Book Press Release Template (US)

Lead with the story, not the tool

Editors do not need a form that explains how a PDF editor works. They need a strong headline, a release status, a clean dateline and one paragraph that explains why the book matters now. The template prompts for a news hook before asking for long background material, because a launch release that buries the news below author biography is unlikely to be used.

A release also needs metadata. Title and author are not enough for book media: ISBN, format, publisher, imprint, publication date, availability, website and review-copy route all help journalists verify the book and decide whether they can cover it before or after release.

Handle quotes, reviews and launch teams honestly

Book launches often use endorsements from advance readers, paid influencers, affiliate reviewers or launch-team members who received a free copy. The FTC endorsement guidance focuses on material connections: if a quote or review was paid for, incentivized or provided by someone with a relationship to the author or publisher, the disclosure should be clear. This template does not turn a press release into legal advice, but it asks whether quoted praise needs a disclosure note.

It also separates an author quote from third-party praise. That distinction matters because an author quote is promotional speech from the source, while a reviewer quote implies independent judgment. Do not edit a reviewer quote so heavily that it changes meaning, and keep permission records where the quote was supplied outside a public review.

Make images and review copies easy to request

A book cover, author headshot and interior images may each have separate copyright or license restrictions. The release should not simply attach images and invite any use. It should say what images are available, who owns or licenses them, what credit line must be used and how a journalist can request high-resolution files.

Review-copy handling is also part of the document. Print copies, ebooks, audiobooks and NetGalley-style links carry different deadlines and conditions. The template includes a review-copy contact and a deadline field so the release can serve working media, not just announce a title.

Use an embargo only when it is real

An embargo is not decorative. If a release says embargoed until a date, the publisher should send it only to outlets that understand and accept that condition, and the document should make the embargo time zone clear. A release that is already public on the author website, social channels or retailer pages is not meaningfully embargoed.

The template includes a release-status choice: for immediate release, embargoed or background only. That single choice avoids the common contradiction where a release asks for immediate coverage and also says not to publish until launch day.

Clause-by-clause guide

Release status and dateline

Sets whether the release is immediate, embargoed or background only, then adds the city, state and date in standard release style.

Headline and news hook

Gives the journalist the angle first: launch, award, topic, author credential, event, timely issue or local connection.

Book metadata

Records title, author, publisher, imprint, ISBN, format, release date, availability and website so coverage can be verified.

Summary and audience

A concise synopsis and reader/audience note, written for media rather than for a retailer product page.

Quotes and endorsements

Separates author quotes from reviewer or endorser quotes and flags permission and disclosure issues.

Media assets and review copies

Explains how to request cover files, headshots, review copies, interviews and launch-event information.

Boilerplate and contact

Adds the standard publisher or author boilerplate plus a named media contact for corrections and follow-up.

US compliance checklist

• Disclose material connections for endorsements

  FTC guidance says endorsements should disclose material connections that consumers would not expect, including payment, free products or other incentives. Apply that discipline to blurbs, influencer quotes and launch-team reviews used in or alongside the release.

  FTC Endorsement Guides FAQs

• Do not imply independent review where the quote is promotional

  If the quote is from the author, publisher, paid marketer, affiliate or someone with a business relationship, label it accordingly. A press release should not make promotional copy look like independent editorial judgment.

  FTC endorsements and reviews guidance

• Clear rights for cover art and author photos

  A book cover, author photo or illustration may be protected by copyright even where the press release itself is public. Include credit lines and the permitted media-use scope instead of assuming every image can be reused freely.

  U.S. Copyright Office - What is Copyright?

• Avoid false advertising claims

  Claims such as bestseller, award-winning, number one, medically proven, guaranteed or official should be backed by evidence before they appear in a release. A literary announcement still functions as marketing copy.

• Keep privacy promises around review copies and interviews

  Do not publish private reviewer contact details, home addresses or personal phone numbers in a release. Use a media contact route controlled by the author, publisher or publicist.

How to complete this template

1. Choose the release status. Select immediate release, embargoed release or background only, and add the date and time zone if embargoed.
2. Write the headline and hook. State the news in one line, then add the timely angle or audience reason in the first paragraph.
3. Add book metadata. Enter title, author, ISBN, publisher, format, release date, availability and website.
4. Add quotes and disclosures. Include author and third-party quotes, but flag paid or incentivized endorsements and keep quote permissions on file.
5. Add assets and media contact. List available cover art, headshots, review-copy options, interview availability and the named person who handles follow-up.

Frequently asked questions

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