Media Kit Templates for Indie Authors FAQs

Before you get sidetracked this weekend, read this summary of Quick & Easy Media Kit Templates, the popular package I created that will shave weeks off the tedious chore of building a media kit for your fiction or nonfiction book.

My partners in this project are Joel Friedlander and Tracy Atkins, and we’re doing a special promotion right now, until midnight Pacific Time on Monday, May 23. If you missed the live training we did on Thursday on “The Indie Author’s Guide to Creating a Killer Media Kit,” you can register to watch the replay here.

Quick & Easy Media Kit Templates are the only tool of its kind that will save you weeks of work and thousands of dollars. And you won’t stress out, worrying about whether your media kit will truly help the people who need it—many of whom can help promote your book.

Follow my simple instructions and you’ll have a media kit that will wow journalists, bloggers, reviewers, agents, audience members, buyers—even big publishers. (Publishers, you can use these too!  🙂 )

Why should you learn from me?

Because as a newspaper editor for almost two decades, I consulted thousands of media kits. I discarded many of the ones that wasted my time. I held onto the ones that helped me do my job by giving me content-rich material I could use to write about the author or the company.

Video: How to Use the Author Bio Template

Here’s a video Joel created that demonstrates how he’s using the author bio template. You’ll see that you don’t need any technical skills other than knowing how to cut and paste copy. Easy peasy!

Choose from 3 Editions

The Standard Edition includes:

  • A  package of 8 PDF documents that are pre-formatted templates for the most important items in your book’s media kit.  These include your author bios in different lengths, and a two press releases (one for fiction and one for nonfiction).
  • Another 4 templates for items that will come in handy during your book marketing campaign. You don’t have to include all these in your kit, but you will need them when approaching national retailers, book stores, book reviewers and when you sell  books at events like book signings.
  • My special report on “How to Rewrite Your Boring Bio.”
  • A 62-page guide with full instructions on how to use the templates, including samples of every template so you can see how the materials should look when completed.
  • The templates include black text (where you will place your own copy) and red text (my tips on how to write it.)

The Plus Edition, our best deal, adds three special bonus guides related to publicity and three in-depth video training programs on book publicity.

The PR Pro Commercial Edition is for publicists, book coaches, or anyone who wants to buy a commercial license to create media kits and press release for clients. It’s a “Business in a Box” and includes everything in the Plus Edition.

FAQs About Our Author Media Kit Templates

Here are some of questions authors have asked us about our templates.  

Q. Does this package require technical skills?

A. No. As Joel demonstrates in the video above, if you can type, and if you know how to use Microsoft Word, you can use our templates easily. 

Q. Can I use the templates if I’m on a Macintosh?

A. Yes.
 
Q. What do I do with the templates when I’m done?

A. From your website’s homepage, or from the page that features your book, link to your “Media Kit.” On that page, you will link to each PDF document you created. You can see how Joel did it for his Media Kit for A Self-Publisher’s Companion

Q. Why do I need separate PDF documents?

A. Because busy journalists, bloggers and meeting planners don’t have time to wade through one giant document, hunting for what they need. They can scan the list of items in your media kit and click on the one they need.

Q. Do I offer them on my website as Word documents or PDFs?

A. PDFs. Allow them to cut and paste copy into their own stories, however. Some journalists might want the Word document. Have it ready to email to them if they ask for it.

Q. Does the media kit concept apply to books that are one or even six years old?

A. Yes. If you never created a media kit, do it now. If you’ve already created it, these templates will show you how to do it right.

Q. Do I need to have my media kit in a printed format, and how expensive will this be?

A. If you’re going to trade shows or other events, you can take printed media kits with you if you wish, but it isn’t mandatory.  Tuck all the materials into a folder with your company logo. It doesn’t have to be fancy or expensive. What’s most important is what’s inside.  Some authors keep it simple and inexpensive by attaching a printed sticker, in color, to the top of the folder. The digital media kit is much more important than the printed kit, however. Finish that first. 

Q. I don’t know how to write very well. Can I still use these templates?

A. If you can write a book, you can write the materials inside the media kit, following my expert guidance. On the press release instructions, for example, I explain what to include in the first paragraph, where to put the author quote, how to excerpt tips for nonfiction books,  and I give you ideas for the very important call to action. I have worked for more than three decades as a writing coach. You’re learning from a pro.

Q. How long will this entire process take me?

A. It depends on how much of the material is already written. We asked three beta testers to use the templates and tell us how much time they spent. Times ranged from just three hours to three days.

Q. How can I adapt the materials if one of the audiences for my book is nonprofits?

A. Easy. Regardless of who your target audience is, you should mention it in the press release as well as in any copy that summarizes the book. Your cheat sheet or checklist (one of the templates) would include valuable tips for nonprofits.  

Q. Do the templates include a list of journalists with contact information so I can send them my media kit?

A. No. Never send a media kit unsolicited. It’s best to email a customized pitch about you or your expertise. If they’re interested, follow up and ask if they would like your media kit.  Besides, we couldn’t possibly include a list of thousands of potential journalists, with updated contact information, who might be interested in different types of books on thousands of subjects.  

 

How to Buy the Media Kit Templates  

Go directly to the sales page. You must buy before midnight Pacific Time on Monday, May 23, to take advantage of the special promotional price.

If you buy the templates and have any questions while you’re using them, or if you have any questions before you buy, please feel free to email me at JStewart@PublicityHound.com or call 262-284-7451. I offer exemplary customer service and I’ll prove it.

Authors & PublishersBook MarketingHow to Write a BioMedia KitsPress Releases
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