Why would I want to write my own press release? You may be asking yourself this, especially if you hired a publicist.

There may come a time where you will need to send a press release; whether it’s because you can’t get a hold of your publicist, it’s beyond the scope of your contract with your publicist or having a publicist might not be in your budget, etc.

What is the purpose of a press release? A press release is an announcement. It should contain specific information. For example, you may write one to announce an event (such as book signings, participation in an expo, etc.) or a major achievement (such as your book making a bestsellers list, optioned as a movie, etc.).

Writing a press release isn’t hard.

What should the press release include? Make sure your press release has an eye-catching Title, contact information and include the five W’s:

• Who (Identify yourself)
• What (Your announcement)
• Where (Location of the book signing or event)
• When (Date and Time) and
• Why (Because you’re the next best thing to sliced bread…just kidding, but you get the point…smile).

How should the press release look? To view an example of a few press releases, please go to one of the following links:

• Title: Hollywood Deception Spreads Drama
• http://sheliagoss.com/mediakit/hollywood-deception-spreads-drama-between-the-pages/
• Title: Entertainment Writer Releases New Novel
• http://sheliagoss.com/mediakit/prinvisiblehusband/

Where should I submit the press release? Press releases should be sent out to your target audience, which can include media outlets such as newspapers, TV, radio, magazines or book clubs, bookstores, etc.

Are there any online services I can use to distribute my press release? Yes, there are several. PRWeb (http://www.prweb.com/) is one that I would recommend.

Don’t limit yourselves to online services. Find out fax numbers and mailing addresses of your target audiences and send them out that way as well. Try not to send stuff out blindly though. Make sure you know exactly who you’re sending the press release to.

Now you’re ready to try your hand at writing your own press release. Remember to keep it simple. Keeping it simple, means being direct and specific.

Shelia M. Goss

Shelia M. Goss has over thirteen books in print and numerous of ebooks available. She writes in multiple genres. With unique storylines, her goal is to create “stories with a twist.” For more information, visit her website at www.sheliagoss.com.

Don’t have a copy of Become A Successful Author? What are you waiting for? Become A Successful Author will be used in the “How To Write That Novel” course at Chicago State because it covers everything from branding to writing to editing to formatting and uploading electronic and print books to marketing and so much more. Your time is money. Look at all the time, thus money, you’ll save by ending your search for answers: Purchase Become A Successful Author (eBook) for only $4.99 from: Amazon (US), Amazon (UK), Barnes & Noble  or print copies for only $7.99 by using the Contact page of this website and tell Dee know how many copies you’d like and shipping address. She’ll email the ordering information.