Press Release Writing for Ebook Publicity

There's no doubt about it: The Internet is revolutionizing press release writing and vastly changing the press release distribution process. These days, D-I-Y publicity seekers such as ebook authors, small business promoters and ezine publishers no longer have to pray that major media blesses them with coverage. Everyone now has the publicity tools and power at their disposal to take their message direct to consumers, regardless of the traditional media's support.

If you're on a tight budget, you don't need pricey publicity consultants to get it done, either.

Thanks to the Internet, press releases now can go directly to your targeted ebook (or e-book) audience. The web allows everyone to write a press release and get it picked up by a variety of sources where your potential ebook readers will see it. However, for your information to be taken seriously and widely acted upon, it's important to work more strategically than the new ease of press release distribution the Internet provides.

Following are 7 press release writing tips, techniques and tools to help generate thousands more media impressions for your ebooks and other marketing ventures.

1. A best practice among top press release writers today involves search engine optimization (SEO).
SEO techniques chart a savvy course that makes your release easily found. To identify the best, most searched keywords related to your ebook business, use a free a keyword search tool like the one available through Google's AdWords advertising system. The keyword tool at AdWords helps determine the phrases your release should repeatedly use. Choose perhaps three strong terms relative to your ebook product, business or service. They'll help potential customers land on your press release and click the links to your landing page or sales letter.

2. Write your first draft as plainly as possible, as if you're conveying the facts to a friend.
A one-and-a-half page long news release is a respectable average length, equating to about 500 words (single spaced). Incorporate your keyword phrases approximately six times within the press release. Include your top keyword phase in your press releases title as well. Be sure to include links to your ebook landing page in at least three different places (e.g., in the contact section and in your lead and last paragraphs).

3. When proofreading the press release, try to add your keywords in a couple more places.
Reasonably 'more is more' in keyword use, but don't write them so repetitively in a short piece that you lose a human touch. Go too overboard and Google will view your writing as spam and dismiss it. If you need to add your ebook's key phrases more but don't see easy places to do so, simply create a new paragraph or two!

4. Next, proofread your ebook news release again, but this time focus on your writing style.
Ensure you've started it with a compelling sentence or two, helping to keep readers reading. Often, by rearranging the order of paragraphs and/or sentences, you can create a much stronger lead -- one that resonates better and holds attention. But be sure you keep your top phrases solidly written within your lead. Now Spellcheck what you have and correct any typos.

5. Now you're ready to begin the press release distribution process.
PRWeb.com is among of the top, most budget-friendly distribution services around. Not only do thousands visit PRWeb to learn what's new, the service also offers its subscribers an RSS feed for their keywords of interest. So not only will your targeted ebook audience be exposed to your press release, major media outlets online and offline will, too.

6. Also consider using several free press release distribution services.
This can be time consuming, so work strategically if it helps. Focus on submitting only to those sites that provide social bookmarking buttons for free. An increasing number of these sites allow you to also include a graphic image or photograph, making your information pleasing to read. (Your 3D ebook cover JPEG would look great here.) For a small upgrade fee, almost all of the free press release distribution sites will give you front-page visibility, too. From a strategy and time-savings standpoint, consider those sites that Google indexes as your priorities.

7. Last but not least, give your ebook publicity project an additional strategic boost.
Leaving a link to your news release on well-trafficked, relevant blogs, zines and websites. The links to your site you're creating can drive a healthy amount of traffic to your media release, which of course links to your own sales landing page. Ultimately, this helps lift your information product site higher in various search engines, too. And that, of course, gives your ebook even greater publicity.

If these insider's steps for how to write a press release for your ebook seem too labor intensive, find a skilled freelance PR consultant to help. Just go to Google, for example, and enter the search term "hire a freelance copywriter" or something similar. Check out a few freelance publicists, comparing prices for their ghostwriting or copy writing services. Get a handle on:

* Clarity and punch of other press releases they've written.

* E-book sales letters or landing site copy they've previously written.

* Possible add-ons, such as article marketing services.

* Service guarantees, assuring you a certain amount of traffic to your ebook pitch site (or a copy revision to beef-up traffic).

* How much traffic their sales letters have pulled to other clients' landing pages (using Alexa or Google Page Rank tools).

Ultimately, you want to choose a PR consultant or publicity service that offers you a customized plan to meet your total ebook marketing needs. As a result, you're sure to experience greater exposure and more pleasing ebook sales from your press release.