Press Kit Tips

What all do you include in a press kit?

1) author photo (possibly color and B&W)
2) front cover to book
3) excerpt from book
4) blurb/description of book
5) author bio
6) press contact info

Media Contact

* Myrddin Publishing Group*

Your Name Here*donjones@email.com * 123-456-7891

http://MyBlogOrWebsite.website.com

 

7) book trailer (or link to it)
8) market plan
9) how to buy/vendors/websites? (help!)

Book Signing Suggestions from Victoria

1) don't be afraid to call and ask for a manager and ask if they'd like you to do a book signing!
Here was my line on the first one "I'm a former Troy graduate and I wanted to do a book release party at your store"
Here's what I'm going to try on the next one "I'm a local author. I've already done one book signing in the area and it was very successful. I can deliver the books to you ahead of time if you'd like to set them up. My publishing company can invoice you afterward for the books that sell, and any more you would like to keep in the store. I have poster, flyers, and bookmarks prepared and I can drop them off ahead of time if you'd like. I would also love to do a reading of my book if you are interested."

2) YES do readings!! Here's why:
a) it increased my presence in the store and made it more like an "event"
b) recording the video gave me something to share the day of the signing
c) it brought people to my table
d) now that I have that footage I can add "readings" to author central, goodreads, youtube - and it sets those pages apart from books that just have trailers, in my honest opinion (so do it!: )

3) About the assistant - I'd say yes or no - it was great to have someone to take video and pictures but I think I may have been more approachable if I was at the table by myself. I had signs EVERYWHERE but people were still confused that it was a book signing - lots of people asked "what is this?" So if you want pics and videos maybe you could get someone to take it for you? It was nice to have the tripod there so the video wasn't shaky. My assistant was super helpful, especially because I was there all day. It might be helpful to have one for your first signing if you want to make more of an event of it, but I'm confident that I can do it on my own from now on.

4) YES YES YES have bookmarks, and here's why:
Many people passed by my table without even looking to see what it was (keep in mind I was there at homecoming and 90% of the costumers there that day were not there to buy books). I asked as many as many people as I could if they would like a signed bookmark. I'd say "Hi how are you? Would you like a signed bookmark? I am a local author doing a book signing here today" That would get about 90% of them to stop (and I signed a TON of bookmarks!) About 50% of those that stopped would then ask about my book, and I would tell them that it is a fantasy. I would ask if they read fantasy, and if they said yes then I would talk it up. (By the way, be prepared to tell what your book is about, that was the number one question I was asked!) About 10% of the people I told my book about actually then bought it. (And I'm proud of that number : )

5) give-a-way items can be so/so - I found they didn't attract people to my table (even the gift card give-a-way) but it did keep them for another minute if they were waiting for their bookmark. Personally I'll just be sticking with plain bookmarks in the future (by the way having a pretty pen to sign your bookmarks with is a plus - mine was a silver sharpie)

6) YES have a place for guests to sign a guest book (I just did four sheets with the event name and date on the top, then 3 columns Name, Hometown, and Email.) I have four pages of email addys - which I emailed this morning with a thank-you for attending, and links to where they can find me, leave a review on the book if they bought it, and where to watch footage of the signing on youtube.

7) Balloons, flyers, banners, posters, signs YES YES YES - and bring your own tape, scissors, ribbon - EVERYTHING so you don't have to ask the store for some. Also, ask the store if they have a table cloth. I wish I had brought a couple straight pins so I could have put the posters on the front of my table without having to tape them :)

8) Just a last bit of advice - and I know some of you won't want to hear this - but you can't go expecting a crowd of people to swamp you. At this point you are not a famous author. Most people coming to the store won't know ahead of time that you are having a signing - they are just coming to shop. YOU HAVE TO BE YOUR OWN SALESMAN. Talk to people, invite them to your table, be prepared to talk about your book. And don't feel bad if all they walk away with is a bookmark. If you were following my statistics, a small portion of the people I spoke to bought the book. That's why I'm very proud of the ones I did sell!

Best of luck and please ask me questions if you have some!!

