All About Press Releases
Once your book is published, the real work begins. It’s time to write a press release, and send it everywhere.
When I send out my press releases, they go to all the local newspapers, radio, and television stations, to local magazines, to all the libraries in about a hundred mile radius of my home, to stores that might be interested in carrying my book, and to the “big three” newspapers (New York Times, Wall Street Journal, and USA Today).
You want everyone in your local area to know that you’re a “local kid gone big time” and that they should want to interview you and put you on tv and in print. Remember that you’re selling yourself more than your book at this point. There are several great online tutorials on writing press releases that you can learn from."
Not all of the above are specifically for books, but they give you a good idea of how to write up a decent one.
Here is a copy of the Press Release I wrote for my book, Cook Small, Live Large!
Dear (Name),
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
M. Allyson Szabo
(Address and phone number redacted)
[email protected]
http://mallysonszabo.weebly.com
Cook Small, Live Large! Recipes designed for those living the #vanlife
Keene, NH, June 28, 2023 - Do you live in a van, tiny home, motor home, or RV, either full time or part time? Do you enjoy camping and traveling? Do you just cook for yourself, and get frustrated with the large recipes in most cookbooks?
If you answered yes to any of these questions, then M. Allyson Szabo's new cookbook, Cook Small, Live Large!, is made just for you. This cookbook is designed specifically to cater to those who choose to live the #vanlife. It contains over 125 unique recipes, all of which are for only one or two people, with little to no leftovers.
Cook Small, Live Large! addresses the needs and wants of those who choose to live in small spaces, with limited cooking and storage space. With the advent of "work from home" during the pandemic, many people took to the road and made their vehicle their home. Rather than this being a form of homelessness, it was instead a personal choice which provided freedom and room to grow for those embracing it. Along with that freedom, though, came a unique set of challenges in the cooking department. Cook Small, Live Large! aims to meet each of those challenges with a host of delicious and nutritious ingredients.
"...the problems of yesteryear are applicable today. If you’re traveling from place to place in a small vehicle, you don’t want to be carrying a 50lb sack of wheat with you, and you don’t (usually) have room for a full size fridge or freezer. You have to make choices as to what’s most important, how often you can shop, where you can get food, and what kinds of foods make the most sense to you as a modern nomad." (Szabo, M. Allyson. Cook Small, Live Large!. Keene, NH, Troglodite Services, LLC, 2023.)
M. Allyson Szabo began writing in her early teens, inspired by authors such as Piers Anthony and Robert A. Heinlein. History is a passion for her, and family is the center of her life. She spends her weekdays writing, editing, sewing, and running her home. Weekends, you can find her at assorted Renaissance Faires and historical re-enactments throughout the New England area, teaching about life and cooking in the Middle Ages, Renaissance, and American 18th Century.
She is also the author of The Re-Enactor's Cookbook, which covers a variety of 14th and 15th-century recipes for re-enactors to cook at home or over an open fire at events. With over a hundred recipes and impeccably researched footnotes, The Re-Enactor's Cookbook has become a staple for those who present to the public at fairs, museums, and other historical events. The book has been well-received and has sold over 2500 copies since its release in October 2020.
During the pandemic, Ms. Szabo began helping a friend learn to cook while on the road in his van. Those emails were the early notes for Cook Small, Live Large!, and were added to and expanded upon. Though not living on the road herself, Ms. Szabo's extensive cooking experience allowed her to take old favorites and new recipes alike, and change them to suit the nomad life.
You can find Ms. Szabo online in several places:
Website: https://mallysonszabo.com/
Facebook Author Page: https://www.facebook.com/mallysonszabo/
Amazon Author Page: https://www.amazon.com/Allyson-Szabo/e/B00IY0GMC8/
YouTube Vlog Channel: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCdt4Sz7jkD2R8IR9PtWlGWg
Email: [email protected]
Review copies may be requested from Ms. Szabo at her email address above.
Ms. Szabo's vampire novels are available on Amazon as well:
Blood Stone and Blood Water. You can find her other works on her Amazon Author's page, above.
Once your book is published, the real work begins. It’s time to write a press release, and send it everywhere.
When I send out my press releases, they go to all the local newspapers, radio, and television stations, to local magazines, to all the libraries in about a hundred mile radius of my home, to stores that might be interested in carrying my book, and to the “big three” newspapers (New York Times, Wall Street Journal, and USA Today).
