Are you planning to publish a book soon or in the distant future? (If you’re looking for a Perry update, you’ll find it at the end ;)). Also, pre-orders for Kin Types must be in by Thursday. Pre-order HERE.
Finishing Line Press has been very good about providing sample materials for promotional purposes. Because of their help, I felt that I had the tools to put together a media kit, as they suggested.
I thought I would share a list of the component parts that go into a media kit.
The first page is a cover image of Kin Types with “Press Contact” information. This info consists of:
- Name
- Address
- Email address
- Website address
You might want to include a telephone number, but it is also suggested that the media kit be available through your website. I don’t know about you, but I don’t want my phone number that available.
Look at what I’ve listed. Address. Do you want your address on there? I found the same question came up when I was listed with Poets & Writers. But we have a post office box that we use for business, so I use that for writing business. If you don’t have a post office box, you might want to consider getting one now.
You probably already have more than one email address, but if you don’t, you might want one that is expressly for writing or at least doesn’t have too much spam going into it.
Do you have a website-website or is it your blog? Either is fine–just make sure that the address you use is going to remain the same for the next couple of years at least.
After the front page of the media kit, you will have a TABLE OF CONTENTS, and the table of contents will include these items
- Biography
- Curriculum Vitae
- Press Release
- Reviews
- Blurbs
- Interviews
Your biography should be a few short paragraphs long and just cover the main points, especially as relates to your writing and perhaps your specialization in something related to your topic of writing. On my biography page I first put my new headshot taken by Renee Rivers and then my three paragraph bio. Sometimes people use funny bios that show the writer’s sense of humor, but not much else. I think these are meant to show that the writer doesn’t have a big head. Personally, I don’t much like those. That sort of thing is for a Twitter description, not a bio that is meant to encapsulate your experience as a writer.
The bio takes time to craft. If you haven’t written one for yourself yet, there is no time like the present. Write it in 3rd person, not first. You can keep revising it as you get publications or something major changes in your life, but it helps to have one ready-to-go. And you need it to submit to magazines and journals, agents, etc. So I think writing your bio is your first assignment ;). The best way to begin is to look at other writers’ bios as models.
Next up is the Curriculum Vitae–or CV as it’s usually called. Are you Googling it yet? hahahaha Kind of like chapbook or feral cat, really. Most of the world uses the word RESUME. But in academics and the literary world, CV is what it’s called.
The format for a CV is slightly different than a resume, and the biggest difference IMO is that a resume is supposed to be pretty short so you don’t wear out somebody who is considering hiring you. But in a CV long is where it’s at. Because long shows that you’ve done a lot of stuff. And for writers that means publishing a lot. On a CV, you list alllllll your publications, except for maybe that fairy tale you wrote when you were seven. Since most writers making a media kit for the first time won’t have a long list of publications, what are they to do? I just wouldn’t put in the thing. Who cares? The media kit is what the writer chooses to make it, after all. If your CV isn’t your strength, don’t use it.
!But I have a question for genre writers: do you use a CV for agents or for media kits?
Next is the Press Release. But I haven’t done that yet, so I have no advice!
Then there are reviews. I only have one advance review, written by Carla McGill. Thank you, Carla! After Kin Types is published I hope to get more reviews and can then add some to the media kit.
I have two blurbs for Kin Types, from Justin Hamm and Carol Bachofner. I’ve included them both on the same page. Doll God has three blurbs, but that seemed fitting because it was a full-length book.
Until two weeks ago, I didn’t have an interview for the media kit, but then Marie from 1WriteWay interviewed me, so now I do. Thank you, Marie!
Now you see the things you have to start to think about ahead of time: lining up reviews, interviews, writing a biography, and so on. And I originally thought all I had to do was write and tweet about it!
If you are experienced at creating a media kit, I would love to hear your thoughts.
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Perry update: he loves tuna juice, which is the water from the can of tuna. It’s just a once in a blue moon treat as I don’t believe in giving cats too much fish. Fish is a secret ingredient in far too many cat foods, and fish can cause serious health problems if it’s too big a part of the diet.
Also, I am starting to train him with little pieces of turkey. When he actually takes it out of my hand I will open his cage door so he can go in and out in the room. At least that is my plan at this point.
Perry lets me come fairly near to him. He seems more and more calm and less frightened, but I don’t feel he is ready for me to try to touch him.
Here he is on the upper level of his 3 story cage house
From the gardener: peppers are ripening so he figured out a way to dry them outside. He didn’t want to dry them inside because they could makes the cats sick.
There are 3 or so more days left to pre-order Kin Types at this link.
Very innovative way to dry peppers. Good luck with your book and Perry is so sweet. You are so kind to work with him.
Hah, he is very cautious and didn’t want to bring them around the cats, so he had no choice but to find another way! Thanks, Kate. You should see the callouses on his little paw pads. I noticed them yesterday because he had his feet lying in that way for the first time (showing he’s more trusting, I think).
