Let's talk galleys and press kits

Literateparakeet

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For my next book (which will be available in print and ebook), I'm researching how to get reviews, especially professional reviews, and book blurbs. One of the first things I learned was that I would need a galley and a press kit. I had no idea what either one consisted of. :) I started researching. I started here on AW and put "what is a book galley" in the search box. I got zero results, so I went to google. I found an article that is really helpful.

Book Review Galleys: What Should They Look Like?

Next, I began to tackle the subject of the press kit.

50 Ways to Reach Your Readers #4: Media Kit

Presentation is everything--so I like this link:

Create a simple media kit with publisher

So much of what we do is on-line these days:

Preparing Your Online Media Kit

I'm just sharing what I'm learning as I stumble my way along. I welcome any other advice or experiences from those with more experience or knowledge.

(Mods: I choose the self-pub forum for this because although it is promotion, trade published authors don't need to worry about these things as the publisher takes care of them. But if you see the need to move it--no hard feelings. :) )
 
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Galley for review purposes = ARC.

In some ways, galleys aren't what they used to be, because of digital typesetting and printing.

You used to have galleys post the first typesetting pass; they might be uncut sheets.

They're used for the final proofing; sometimes they'd be bound as a "permabound" soft-cover with a cover that had the basic text of the title page, with "uncorrected proof" or "corrected proof" and not for resale.

These were used internally for proofing, and sometimes sent out to reviewers (in the form of bound sheets).

With digital printing, and the possibility of rapid short runs, ARC or Advanced Reading Copies sort of became the version sent out to reviewers. There's a decent discussion here.
 
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Old Hack

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For my next book (which will be available in print and ebook), I'm researching how to get reviews, especially professional reviews, and book blurbs. One of the first things I learned was that I would need a galley and a press kit. I had no idea what either one consisted of. :) I started researching. I started here on AW and put "what is a book galley" in the search box. I got zero results, so I went to google. I found an article that is really helpful.

Book Review Galleys: What Should They Look Like?

I have heaps of ARCs here: most have versions of the final cover on them, most are POD, most have many more typos than you'd expect in the final version, but most have had some degree of editing and are pretty close to the final version.

Next, I began to tackle the subject of the press kit.

50 Ways to Reach Your Readers #4: Media Kit

Looks reasonable. But it's quite elaborate: I'm more used to a single sheet with the press release and author's bio etc. on it, folded once and stuffed into an envelope with the ARC.

I don't usually get bookmarks or postcards in a press pack.

Presentation is everything--so I like this link:

Create a simple media kit with publisher

This one says to put everything into a smart folder: I can't think of any publishers which use smart folders, because they send their press kits out with ARCs which won't fit into that smart folder. All you have to do is stick the book and the press release into an envelope and send it out.

(Mods: I choose the self-pub forum for this because although it is promotion, trade published authors don't need to worry about these things as the publisher takes care of them. But if you see the need to move it--no hard feelings. :) )

I'm glad you won't mind, because I'm going to move it. There is an increasing number of small publishers which expect its authors to do their own marketing and promotion. I don't like it, but it's happening, and they might like to know about this too.
 

Zeddo

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All you have to do is stick the book and the press release into an envelope and send it out....There is an increasing number of small publishers which expect its authors to do their own marketing and promotion.

I'm one of those authors whose publisher expects him to do much of his own marketing and promotion. I've never seen a real press kit, and most of what I read about how to put them together seems aimed at non-fiction (why is this book important --hell, it's not, it's entertainment; what are your qualifications for writing it? none, I just did it).

My book is a mystery and I was planning on the "stick the book and the press release into an envelope and send it out" approach. I figure the press release and bio would be similar to the blurb and bio that will appear on the cover, along with my contact/website info. (I have cover quotes from a couple of other authors and I hope to have a review or two by then, and I'll include those too.)

Am I missing something obvious?

Zeddo
 

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I'm not sure if the same thing exists other places, but in the Strand bookshop, in NYC, there are ARCs for sale downstairs. Some are the very rough, preliminary-looking deals, some are final hardcovers that are/were sent out and have the press release OH is talking about stuck in the inside cover.

If you're interested and near the Strand, someone can go check what they're like. If not, maybe other stores have similar stock.
 

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I'm one of those authors whose publisher expects him to do much of his own marketing and promotion. I've never seen a real press kit, and most of what I read about how to put them together seems aimed at non-fiction (why is this book important --hell, it's not, it's entertainment; what are your qualifications for writing it? none, I just did it).

My book is a mystery and I was planning on the "stick the book and the press release into an envelope and send it out" approach. I figure the press release and bio would be similar to the blurb and bio that will appear on the cover, along with my contact/website info. (I have cover quotes from a couple of other authors and I hope to have a review or two by then, and I'll include those too.)

Am I missing something obvious?

Zeddo

Publication date.

Availability: which distributor does your publisher use? Which major retailers have ordered the book already?

Information about the marketing plan which has been set up: readings, advertising support, and so on.

Advance quotes from big-name writers, politicians, celebrities.

Note that your publisher should provide you with free ARCs of your book for you to send out: you really shouldn't have to pay for these books. And also note that if you can't send this out at least three months prior to publication it's probably not worth doing, because most periodicals are only interested in reviewing new books, and it takes them that long to get them into their schedules.

I'm not sure if the same thing exists other places, but in the Strand bookshop, in NYC, there are ARCs for sale downstairs. Some are the very rough, preliminary-looking deals, some are final hardcovers that are/were sent out and have the press release OH is talking about stuck in the inside cover.

If you're interested and near the Strand, someone can go check what they're like. If not, maybe other stores have similar stock.

Um... they're not allowed to sell ARCs. It's against the terms and conditions under which the ARCs were supplied. They can give them away, but not sell them.
 

cornflake

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The Strand is an institution - I dunno where they get them, or if they've got some way around the legal issue (when I used to buy them a bunch they were, I think, $1; maybe they had some thing where they claimed it was a donation or something. I've no recollection, but I wouldn't have been like, reading the fine print on the signage. They had a specific place they were kept.), but they've been selling them for ages and there's no way publishing people haven't seen them there. :Shrug: Dunno. I used to love to buy the paper-bound ones in h.s. and then sometimes a year later a book I'd read would come out and hit big.
 
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Old Hack

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Publishers send ARCs to bookshops as well as to possible reviewers, in order to encourage orders when the book is published. So that's where they'll have got them from.

It could be that publishers feel that the potential loss of sales which might result from asking them not to sell them outweighs the benefits of preventing these ARCs from being sold. But they are always supplied on a "do not resell" basis.
 

cornflake

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Publishers send ARCs to bookshops as well as to possible reviewers, in order to encourage orders when the book is published. So that's where they'll have got them from.

It could be that publishers feel that the potential loss of sales which might result from asking them not to sell them outweighs the benefits of preventing these ARCs from being sold. But they are always supplied on a "do not resell" basis.

Ah, that makes sense as to where they came from. I always kind of wondered that, actually, especially the hardbacks, as those tend to be mixed in to the stock. I've only randomly come across them, while the rougher deals have their own area. Maybe they just chuck them in and, as you say, publishing people who've seen them could figure it was outweighed by the possibility of losing business.

Er, nevermind asking other places for ARCs then, heh.

It was really fun though - because, back when, they used to come just with a plain paper cover with just title and author, you couldn't tell anything much about the book, so was always a bet as to whether it would be interesting. Like grocery stores that sell dented/overstock/etc. cans for cheap, but with the labels removed. The mystery increases interest.
 

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Publication date.

Availability: which distributor does your publisher use? Which major retailers have ordered the book already?

Information about the marketing plan which has been set up: readings, advertising support, and so on.

