she is going to open up her box of crayons and talk a little bit about publicity in the form of Press Releases. Thank you so much for being with us today Marian, it is such a joy to have the chance to chat with you.
Do you really need a Press Release?
By Marian L. Thomas
Best-Selling Author of Color Me Jazzmyne
Creating a press release yourself can be a terrifying ordeal, but it must be done. Press releases are like the gateway to the world of media. If you don’t create and send them out, you just might find that the door to getting your name out into the media world could remain locked. Not having a press release is like not having the keys that start the engine going to your ongoing road to publicity. If fact, you will send out multiple press releases.
When should you create a press release? Consider any major events that will happen along your journey to publication, these are great triggers for press releases. A book signing at a major book store, a guest appearance on a television show, a guest speaker appearance for a charity event, etc….. I think you get the point.
There are many companies out there that specialize in creating press releases so if you aren’t comfortable with wearing that hat, put it on one of them and allow them to create it for you. Be very careful, there are a lot of press release companies out there that charge hefty amounts and deliver very little on the promise of reaching “thousands” of media contacts. Do your research and by all means make sure they are reputable. There are also many free resources out there for posting your press release if you decide to tackle it on your own. You can also find many good press release templates that can be very useful in creating your press release.
Here are 6 important things to have in your press release:
An attention-grabbing headline. This is a brief “benefits” point of view statement.
Make sure your first paragraph contains the most important information since generally readers will only glance at the first few sentences. Give them the when, what, where and why statements in the first few sentences and you might get them to read the entire press release.
Make sure you are not trying to sell your book but rather, remember that your purpose is to deliver news worthy information about your event. Add some humor if possible.
Make sure your information can be verified if you are adding statistics or facts. Don’t stretch the details to make it more interesting.
Have your targeted audience in mind when writing your press release and use “buzz” words that will trigger interest.
Make sure your contact information for media copies or interviews is listed.
About Marian L. Thomas:
Originally from Chicago but currently resides in Atlanta with her husband and their spoiled but playful dog-Winston, whom she likes to affectionately, refer to as “big-boned”. Received her Bachelor’s of Art degree in Business Communication, graduating Magna Cum Laude and began her journey to authorship writing poetry but later moved on to write for the Collegian as a News Editor and Sports Editor during her early college years. Mrs. Thomas currently writes for Newbie's Magazine and her debut title Color Me Jazzmyne recently reached #1 on the Amazon.com Bestseller list. She has been a featured guest on The Chris Treece show, Black Perl Magazine, the Award-winning morning show of Tron Simpson for KCMN 1530AM, Skirt! Atlanta Magazine as one of Atlanta's 9to5 Women in the Media Industry, CrossRoadsNews and many other media outlets.
Website: http://www.marianlthomas.com
Where to find Marian L. Thomas next
Marian is currently on a virtual tour hosted by Authors Supporting Authors. Her next stop will be with host Paula Phillips on the “Paula Zone” - May 27, 2010. Read her author interview and post your comments.
http://www.paulazone.blogdrive.com/
To BK Walker Books from Marian:"Your blog and all that you do to help promote authors is truly amazing. What a great platform and wonderful resource.”
Thank you so much Marian. I love working with all of you authors as well. Please don't forget to leave a comment here today for Marian for a chance to win a copy of Color Me Jazzmyne.
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