If your budget allows, as a first-time author, one of the most important decisions you will face is whether to hire a publicist. Professional book publicity services have been proven to benefit every author. However, you may need to take on the marketing efforts yourself if you cannot afford one. Remember that it will be a full-time job for the months around your publication date. It's not something you can do on and off with much hope for success, especially when acting as your own publicist and being the person the media interviews. It can be time-consuming, so it's important to be organized.

Before starting the media outreach process, you'll need to launch a website and professionalize your social media posts to provide information about your writing and pique the interest of your target readers without using hard-sell tactics. Creating an engaging online persona is crucial to building relationships with readers and fans. Once you have these completed, you can develop a press release about your book, which should not exceed two pages and be easy to read, clearly conveying the importance of the information. Subheadings can also be included to help guide the reader. 

Good email presentation skills are crucial because that's how you'll send your release to media professionals. For instance, keeping subject lines a reasonable length can improve readability and spark people's curiosity. Your first objective is to get people to open your email, the second is to get them to read your message, and the third is to get them to open and read your press release. If you get them that far, your chances of securing coverage improve substantially, and you've begun a new media relationship. If your email is passed over initially, you can consider sending it a second time after a week. 

If you're going to use regular mail, mark the outside of the envelope with the requested information for anyone you've spoken with already. Fold the inside materials in an arrangement that shows the headline as the papers are removed from the envelope. Minor improvements such as these can improve your chances of coverage over time. The goal is to simplify the process for those receiving your information. You want to make a good impression and keep them focused on your pitch – anything that diminishes clarity or affects convenience can hurt your prospects. When you get it right, you’ll enjoy the success.