An author media kit (also called a press kit) is the one document a journalist, podcast host or bookshop needs to feature you without emailing back with questions. It holds your bio in a few lengths, the book's facts, a cover image, sample interview questions and how to reach you. Download the Word template and the filled-in example, then use the notes below on what each part needs.
Download the template
Free, no sign-up. Open it in Word, Google Docs, Pages or LibreOffice and replace the bracketed parts.
Examples
- Short bio (35 words): "Grace Mensah is a pediatric nurse and the author of Night Shift, a memoir of twenty years on a children's ward. She lives in Columbus, Ohio, with her husband and two very loud dogs."
- Book facts line: title, subtitle, author, publication date, formats with ISBNs, page count, trim size, list price, where it is sold.
- Interview question a host can read cold: "What did the children on your ward teach you that nursing school didn't?"
- Contact block: one email for media requests and one for events; a website; no home address.
What goes in a media kit
- Bios: 35 words, 100 words and 250 words, in the third person.
- Book facts: the details a bookseller or librarian needs to order it.
- Cover image and author photo, high resolution, with credits.
- Five to ten interview questions you would enjoy answering.
- A one-page press release for the launch.
- Endorsements and early reviews, with permission to quote.
- Contact details for media and events.
Make it easy to use
Put the kit on a page of your website as well as in a downloadable file, and keep the cover and photo as separate high-resolution downloads. Update the book facts whenever a price, edition or format changes.
Questions
Is a media kit the same as a press release?
No. The press release announces one thing; the media kit is the full reference pack and includes the press release.
PDF or web page?
Both. A web page is easier to find; a PDF is easier to attach to a pitch.
Should the bio be in first or third person?
Third person, so hosts and journalists can read or print it as it is.
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