The Anatomy of an eBook Launch Press Release - EditionGuard

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The Anatomy of an eBook Launch Press Release

Turgay Birand

October 22, 2014

One of the most powerful marketing tools at the disposal of any eBook author is a press release. A press release is a formal news announcement; it is different than social media posts, blog posts, and other content because of its structure and its ability to get picked up by other major news sources. To have the best luck with a press release, you need to consider several factors, including the way you write the release and how you design it but also where you submit it. In this post, we'll discuss the anatomy of an eBook launch press release.

Part One: The Title of an eBook Launch Press Release

The title of your press release is perhaps the most important aspect of the entire effort. If you don't catch attention with the press release title, people will not be interested in reading more. Your goal with your title should be to pique the readers' interest enough to get them to click on and open the press release for a full read. Tip: Go for clarity, offer some information, and tantalize them with the promise of more. Example: Instead of "[AUTHOR] Releases New eBook with Strong Female Lead," try "6 Ways [AUTHOR] Is Changing the Role of Women in Fiction"

Part Two: The Short Sell

After the title, the most important section of the press release is the summary paragraph. It is a short, one- or two-sentence introduction that includes key information: the title of the book, the name of the author, and some form of emphasis of the title. Building off the 6 Ways [AUTHOR] Is Changing the Role of Women in Fiction, the short sell would say something like this: [BOOK TITLE] by [AUTHOR] challenges the role of women in fiction, offering strong female lead characters who do more than decorate scenes.

Part Three: The Body of the eBook Launch Press Release

In this section, you get into the meat of the release. Press releases are news based. Do not use "you." You are not talking to the reader but to the media. Readers should be referred to as "readers" or "they." Every press release should include the following:
  • The name of the author and the title of the book
  • An expansion of your announcement
  • Links to the purchase site and the author website
  • At least one quote from the author or publisher
  • An image (the book cover, author photo, etc)
  • It should end with a call to action

Part Four: Contact Info

Every press release should end with contact information. Be sure to list email addresses as name (at) emailprovider (dot) com to prevent spam. If you have a marketer or publicist, list their information and not yours.

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