Book Publicity Question:

Thanks for all you do. Please tell me, how do I write a pitch letter to the media and or book reviewers?

John’s Book Publicity Answer:

That’s a pretty big question, but in a blog post I can only give you a short answer. Here are seven key points in writing a pitch letter:

1. Keep it short. Not more than one page.

2. Get right to the point. Don’t dilly-dally.

3. Lead off with a strong point. Tie into a current news story. Ask a leading question that gets them thinking. Tell a very short story that leads into the value of your book.

4. Mention the title of your book once. The focus of the pitch letter should not be on how wonderful your book is. The focus should be on the problem your book solves, or how entertaining a read your book is (if fiction).

5. When possible, hitch your wagon to a star. Talk about how your book goes beyond the value of a current bestseller in your category. Connect your book to one or two bestsellers. But, again, keep it short. The pitch should not focus on your book, but on the solution or entertainment value of your book.

6. If you include anything about yourself, keep it short. And make it interesting.

7. Enter with a call to action. Ask for what you want: a book review, an interview, to be put on their expert lists, or whatever you want from them. Ask for one thing.

John Kremer is the author of 1001 Ways to Market Your Books

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