Prepping for Press in the New Year by Sarah E. Burr

Happy New Year, Writers Who Kill! I hope you found time over the holidays to rest and recharge. After a chaotic sprint to return edits to my publisher and get a book published, I was fortunate enough to unplug from the world and enjoy a two-week hiatus from work life. By the end of my vacation, though, I was itching to get back to writing, and that’s the best sign for the new year that I could ask for.

January is all about goal setting and outlining where I want to go, what I want to achieve as an author, and being prepared for all that is to come. And part of being prepared is to have a media kit at hand. My media kit has been a huge timesaver over the years, so I’m always looking for ways to enhance it and make it better. And as a host of a web series, I often wonder if authors realize just how helpful this tool can be. Instead of having to dig around for information and copy/paste items into an email (or, heaven forbid, not send them at all), a media kit allows you to deliver everything to your host, blogger, interviewer, etc., in one handy-dandy reference guide. Otherwise, the person who is graciously giving you a platform is tasked with tracking down this info themselves, and depending on where they go, the details can be wildly out-of-date.

For example, I hosted an individual who didn’t provide me with a biography to put in our show notes. This forced me to create the blurb myself. I started with their website…or at least, what I thought was their website. Turns out, it had been defunct for years and the information was nothing remotely close to what the individual wanted to promote. So, while this scenario is a bit extreme, think about the last time you went in and updated your Goodreads bio or your Amazon Author Page bio. You may be keeping your website up to date, but perhaps that’s not where your host goes to source their information (note to self: check my Goodreads and Amazon Page bios). Sending a media kit upfront is a great way to make sure you are providing the most relevant details that you want shared.

So, when I say media kit, what exactly am I including in it? This is what I find most useful, time and time again:

A short bio – No more than 100 words. This covers the bare-bones basics. It is a good place to share the names of the books/series you write and any notable writing groups you are a part of. I also recommend ending on a more personal “hobby” note. Don’t forget to include a link to your website or newsletter signup in the bio (I find this drives more signups than just having it listed somewhere separately).

A full bio – This is where you can go all out on your achievements. List the awards you’ve won. Share a bit about your writing journey, as well as your background prior to writing. Mention any writing-related blogs, podcasts, web series, etc., you are involved in. However, don't write a novel. I recommend two paragraphs at most. Having different bio choices allows your host/interviewer to pick which word count is right for them.

A presenter bio – This is a recent addition to my media kit. As I’ve become more immersed in the author community, there have been instances when I’ve been asked to present to writing groups about topics like social media and (surprise, surprise) building a media kit. In my presenter bio, while I do mention my writing, I highlight my qualifications in social media and publicity. I recommend doing the same for whatever topic you present.

A high-resolution, professional-looking author photo – I’ve definitely blogged about this item before. As a blogger, nothing is more painful than to receive a blurry or unprofessional headshot from my featured guest author. Not only does it present my guest in a negative light, but it also makes my blog look less professional. So, please be considerate of your hosts when you select a picture. This is a reflection on them, too. With the quality of cell phone cameras these days, you do not need to spend money to have a professional-looking photo. Just be mindful of your background! And please, ask someone (a spouse, friend, child, neighbor) to take the picture for you. No selfies!!

High-resolution photos of your book covers – I will admit, this is a hard one for me because I have a large backlist of books to promote. Most of the time, my interviewer will tell me what book I should focus on (usually the most recent), so I keep the most recent book from each of my series in my media kit.

Links – This can also be a tricky section to manage because there are so many links that we can provide. Over the years, I’ve narrowed down my list to the following:

• My website
• My newsletter
• My social media “hub” – I have built a page into my website that provides links to all my active social media profiles. A one-stop shop for users.
• My book series’ pages on Amazon
• A writing “extracurricular” I’d like to promote – For me, this is the It’s Bookish Time TV YouTube channel.    

That’s still quite a list of links. If you use sites like LinkTree or Bitly, you can create “link-in-bio” pages where you can house all your important links on one landing page. This allows you to provide your interviewer with one link, from which all your other links are listed.

So, now that I’ve outlined what my media kit entails, you might be wondering where I keep this. In two places, actually. I have a “Media Kit” folder on my computer, which contains a Word document with all my bios and links, along with the high-res photos (I do not embed them into my Word doc, as it decreases the resolution value). When I’m getting ready to send an email to my interviewer or moderator, I attach my Word doc along with the necessary photos. I also keep a Media Kit on my website (see here). This way, if I’m traveling or unable to send my Word doc items, I can share this URL containing the same information. Managing two sources is a bit more work, so beginning with the folder-based media kit is a great place to start.

Lastly, set aside some time each month to review the details in your kit. Make sure to keep it current with new releases and achievements!

As an author, putting together the right publicity tools is crucial for success, and a media kit can help you check a lot of boxes. By harnessing this information in an easy-to-access document, you can elevate your presence and reach in an increasingly competitive literary landscape.