Abouts Books

By Shannon Evans

As an author of a recently or not so recently birthed book, you need a press kit to market you and your book. Your website needs to host a PR page that is easy to access and full of rich information. Here are the basic items your press kit should contain on your website:

� Press Release File - a page that lists links to either the actual page on the publisher's site or a link to a pdf housed on your site of the actual clipping or press release.
� Author Bio - This page should have two versions of your bio. One should be highly detailed and in-depth. The other should be short, 1-2 paragraphs, and easy to read as a "sound bite".
� Fact Sheet - Title, publisher, price, ISBN, page count, publication date, etc.
� Interview Questions - 12-15 sample questions for an interviewer to use
� Graphics page - jpg and gif version attachments of your book cover and your professional head shot
� Testimonials - include any notable testimonials or endorsements about your work
� Book Reviews - a page should contain either pdfs of book reviews or links to where they are located
� Links to Interviews - if you were interviewed previously on radio, live on the internet, or on tv, chances are there is a tape of it that can be linked to your press kit page. This gives other interviewers a chance to see/hear what you are like live and how well you interact in a live interview setting.
� Schedule - list of up-coming appearances, book signings, and events
� Sell Sheet - down loadable and faxable version of your book's features and benefits
� Sample Book Excerpt - pdf copy of a part of a core chapter of your book

This on-line version cannot take the place of sending out review copies of your book to media sources. It does give potential audiences a good source of information on you, your book, and an insight into your personal message. Customize your presentation so it is expertly organized and visually appealing website so it acts as a powerful marketing and publicity tool.

Shannon Evans, senior editor and owner of mywritingmentor.com maintains two blogs:

http://www.authormarketingtools.wordpress.com
http://www.mywritingmentor.wordpress.com

Shannon is a member of The Author's Village a social network of professional authors and writers currently practicing their art. To join in the conversation or to learn more visit: http://theauthorsvillage.collectivex.com