Index

Edited by Paradise Publishers Inc. of the eBooks N' Bytes Informer,

It is crucial to concentrate on writing an effective release for your ebook. You want to catch the reporter's attention. I asked Susan Bodendorfer, of WordBeams Publishing what makes her press releases so successful.

"I've been writing press releases for years and they always do seem to get attention. Basically, what I try to do is to focus on one particular element that stands out as unique or unusual and then expand on that. If I can catch the reader's attention early on, then there's a good chance they'll continue reading the rest of the release and then contact me for more information. My last few releases resulted in phone interviews with the New York Times and Publisher's Weekly, and a flood of review requests," says Susan.

"The average press release from a business tries too hard to jam the product down the reader's throat. Too much "me, me, me, and I, I, I" is going to turn the reader off. The "hard sell" attitude is a tired and trite approach. Rather than trying to hard-sell something in a press release, a better approach is to tantalize readers with just enough information, and leave them wanting more."

"It's very much like writing a novel. You need a great opening hook, a middle that doesn't sag, and a dynamite ending," she adds.

"Press releases are one of the best promotional tools available because they don't cost anything, and they reach a wide audience. The media is generally flooded with press releases--much in the same way that publishers are flooded with manuscript submissions. It takes a fresh approach and intriguing headline to get your press release noticed. Once your press releases are noticed, then your future releases will be welcomed and go straight to the top of the pile," remarked Susan Bodendorfer of Wordbeams Publishing.

Visit Susan's electronic publishing site at http://www.wordbeams.com

I was lucky enough to come across award-winning author, Leta Nolan Childer's site, where she has some very valuable tips on compiling a press kit for your new ebook releases which you can access by clicking here.

Most press release sites contain hints on creating effective press releases, some of the more notable resources are:

Tenagra Marketing Resources: http://marketing.tenagra.com/pubnet/

DM Freeman Company Instructional Articles on Media Relations: http://www.dmfreedman.com/articles.shtml

For further reading, I would recommend getting the ebook "Make Your Site Sell," at http://design.sitesell.com/myss/ It has a comprehensive section on press releases in their bonus 196 page traffic-building report. It cites examples of how to write news, bio, and question sheets, a "To Do List" and "Top 10 What NOT to Do List" when sending releases etc.

Here is a brief run-down of some of Ken Evoy's "Top 10 What Not to Do" tips when creating and sending a release:

1. Do not follow-up with releases intensively
2. Do not send indiscriminately - choose where to send the release carefully!
3. Do not be vague
4. Do not release too soon - make sure ebook is ready

If you can't seem to write one effectively yourself, then there are press release writing services such as those at http://www.cheapwriting.com (don't be fooled by the name -- they do quality work since it is a service of Dr. Nunley.)