HI Luanne. This is very useful info. I also just visited your website. 🙂 Love to check out other authors and enjoyed seeing you there. <3
Oh, thanks, Adrienne. It’s a work in progress, for sure. I have this theme that forces me to have the section below on the home page. Right now I still have some older posts up there, sort of a blog sampling. But I need to think of something else to go there. Just not sure what. Any ideas? Maybe I should do a post asking for suggestions heh.
I looked at it again and I’m not just trying to be nice when I say I like the way the bottom part looks. I was immediately interested in the sampling since I hadn’t read most of those blog posts. The theme doesn’t bother me at all. 🙂
I probably need a new theme . . . .
PS Don’t you wish some works in progress could just be taken off our plates? LOL.
Yes, I Googled Curriculum Vitae–or CV! This is heavy stuff for a rainy Monday morning. I’m happy to hear Perry is settling in.
LOL, I knew it! So funny. Ugh, so sorry about the rain, although it might be a welcome little break here from all the sun and stuff ;). Thank you re Perry. He is so sweet. Last night he hooked one of his long nails on a beach towel I had for a bed for him, so this now he has some of my son’s old Tshirts instead (tighter weave). No way to cut his nails yet!
Marvelous post, Luanne. Printed out your press kit suggestions. How thoughtful of you to give them out. Mr. Chapman sends purrrrs to Shy Perry.
Hope he soon ventures out of his shell. Have a great week!
Thanks for sharing the press kit suggestions–and for the Perry update. I’m glad he’s doing well. 🙂
And what a pleasure it was for me to have that interview with you! And I LOVE Perry’s face. What a pretty kitty. Sounds like he is coming around. Patience is so,so key. I think it’s wonderful how patient you are with him. Our Junior is still very shy around strangers and runs to the closet whenever we have guests (which fortunately for him, is rare). But there is always hope. He was very shy around the petsitter in the early days but now he’s all over her when she takes care of them 😉
Lots of good information here, Luanne.
What great and helpful information, Luanne! I need to get started on this project, though there are so many others needing my attention. You know all about that! The details about Perry are so moving. I’m so pleased he is improving and relaxing.
Excellent, informative post, Luanne. Really helped me see a lot of things I’ve done wrong in the past…I’m counting on help from this new publisher this go round, but I will touch base with you if I hit a road block!!
Glad Perry is getting better with you…
I never thought of having a CV for writing. Makes sense to make one for a quick glance of the author’s work. I tend to mash it all in with the bio. Thanks for the tips!
Love this! Using it in class!
Thanks for this post. I have a new book/academic case study coming out in the fall (“Facebook 101”), so this post is so timely for me!
Hi Luanne, love the update on Perry! And, thank you for being so kind as to share your knowledge about Press Kits. 🙂
I hope it helps! Oh, poor Perry. I let him out of his cage, but he is hiding under the sofa bed now . . . .
You’re on the right track, Luanne! Our feral rescue kittens took a while and I thought they never let us approach the without running. But they have settled down. 🙂
Last night when I put out his canned food he came out from his hiding place and went to eat, although it was passed me. So I blocked off the bottom of the couch. This morning he had taken his little baby blanket and threaded it through the middle section of the ottoman so that he could create a wall for protection. He must be used to making dens for himself. It was quite creative. So I made him two little hiding places with sheets over furniture. I turned my back and he was already hiding in one. :/
I love that! It reminds me of our kittens, who used to squeak under a low phone cabinet in the kitchen to hide. (We had blocked them into the kitchen with food and litter boxes when we first adopted them, not knowing if they would disappear if open to the rest of the house.)
A funny story is that one of the two kittens got into the laundry room – when we started letting them have the run of the house. Unfortunately the ceiling (it’s in the basement) of the laundry room was open beams, and she clambered up there, prowling around (in the dust and grime) without our being able to reach her. Eventually (end of day) she came out. She’s a tuxedo cat (white paws and nose) – but she looked completely gray when she emerged. And, left black paw tracks on the painted cupboards in the basement. (they washed off, of course). After that, the laundry room door stayed shut, so we wouldn’t have to worry about her.
Now ten years later, she (unfortunately) is quite heavy, and the danger is passed, since she would not have the energy to jump up to the heights needed, let alone squeeze into the small clearance between beams and the upper floor overhead. Good thing for us!
Sounds like she needs some monkey bars to work out on haha. What a sweet and slightly scary story! I was just with Perry and I read to him with my face up close to the sheet. He was on the other side of the bench and came and lay down on the other side of the sheet, right by my face while I read and sang to him! Silly boy.
Love that! You are making a convert. Very special relationship with him! You’re helping him learn to trust humans. Doing the hard work!
Thanks for your support, Theresa! It helps to know others have done it!