How do I write a book press release?
- A press release announces newsworthy information to media.
- It leads with the angle and answers who/what/when/where/why fast.
- Standard format: headline, dateline, body, boilerplate, contact.
- Keep it to one page and write it like news, not an ad.
- It supports a pitch; it rarely lands coverage on its own.
Write a book press release in standard format: a newsworthy headline, a dateline, an opening paragraph answering who/what/when/where/why, supporting body paragraphs with a quote, a short boilerplate about you, and contact and media-kit details. Lead with the angle, not "new book released," and write in objective news style rather than promotional hype. Keep it to one page. The release supports your personalized pitch — it is the document, not the pitch itself.
Chapter i·Why it matters
A press release is a standard professional artifact that makes you easy for media to cover, but authors misuse it as an advertisement or expect it alone to generate coverage. Written as news with a real angle and the facts up front, it supports a targeted pitch and gives a journalist what they need fast. Understanding its format and its supporting role — not a magic coverage button — is what makes it useful rather than ignored.
Chapter ii·What to include
- A newsworthy headline and angle.
- A dateline and a who/what/when/where/why lead.
- Body paragraphs with a usable quote.
- A short author boilerplate.
- Contact and media-kit details.
- One page, news style, not hype.
Chapter iii·Example
An author writes a one-page release led not by "Local Author Releases Novel" but by her newsworthy angle — a former nurse's thriller drawn from real hospital cases. The lead answers the key facts, a quote adds color, and the boilerplate and contact close it. She attaches it to personalized pitches, where it gives journalists everything they need.
Chapter iv·Related questions
WriteLoom's Market studio keeps your press release, angle, and media kit together, so press outreach is ready when you pitch.
See the Market studio