You want everyone in your local area to know that you’re a “local kid gone big time” and that they should want to interview you and put you on tv and in print. Remember that you’re selling yourself more than your book at this point. There are several great online tutorials on writing press releases that you can learn from."
- https://www.prnewswire.com/resources/articles/press-release-templates/
- https://www.canva.com/documents/templates/press-releases/
- https://www.score.org/resource/article/tips-crafting-perfect-press-release
- https://www.semrush.com/blog/how-to-write-a-press-release/
- https://www.mcla.edu/administration/administrative-offices/communications-and-marketing-office/publicity/press-release-template.php
- https://prnews.io/blog/book-press-release.html
- https://www.blurb.com/blog/how-to-write-a-press-release-for-a-book-launch/
- https://prowly.com/magazine/book-press-release-examples/
- https://www.ereleases.com/press-release-sample/books/
Not all of the above are specifically for books, but they give you a good idea of how to write up a decent one.
Here is a copy of the Press Release I wrote for my book, Cook Small, Live Large!
Dear (Name),
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
M. Allyson Szabo
(Address and phone number redacted)
[email protected]
http://mallysonszabo.weebly.com
Cook Small, Live Large! Recipes designed for those living the #vanlife
Keene, NH, June 28, 2023 - Do you live in a van, tiny home, motor home, or RV, either full time or part time? Do you enjoy camping and traveling? Do you just cook for yourself, and get frustrated with the large recipes in most cookbooks?
If you answered yes to any of these questions, then M. Allyson Szabo's new cookbook, Cook Small, Live Large!, is made just for you. This cookbook is designed specifically to cater to those who choose to live the #vanlife. It contains over 125 unique recipes, all of which are for only one or two people, with little to no leftovers.
Cook Small, Live Large! addresses the needs and wants of those who choose to live in small spaces, with limited cooking and storage space. With the advent of "work from home" during the pandemic, many people took to the road and made their vehicle their home. Rather than this being a form of homelessness, it was instead a personal choice which provided freedom and room to grow for those embracing it. Along with that freedom, though, came a unique set of challenges in the cooking department. Cook Small, Live Large! aims to meet each of those challenges with a host of delicious and nutritious ingredients.
"...the problems of yesteryear are applicable today. If you’re traveling from place to place in a small vehicle, you don’t want to be carrying a 50lb sack of wheat with you, and you don’t (usually) have room for a full size fridge or freezer. You have to make choices as to what’s most important, how often you can shop, where you can get food, and what kinds of foods make the most sense to you as a modern nomad." (Szabo, M. Allyson. Cook Small, Live Large!. Keene, NH, Troglodite Services, LLC, 2023.)
M. Allyson Szabo began writing in her early teens, inspired by authors such as Piers Anthony and Robert A. Heinlein. History is a passion for her, and family is the center of her life. She spends her weekdays writing, editing, sewing, and running her home. Weekends, you can find her at assorted Renaissance Faires and historical re-enactments throughout the New England area, teaching about life and cooking in the Middle Ages, Renaissance, and American 18th Century.
She is also the author of The Re-Enactor's Cookbook, which covers a variety of 14th and 15th-century recipes for re-enactors to cook at home or over an open fire at events. With over a hundred recipes and impeccably researched footnotes, The Re-Enactor's Cookbook has become a staple for those who present to the public at fairs, museums, and other historical events. The book has been well-received and has sold over 2500 copies since its release in October 2020.
During the pandemic, Ms. Szabo began helping a friend learn to cook while on the road in his van. Those emails were the early notes for Cook Small, Live Large!, and were added to and expanded upon. Though not living on the road herself, Ms. Szabo's extensive cooking experience allowed her to take old favorites and new recipes alike, and change them to suit the nomad life.
You can find Ms. Szabo online in several places:
Website: https://mallysonszabo.com/
Facebook Author Page: https://www.facebook.com/mallysonszabo/
Amazon Author Page: https://www.amazon.com/Allyson-Szabo/e/B00IY0GMC8/
YouTube Vlog Channel: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCdt4Sz7jkD2R8IR9PtWlGWg
Email: [email protected]
Review copies may be requested from Ms. Szabo at her email address above.
Ms. Szabo's vampire novels are available on Amazon as well:
Blood Stone and Blood Water. You can find her other works on her Amazon Author's page, above.