Whether you are a multi-published author or in the process of penning your first novel, an author media kit is an essential time-saving tool.
Also known as a “press kit,” a media kit is a collection of information pertaining to you, the author, and your book(s).
Why do you need a media kit?
Your author media kit will come in handy when you are reaching out to book bloggers, setting up book tours, contacting event planners, inquiring to publishers and agents, planning online promotions…etc. Imagine having to search through your computer files every time someone requests your author and book information. What a pain! Having it in all together in one doc will cut down on wasted time and let you get back to doing what you love- writing!
(Here’s an example of Rachel’s media kit. We update it frequently.)
Making your media kit available on your website and blog is also a great way for others to easily find information on you and your book. You can add your media kit as an individual page, on the sidebar in a downloadable link – either way, be sure to label it clearly.
What should you include your author media kit?
Start with the basics:
- Author photo
- Author bio – both short and long version
- Contact info – social media, email, phone number and mailing address (if applicable)
- Book details – front cover jpeg, blurb, purchase links, praise/endorsements/reviews
- Book awards
- Press release; articles, mentions, interviews
You may also include:
- Interview topics: 5-10 topics
- Book club discussion questions: 5-10
- Excerpts
- Sharable posts and/or images
Final tips/thoughts:
Personally, I like to use Google Docs to create media kits. I like that it saves the live doc online and is easy to update and share. (This is really great for authors who collaborate with assistants and agents). You can download the doc into Word and save to your computer desktop so it can be pulled up quickly when needed.
Free stuff!
Want a downloadable media kit template? Subscribe to Melissa Flick’s Author Services Newsletter and I’ll email super-easy downloadable media kit template to you as a thank you. Connect with me on Twitter or Facebook!
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Follow me on Twitter @RachelintheOC or @BadRedheadMedia for social media, branding, or marketing help. Increase your blog traffic by participating in #MondayBlogs (a Twitter meme I created to share posts on Mondays — no book promo)
All content © 2018 by BadRedhead Media aka Rachel Thompson, author, unless otherwise specified.
All rights reserved. Permission is granted to use short quotes provided a link back to this page and proper attribution is given to me as the original author.
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