14 items You Need in Your Author Media Kit
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Above is an example of a media page from author Kathy Lynn Harris’s website. So do you need a media page (also known as a media kit)?
If you are considering a blog tour, are contacting reviewers, want to be featured on blogs, websites or your local or national newspaper/ magazine, a media page is a killer resource to have. It makes reporters and bloggers owners’ lives a ton easier (trust me I know all about this!) and this in turn means that they will be more likely to feature you.
If all the information about yourself and your book is in one place, it’s just so much easier to whip up a short post or feature. This is the aim of the media page, to cater to the media folk, so keep them in mind when building the most intuitive and informative media page possible.
Here is a list of 14 useful things you can include on it.
1. A summary of your press attention to date
This can be images and links to PR you have already received to show off a little.
2. Author Bio for Press
This is a professional yet fun summary that doesn’t include your whole life story. Keep it to under 150-300 words and make sure it’s interesting!
3. A Book Description
Short and interesting enough to be lifted and used in its entirety on another site or article, your book description is invaluable.
4. Author Photo
Upload or attach a link to a professional, high resolution headshot. Not you at dinner with your other half or hanging out on the sofa in your Christmas sweater!
5. Book Info
The vital statistics – title, subtitle, genre, ISBN, no. of pages, formats available, publisher and release date.
6. Reviews and endorsements
This can be sentences lifted from Amazon.com reviews, or endorsements from professional reviewers or other authors/ celebrities (blurbs) if available.
7. Press releases
If any.
8. Buying information
Links to the relevant retailers.
9. Contact information
Your email address or that of a publicity rep, Twitter handle if you have one.
10. Interview topic ideas
These should be relevant to your book. Give the reviewer/ reporter/ site owner some food for thought.
11. News pegs
How does the book ties into contemporary issues, politics, news? Even if your book is a fiction, you can be considered an “expert” in the topics and issues presented in your story. Your personal story is bound to influence your writing, so if you’re not shy present your own experiences in relation to your book, too.
12. Sample chapter/ excerpt:
Don’t go overboard or include anything with spoilers! Enough text to pique interest is all that is needed here. A link to a sample is fine.
13. Book trailer/ audio file
Either is fine, and an author interview could also be featured here instead.
14. Info on your target readers
Who reads and buys your books? Why? This info helps a journalist, blogger, or other potential reviewer know if you appeal to their own target audience.
And there you have it, a Media-friendly press page! It might take you a few hours to get all of this information together, but the content will be useful for ALL of your promotional efforts, and will help you get the media attention you deserve by putting you a cut above the rest.
See my example for my book Wow! Glowing Bride in 30 Days here. See an example put together by 30 Day Books for the author Kathy Lynn Harris here.
Last updated: 07/12/2021
Great post on Media Kits. I can definitely see the value in having one. Is this easy to do for a low tech author? :( If not, are there people who can do this for an author at a reasonable price?
Diane, it shouldn’t be difficult depending on the way your site is set up. Are you able to update your site yourself, say using Blogger or WordPress? If not, you can get the info needed together yourself, and have a web developer do it on your behalf in 1-2 hours. Hope that helps!