What to Put in your Author Media Kit

Having a ready to go press release kit is something every Indie author should have. It’s also a good idea to have it on a static page on your website or/and blog. Rather have everything in one place than have to scramble around when it’s called for. Having it on your website means that anyone who would like to post reviews of your books on their own sites can just grab what they need without the need to try and contact you first. I’m working on my website at the moment so the link here is down, but if you want great examples, just do a Google search of some of your favourite authors.

Include your author photo – a nice size and quality image. Some authors change their photos regularly. Danielle Steel has a new picture of herself in extravagant gowns on the backs of each of her books. I don’t think that for a new Indie author that changing photos regularly is a particularly good idea though. It’s going to take a while to build your brand, and get to the point where you’re recognisable. It’s also good for Google searches to stick to a single author picture for a couple of years at any rate.

Next would be your biography. I prefer bio’s written in the third person, but that’s up to you. A bio of around two to two hundred and fifty words is a good length.

Then your press release, which would be details of your latest book, with a nice cover image and blurb, with an excerpt if you like.

You can include editorial reviews, or if the book is already published, some of your other reviews.

It’s good to have a short author Q&A too. Answer questions like what inspired you to write the book, information on the actual book, and anything that you’d like to share that could pique interest in you and your books.

Lastly, add all of your contact information, including links to all of your online sites, links to the book’s trailer and anything else that you have by way of promotion.

It’s a good idea to keep all of this information in a single folder on your computer, as well as a list of all the links to all of your books, so that whenever these details are requested, you can send all that you need to across in minutes. It’s never too soon to start setting this up. Even if you haven’t yet published your first book, you’ll save yourself a lot of hard work later when you do.

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Author: jorobinson176

South African writer.

28 thoughts on “What to Put in your Author Media Kit”

  4. Reblogged this on Shirley McLain and commented:
    Here is another useful blog for us writers that intend to sell our masterpieces of literature 🙂 It’s always a good thing to be ready if someone asks you for a press conference or a synopsis of your book. Enjoy. Shirley

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  10. Excellent advice! I am always puzzled when I Review a book, and authors haven’t put this information together yet Sharing this information helps to get their brand out to the public.

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  15. Pingback: What to Put in your Author Media Kit | Love, Laughter, and Life

  20. Reblogged this on Amwriting Workshop and commented:
    When I was shopping my book to agents and publishers, many of them asked me for an author’s bio and a short synopsis of the book. I was not prepared, a mistake I will not make again. Great advice here, having a media kit that is ready to go at a moment’s notice.

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  23. Excellent advice. The fact that one slaps one’s forehead while saying, ‘Of course!’ doesn’t make it any less so. One should have thought of it – but hasn’t.

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  27. Pingback: Every Author Needs an Author Media Kit | Silver Threading

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