Are you doing everything you can to promote your book and your brand? Maybe you've got an author website, a blog, a newsletter, and social media profiles across all the platforms. It could be that you've done a few local book signings and gotten some good reviews. You may even have gone so far as to create a book trailer. You're doing all the right things, but is there more that you can do?
If you want to sell books, you’ve got to grab people's attention! Make sure they're aware of everything you have to offer.
Creating a media kit as a self-published author is essential for building your professional image and effectively promoting yourself and your books. It's a great way to get your brand noticed by book organizations, event organizers, media outlets, and more! When you have a media kit that you can send out to prospective contacts, you're taking your promotion into your own hands and making proactive steps toward furthering your brand.
Why Create a Media Kit?
To Highlight Your Achievements
A professional media kit is your opportunity to make yourself shine. Present a package that showcases your credibility, expertise, and talent. Be sure to include any awards or accolades you've received, and call attention to any media mentions or endorsements you may have. Establish yourself as someone who people will want to work with in a professional capacity.
To Support Your Existing Marketing Efforts
A media kit is a great way to gather all of your marketing assets in one place. You'll want to include high-quality, high-resolution images that can be downloaded for use by bloggers, influencers, or other social media collaborators who want to call attention to your work. Include cover images for all of your books, a selection of professional author photos, your author bio, sell sheets, important reviews, etc. Anything that you deem to be a selling point for your work.
To Save Time
Once you have all your important information and assets in one place, this will make it much easier to send requested information to a contact. You also won't have to work to tailor individual sales pitches for each outlet you may be working with. Additionally, you may want to include a Q&A or FAQ section that addresses some of the questions that you don't want to have to answer repeatedly.
To Attract Media Coverage
If you've considered reaching out to book festival organizers about appearing on panels or participating in a speaking engagement, a media kit can be just what you need to get their attention. Additionally, if you're interested in appearing on local (or national) radio or television shows to promote your work, you're going to need a digital media kit. The media needs to know why they should have you on their show, and they aren't going to want to dig around online to try to find out more about you. Sending your media kit along with a brief, tailored pitch is what you need to get your foot in their door.
What Should You Include?
Though we've touched on it a bit above, you'll want to follow this detailed list below to be sure you've included everything you need to make a lasting impression with your media kit.
- Author Bio
- A short bio (less than 100 words) about who you are, what you write, and what makes you unique
- A long bio (less than 300 words) that not only explains who you are, but also touches on your achievements, accolades, and inspirations
- Author Photo(s)
- Include a high-resolution image of yourself (300 dpi) in multiple formats.
- If possible, include both a professional, business-style photo as well as a more casual one (but don't include candids). Ensure that all photos present you as approachable and appropriate.
- Detailed Book Information
- For each of your books and/or series, be sure to include:
- Cover image (high-resolution, 300dpi)
- Key Details: Title, ISBN, Available formats, Genre, Pub date
- Book Synopsis: a brief summary of what the book is about
- Key Selling Points: any awards, reviews, or unique info about the book
- Links for Purchase: direct links to where the book can be purchased
- For each of your books and/or series, be sure to include:
- Reviews
- Feature excerpts from positive reviews or recommendations
- Highlight any endorsements from other authors or professionals
- Additional Assets
- Include short excerpts or samples from a chapter
- Sell sheets or press releases for your most recent books
- A downloadable file of your logo and/or other branding elements
- Media Coverage
- Share links or clippings of any media coverage from television, radio, podcasts, or newspapers
- Speaking Event Information
- List any topics in which you are well-versed and can speak about at events
- List any panels or events in which you've previously participated
- You may want to include a calendar that shows your availability for the upcoming year
- Contact Information
- Include your email address, website URL, and phone number
- Don't forget to list your social media addresses and handles, to make it easier for people to follow and tag you
Finally, be sure to create your media kit as a professional PDF that's easy to download and share. Keep it visually appealing with easy-to-read fonts, matching colors, and a clean layout. There are various places online to find templates for creating your media kit. Canva even has a media kit maker.
A well-developed, professional author media kit can make the difference in how you present yourself to the world, and it allows you to share exactly the information you want and take control of your own narrative.
