Writing Craft Guide

How to Write a Press Release for Your Book Launch

A well-placed press story reaches readers who would never find your book through advertising. This guide covers the standard press release format, how to find the newsworthy angle in your book, why targeted journalist outreach beats wire services, and how to use an embargo to coordinate coverage on launch day.

300-400 words

Ideal press release length

Targeted email

5x response rate vs. wire distribution

2-4 weeks before

When to send embargoed releases

Everything you need to write and distribute your press release

The press release format

A press release has a fixed structure that journalists recognize and expect. At the top: FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE or an embargo date. Then a strong headline in bold, large type. A dateline (City, State, Date). The lead paragraph: one to three sentences that answer who, what, when, where, and why. Two or three body paragraphs with supporting detail, context, and quotes -- the first quote should be from you as the author. A boilerplate paragraph describing who you are and where to find your books. Contact information including email and website. Close with ### to signal the end. Total length: 300 to 400 words. Journalists are busy; they will not read a press release longer than one page.

Making your book newsworthy

The honest truth is that most books are not inherently newsworthy on their own. What makes them newsworthy is the angle you bring to them. The strongest angles for indie authors: the local angle (you live in or write about the region), the timely angle (your subject is in the news right now), the unusual process angle (the circumstances under which you wrote the book are genuinely surprising), the community angle (the book benefits or represents a specific group), and the milestone angle (first book, award recognition, previously unpublished story). Lead with the angle in the headline and the lead paragraph. 'Local Author Publishes Debut Novel' is not a headline; 'Retired Firefighter Turns 30 Years of Emergency Medicine Into Debut Thriller' is.

Wire services vs. targeted journalist outreach

Wire distribution services send your release to thousands of editors simultaneously at a cost of several hundred dollars per release. In theory, saturation increases pick-up. In practice, most wire recipients ignore book press releases entirely -- the volume of wire content is so high that nothing stands out. For indie authors, 20 targeted pitch emails to journalists who actually cover your topic will produce more coverage than a wire distribution at ten times the cost. Build your media list manually: book editors at local papers, features writers at regional magazines, journalists who cover your nonfiction subject area, bloggers in your genre. Personalize each pitch. The response rate difference is not marginal -- it's an order of magnitude.

The embargo: sending before you're ready to publish

An embargo gives journalists time to write a fuller story before your publication date while keeping the news from breaking early. Send embargoed releases 2 to 4 weeks before launch day. The document should be clearly marked at the top in bold: EMBARGOED UNTIL [DATE] AT [TIME] [TIMEZONE]. In the accompanying pitch email, mention the embargo explicitly and confirm that the journalist agrees to honor it before you send the full materials. Most journalists working in legitimate press honor embargoes without issue -- a broken embargo is bad for their relationship with sources. Embargoes are most useful for coordinating simultaneous reviews or features going live on launch day.

Following up after sending

Send your press release or pitch email and wait three to four business days before following up. Many journalists read pitches on a delay, especially during busy news periods. Your follow-up should be a single short email: one sentence restating the key angle, one sentence asking if they'd like more information. Attach nothing new unless they ask. After two follow-ups with no response, stop. That journalist is not interested in this story now, but they may be if your book generates news later. Never follow up more than twice -- a third contact tips from persistence into harassment and burns the relationship permanently.

Press release vs. pitch email: the right tool for the right moment

Authors often confuse these two things and send the wrong one at the wrong time. A press release is a formal document written for potential republication: it's structured so a journalist can pull quotes and facts directly. A pitch email is a short, personal note to a specific journalist proposing a story -- it's written in first person and tailored to their beat and audience. The pitch email comes first. It opens the conversation and asks if they're interested. If they are, the press release is what you send as follow-up documentation. Leading with a full press release in a cold outreach email is like answering a question nobody asked. Lead with the pitch; follow with the release.

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Frequently Asked Questions

What is the correct format for a book press release?

A book press release follows a standard format: FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE (or the embargo date) at the top, a compelling headline in bold, a dateline (City, Date), a lead paragraph answering who, what, when, where, and why in 2 to 3 sentences, 2 to 3 body paragraphs with supporting detail (book background, author bio, quotes), a boilerplate paragraph describing you as the author, and ### or -30- at the end to signal the document is complete. Contact information goes either at the top right or immediately below the release. Keep the entire document to 300 to 400 words -- journalists prefer brevity.

What makes a book newsworthy enough to deserve a press release?

Most books are not inherently newsworthy to mainstream press, but most books have a newsworthy angle if you look for it. The most reliable angles: the local angle (author is from or writes about the area), the timely angle (book addresses a topic currently in the news), the unusual origin story (you wrote the book under unusual circumstances), the community angle (the book was inspired by or benefits a specific community), and the achievement angle (debut publication, award recognition, or unusual publishing milestone). Lead with the angle, not with 'local author publishes book' -- that is not a news hook.

Should you use a wire service or pitch journalists directly?

Wire services like PR Newswire and Business Wire distribute your release to thousands of outlets simultaneously, but most of those outlets ignore it -- the signal-to-noise ratio is brutal. For most indie authors, targeted journalist outreach significantly outperforms wire distribution. Build a list of 20 to 50 journalists who cover books, local news, or your book's subject area. Send a personalized pitch email with the press release attached or pasted below. A journalist who covers your genre or your local community is 10 to 20 times more likely to write about you than a random recipient of a wire blast.

What is a press embargo and when should you use one?

An embargo is an agreement under which a journalist receives your press release before the official publication date but agrees not to publish the story until a specified date and time. Embargoes are useful for coordinating simultaneous coverage across multiple outlets, ensuring reviews go live on launch day, or giving journalists lead time to write a longer feature without scooping your official announcement. Send embargoed releases 2 to 4 weeks before the publication date. Mark the document clearly: EMBARGOED UNTIL [DATE AND TIME]. Most journalists respect embargoes when they're clearly stated and the story is worth their time.

How is a press release different from a pitch email?

A press release is a formal document structured for republication -- a journalist can quote directly from it, use its information as the basis for a story, or in some cases publish it nearly verbatim. A pitch email is a personal, direct communication to a specific journalist proposing a story idea and asking if they're interested. For most indie author outreach, the pitch email comes first: a short, personalized note that explains why your book is a story for their specific audience. If they're interested, they'll ask for more -- which is when you send the full press release and media kit. The press release is supporting documentation, not the opener.