Not too long ago, press releases were terribly expensive because they had to be mailed--or faxed or wire-delivered--to traditional media outlets like newspapers. Then your message would reach a gatekeeper, like an editor, who might decide to trash your release. If your release were used at all, the final article could be totally different from your intended message, and your name or book title might not even appear.
Now dozens of inexpensive and free press-release distribution services can make your announcement visible to the entire world, exactly as you wrote it. For an additional fee of about $40, these services will post your news to sites like Google News, Yahoo News and others, providing even wider exposure.
When writing a press release, the most important thing is to focus on the _ reader_, not on you and your book. What problem does your book solve for the reader, or what kind of entertainment does it provide? Nobody wants to read an announcement that simply says Mrs. Y wrote a book about Topic X. Who cares? Tell your audience what's in it for them.
Here's an effective (but fictionalized) book press release that generates interest by focusing on readers:
American parents are furious with Hollywood for glamorizing stick-thin bodies, and many girls say they're self-conscious about their bodies as a result of movies, television and magazines. This national obsession with thinness is resulting in eating disorders and depression among millions of teens, according to Anita Jones, author of Nourishing Girls: Help Your Teen Develop Self-Esteem and a Healthy Body Image....
And here's the other side of the coin, a release that induces boredom by focusing solely on the author and his world:
In a newly released political thriller, ex-diplomat, military intelligence officer, college football standout and news reporter James McNeil authentically captures the hardball maneuverings and virtual mortality of Washington power politics. Critics give two thumbs up to Shotgun Diplomacy, the author's second novel....
For tips on writing effective press releases, see: