Press Release 101

YOU HAVE A NEWLY PUBLISHED AUTHOR IN TOWN!

Frederick MD 05/10/06-- PublishAmerica is proud to announce the release of Midnight Blue Noon by Seward, Alaska'’s Dorene M. Lorenz. Executive Director Miranda Prather expressed confidence today that Dorene M. Lorenz's book will quickly resonate with audiences: "Midnight Blue Noon is an eloquent work of contemporary fiction that is well-tailored to our characteristic style. PublishAmerica champions books by, for, or about those who surmount profound obstacles by turning stumbling blocks into stepping stones. We believe that Dorene M. Lorenz is a promising talent of this genre."

About PublishAmerica:

PublishAmerica is the home of roughly 20,000 talented authors. PublishAmerica is a traditional publishing company whose primary goal is to encourage and promote the works of new, previously undiscovered writers. Like more mainstream publishers, PublishAmerica pays its authors advances and royalties, makes its books available in both the United States and Europe through all bookstores, and never charges any fees for its services. PublishAmerica offers a distinctly personal, supportive alternative to vanity presses and less accessible publishers.

Contact:
Public Relations Department
pr@publishamerica.com
www.publishamerica.com

For those of you who have an interest in writing a decent press release, here is the Lorenz skinny.

1) Frame your release to your audience. The above release was sent to Alaskan newspapers. Unfortunately, although it mentions in passing that the author is currently located in Seward, Alaska it fails to why Alaskan audiences might be interested in either the book or the author. Instead the release spends half its currency on the publisher. An East coast publisher publishes a book written by an author located in Alaska...not a gripping call to action to write a news story.

2) In a press release about a book, might be a good idea to talk about the book. Themes, plot, storyline, characters, an ancedote or two all make good subject matter for at least one sentence in the release. If you don't think the book is worth discussing, why should they?

3) Same goes with the author. Offer a line or two that makes them a person instead of just two words that look like a name. Quotes from the author are good, and basic contact information such as the author's phone/e-mail address are also handy for getting them interviewed. Don't make the reporter invest what short time he has before publication researching how to get a hold of information instead of reviewing the background information you gave them. Make it easy, reporters are busy.

4) A contact name is important. In theory, there would be one person in the Public Relations Department who knows just a tad bit more than everyone else in the public relations department about the novel in question. Offer up that person as a contact. Since a press release is an invitation for the press to follow up for more information so they can write a story, offering your phone number is a good idea as well.

5) Generic quotes are great if you can liken them into a relevant fact. A follow up sentence explaining why Midnight Blue Noon is by, for, or about those who surmount profound obstacles by turning stumbling blocks into stepping stones would make this an impact statement instead of a throw away.*



*This is not a theme or storyline in Midnight Blue Noon, and the author certainly does not view herself as an individual who has turned stumbling blocks into stepping stones.