A press kit is a media-driven package of the book’s details that promotes the book. Press kits tell you about the book, the author, and the metadata. It contains a press release which is written in AP style to highlight the book’s content. The press kit also includes quotes from people who have reviewed the book. At Beaufort Books, we are currently working on a few press kits but one I helped with is for the novel A Few Words About Words. Press kits can be styled in a way that matches the book’s cover, which can help tie the press kit back in with the book.
Another important part of a book’s marketing strategy is the marketing plan. A marketing plan is a strategy for publicizing an upcoming book that publishers will create to sell the book to buyers and the press. When it comes to what is on the marketing plan, it is important to note who the target audience and market is. Who is the competition? What events will take place to market the book? By making a marketing plan, publishers can then begin to advertise an upcoming book successfully. When thinking about which events to plan, it is important to consider what the author will enjoy doing and their interests. Do they have a personal connection to the location of their book launch? Does the author prefer the book launch to be virtual? Will a virtual launch party impact sales? A virtual launch became popular after COVID-19 and it is important for publishers to consider what the author is comfortable with in addition to a solid budget. When planning events such as launches, book signings, and readings, a marketing plan can help publishers allocate their budget better. Finding competitive titles that are in similar genres with sales that publishers expect (and want) to bring in is important when marketing a book. Seeing how other publishers have marketed in similar genres can provide new ideas on how to market a book. What has been done before? How can I do what has not been done before? These are important questions to consider when researching competitive titles to use in a press kit and when advertising books.
When marketing a book, an exciting thing to remember is that books are fun to advertise and it gives publishers the opportunity to have fun and create fresh ideas. It is important to keep in mind that this is a project that brings great joy to readers, and marketing is a good way to show audiences that this is a book they will enjoy reading. Beau Vader signing off now!