This excerpt is from “Success, Your Path to a Successful Book,” by Maralyn D. Hill & Brenda C. Hill. We hope you find it helpful.Leigh Cort of Leigh Cort Publicity, http://www.LeighCortPublicity.com,
(904) 273-4284, suggests the following:

Writing a Winning Press Release

Identify your media market–who is going to receive your release? Travel, food, literary, business, or lifestyle editor?

Create an angle–the fact that your book exists is not what sells it.

Create a clever press release title, which will help you relate all content to the title. This is the most crucial part of the release. If it’s not clever, someone else’s press release will be chosen!

Begin the press release with the traditional info: Who, why, what, where, how. KEEP IT BRIEF.

Now fill in the buzz…. a little background on the subject…

Add a personal quote (either by yourself or whomever the release is about).

Sprinkle the information with a little star dust.

Find the perfect photo that the media will find: Enticing and usable.

Writing a winning press release is like designing a jigsaw puzzle. But there is not just ONE way to create it. Review all of the most exciting components of the story and keep the release to one page.

Timing is essential. In order to get into magazines, the lead time could be 6-12 months, Newspapers 1-4 weeks, and TV/radio 1-7 days.

We appreciate Leigh’s suggestions.