Advance quotes from big-name writers, politicians, celebrities.

Note that your publisher should provide you with free ARCs of your book for you to send out: you really shouldn't have to pay for these books. And also note that if you can't send this out at least three months prior to publication it's probably not worth doing, because most periodicals are only interested in reviewing new books, and it takes them that long to get them into their schedules.

Thanks Old Hack. Hadn't thought about the first two. I can see why the reviewer wants to know what major retailers have ordered the book, but why would the distributor matter to the reviewer?

My publisher tells me I'll be getting the ARCs approximately 4 months prior to publication, so I'll have a month at the most to meet the publication deadline. My plan is to have everything ready and start firing review copies out the day I get the ARCs.
 

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Thanks Old Hack. Hadn't thought about the first two. I can see why the reviewer wants to know what major retailers have ordered the book, but why would the distributor matter to the reviewer?

Because some of the reviewers I'm used to sending books out to are book buyers in bookshops and other retailers; some are librarians; and so on.

Press packs don't just go out to people who can place reviews of the book. They go out to certain people who can get your book in front of its potential readers, too.
 

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If you want critique, you should post your work in Share Your Work, not here. Could you please delete that, Zeddo? I'm reluctant to do it in case you don't have a copy of it. Thanks.
 

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I have a gal I know who did this kind of thing for a living (in my writers group) who now has a new job but did a press kit for me as I had no clue. This will be a great thread to follow as I'd like to do my own next time. I also did up postcards through vistaprint for the local stores and libraries. Its a local murder so I hope they're interested.
 

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Press Release Advice

I posted a sample press release a couple of weeks ago in Show Your Work-Other at:

http://www.absolutewrite.com/forums/showthread.php?t=294407

I'm looking for feedback from people who've written (or at least seen) a press release. So far, no one with that experience has commented. I'm looking for an overview with comments on layout, whether the right information has been included, what's missing, etc.

I'd appreciate it if anyone with some familiarity with press releases (unlike me) could drop by and have a look.

Thanks,

Zeddo
 

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Press releases need to do a few things.

They need to tell the people who receive them that a book is being published.

They need to provide information about the book's publication (date, format, etc).

They need to make the book or its author or both seem fascinating and interesting and newsworthy.

And they need to provide something a journalist can use to make her write-up of the book more interesting: a quote from another more famous writer, perhaps, or a snippet of information about the writer or book, an amusing or horrifying anecdote.

Journalists use press releases to write brief articles from. If you don't give enough information in your release for them to write from you won't get covered.

If you look on some of the big publishers' websites you might find press releases there. Add links if you do, I bet everyone would find them interesting.
 

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Not to sound like a wet blanket, but I have given up trying to promote or sell my books. Unless one has a significant budget, they probably won't get anywhere with marketing.
 

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Not to sound like a wet blanket, but I have given up trying to promote or sell my books. Unless one has a significant budget, they probably won't get anywhere with marketing.

This isn't true.

Write a good book. Publish it well. Promote it effectively, and without spamming. Your chances will be good.

Algernon, you've made several comments here where you've said one has to spend heavily to sell well, and it's just not true. I have to wonder why you think this.

Has someone told you this? If so, are they trying to sell you their marketing services?

There are all sorts of reasons why books sell badly. They might be presented poorly; they might need better editing or better covers, or more effective sales copy; they might not be available in the right places (I've seen books only for sale on their authors' websites, for example, when most sell best on Amazon); and then there's the big problem, which is that they might not be very good books. There's not much that can be done for that last one, but the other problems are all things you can sort out, and it doesn't take a huge amount of money to do it.
 

Literateparakeet

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Not to sound like a wet blanket, but I have given up trying to promote or sell my books. Unless one has a significant budget, they probably won't get anywhere with marketing.

I'm sorry you feel that way. I don't think that is the case. But I do think it takes a lot of work. Fortunately, I enjoy learning about marketing and applying what I have learned.