Book Shelves and BISAC Codes for Metadata

BOOK SHELVES AND TAGS

Picking your genre, shelves and tags is a VERY important but can be a difficult process. This is part of the Metadata that you have to create before your book is live. You must have your book placed where your target audience will be searching.  ‘Fiction’ is NOT what we are looking for here. The shelves within fiction/non-fiction are where you book would be in a book store/Amazon Catalogue.  Your tags are the categories within your shelves used on Amazon.
One of the easiest methods is to find a bestselling book/author that you feel is most like your book. Use their shelves and tags for your book.

BISG/Book Information Study Group Website Information
The BISAC Subject Headings List, also known as the BISAC Subject Codes List, is a standard used by many companies throughout the supply chain to categorize books based on topical content. The Subject Heading applied to a book can determine where the work is shelved in a brick and mortar store or the genre(s) under which it can be searched for in an internal database.
http://www.bisg.org/what-we-do-0-136-bisac-subject-headings-list-major-subjects.php
Amazon Suggestions for Books targeted at Teens and Adults
http://www.amazon.com/BEST-COMING-Books-Teens-Adults/lm/2U1K520V8HGFE

 RANDOM HOUSE GENRE LIST

African-American
Biography/Memoir
Body,Mind & Sprint
Business/Economics
Classes
Cooking
Crafts & Hobbies
Education
Fiction/Literature
Games
Juvenile fiction
Mystery
Religion/Spirituality
Science Fiction/Fantasy
Sports




BARNES & NOBLE GENRE LIST – Primary on their website

Books by Subject
Art, Architecture & Photography         
Audio Books
Bibles & Bible Studies
Biographies
Business & Money
Children's Books
Computing & Internet
Cookbooks, Food & Wine
Crafts & Hobbies
Diet & Health
Education & Teaching
Film and Music Books
Fiction & Literature
Graphic Novels
History
Home & Garden
Horror Books
Humor
Libros en español
Medicine
Mystery & Crime
Nonfiction
Politics & Current Events
Psychology
Religion
Romance
Science & Nature
Science Fiction & Fantasy
Self-Improvement
Sports & Adventure
Travel
True Crime


AMAZON GENRE LIST – Primary List on their website (BOOKS list) Including the main Teen categories & the number of books in each category

Arts & Photography (373,615)
Biographies & Memoirs (454,952)
Business & Investing (1,376,048)
Children's Books (858,284)
Comics & Graphic Novels (105,119)
Computers & Internet (373,374)
Cooking, Food & Wine (118,669)
Entertainment (454,493)
Gay & Lesbian (29,302)
Health, Mind & Body (529,283)
History (2,146,148)
Home & Garden (241,860)
Law (307,549)
Literature & Fiction (1,836,491)
Medicine (333,585)
Mystery & Thrillers (126,207)
Nonfiction (3,928,932)
Outdoors & Nature (223,217)
Parenting & Families (83,723)
Professional & Technical (3,320,775)
Reference (994,264)
Religion & Spirituality (899,660)
Romance (165,549)
Science (1,151,516)
Science Fiction & Fantasy (137,056)
Sports (205,779)
Teens (132,331)
Travel (322,016)

AMAZON TEEN GENRE LIST
Biographies & Memoirs (602)
Health, Mind & Body (2,493)
History & Historical Fiction (4,100)
Horror (687)
Literature & Fiction (15,353)
Mysteries (804)
Reference (71)
Religion & Spirituality (1,139)
School & Sports (1,403)
Science & Technology (11,550)
Science Fiction & Fantasy (15,431)
Social Issues (18,157)

Examples - Genre/Shelf/Tags
After Ilium by S. M. Swartz (fantasy)
Black Numbers by Dean Frank Lappi (horror / fantasy)
Emeline and the Mutants by Rachel Tsoumbakos (adult fantasy / horror)
Land of Nod, The Artifact (special edition) by Gary Hoover (YA fantasy)
The Last Good Knight by Connie J. Jasperson (adult fantasy)
The Tower of Bones By Connie J Jasperson (fantasy)
The Night Watchman Express by Alison DeLuca (YA fantasy)