Wednesday, April 27, 2011

Writer Wednesday: How to Create a Press Release

Please welcome to the AP blog Elaine Cantrell who is going to show us how to do a press release. I for one had no idea how to do this. Elaine take it away...


All big name authors hire publicists to produce press releases for them, but it’s easy to do one for yourself if you’re still waiting to become a household name.
Begin your release with these words: FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE.  Put them on the top left side of your paper.
Now you need a headline just like you’d see in a newspaper.  Make sure it fits your book.
Next give your location and date.  Ex. Pickens, South Carolina, April 26, 2011
Now you’re ready to tell your story.  Use more than one paragraph, but don’t make each paragraph too long.  Two or three paragraphs is probably enough even though there’s no set number.  If you have to continue the release on the next page, write ‘more’ at the bottom of the first page.
Next, include any background information about you.  You probably shouldn’t talk about your pets and children-just things that might be relevant to your writing.
Give your contact information.
End the release by doing this ###
Here’s one I wrote for A New Dream

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Achieving Your Dreams
What happens to a man who achieves his lifelong dream and then loses it?

Pickens, South Carolina-April, 22, 2011  Award winning author Elaine Cantrell explores how the loss of a lifelong dream affects a pro-football player in her latest release A New Dream. 

Hometown boy Matt McCallum achieved his dream eighteen months when he signed a contract to play football for the Green Bay Packers.  At the end of his rookie year he kicked the winning field goal in the Super Bowl.

His dreams came crashing down one bright summer evening when a deer ran across the road in front of him and his fiancĂ©e, Stacey Thomas.  As a result of the ensuing accident, Matt’s right leg was amputated.

After a stint in rehab, he took a job managing a grocery store where he met Violet Emerson.
More
Violet worked in the bakery department, but her dreams carried her far beyond the doors of Chef’s Pantry. As soon as she could save the money, she planned to open a catering business. And she thought the new manager’s broad shoulders and blue eyes were simply divine.

Thrown together at work, Matt and Violet found a common dream for their lives, but a loose end from Matt’s past returned to jeopardize their future. Will love be enough to save their new dream before it turns into a nightmare?

A New Dream is available at http://www.astraeapress.com. 
ISBN:  9781936852123 
Price: 5.99

About Elaine Cantrell

Elaine Cantrell was born and raised in South Carolina.  She has a Master’s Degree in Personnel Services from Clemson University and is a member of Alpha Delta Kappa, an international honorary sorority for women educators.  She is also a member of Romance Writers of America and EPIC authors.  Her first novel, A New Leaf, was the 2003 winner of the Timeless Love contest.  A New Dream is her seventh novel. 

You can visit Elaine at her web site:  http://www.elainecantrell.com.

Contact:
Elaine Cantrell
PO Box 1516
Pickens, SC  29671






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