A publicity opportunity can arrive with little warning: a podcast host needs your bio by afternoon, a local reporter asks for a book cover, or an event organizer wants three possible discussion topics. If those materials live in different folders—or only inside a large PDF—the opportunity becomes harder to handle quickly.
An author media kit solves that problem. It is a single, reliable place where reviewers, journalists, podcast producers, booksellers, librarians, and event organizers can find accurate text and approved images. The goal is simple: help someone understand your book, decide whether it fits their audience, and use your materials without a long email exchange.
Build the kit as a page on your author website
Create a public page with a short address such as yourname.com/media or yourname.com/press. Put the essential information directly on that page so visitors can scan it, copy it, and download individual files. A downloadable ZIP or one-sheet can be helpful as a secondary option, but the web page should do the main work.
This approach reflects current practical guidance from publishing professionals. Jane Friedman’s site recommends an HTML-based press kit because text is easier to copy and images can be offered at useful resolutions. IngramSpark’s author-media-kit guide likewise emphasizes gathering biographies, book information, images, reviews, media coverage, speaking topics, and contact details in one place.
Place a clearly labeled “Media” link in your website navigation or footer. Test the page in a private browser window and on a phone. A producer who cannot find the page or download an image without signing in may simply move on.
Lead with a 30-second overview
At the top, identify the author, the book being promoted, and the central reason the book matters. Include a one- or two-sentence hook written for someone who has never heard of you. For nonfiction, name the problem and the audience. For fiction, establish the genre, central conflict, and distinguishing element without retelling the plot.
Follow that overview with the core publishing details: title, author name, publisher or imprint, publication date, ISBNs, formats, page count, genre, territory, and purchase links. Keep these facts in text rather than hiding them inside an image. Accurate metadata gives a reviewer or event organizer something dependable to copy.
Offer biographies in more than one length
Prepare three versions of your biography: a one-sentence introduction, a short bio of roughly 75 to 100 words, and a longer bio of roughly 200 to 300 words. Write them in the third person so a host can paste the text into an event listing or read it aloud.
Each version should explain what you write and why you are qualified or especially positioned to write it. Include relevant credentials, lived experience, previous books, and selected recognition. Leave out unrelated history that does not help someone introduce you or connect you to this book.
Add your name’s phonetic pronunciation and, if useful, a short audio clip. Also state your pronouns if you want hosts and writers to use them. These small details reduce avoidable mistakes during live introductions.
Make every image easy to download and use
Provide the front cover as a clean JPG or PNG without retailer badges or promotional text. Offer at least one professional author headshot, plus horizontal and vertical alternatives when available. Label every file plainly—for example, Jordan-Lee-headshot-horizontal-high-res.jpg—and identify the photographer or required credit beside the download link.
Give users a web-size option for online coverage and a high-resolution version for print. Do not make people extract an author photo from a PDF or take a screenshot of the book cover. The Authors Guild’s book publicity overview specifically notes the importance of giving the publishing team easy access to high-resolution JPG files of the author photo and book jacket.
Only distribute images you control or have permission to share for publicity. If a photographer’s agreement limits use, spell out the permitted use and credit rather than leaving the recipient to guess.
Give interviewers angles, not a finished script
Add five to eight possible interview topics or questions. Each should open a conversation connected to the book and the outlet’s audience. A historical novelist might offer a surprising research discovery, a common misconception about the period, and a discussion about turning records into scenes. A business author might offer practical lessons, a contrarian idea, and a timely industry connection.
Include a brief Q&A with answers that reveal your voice, but do not try to control the whole interview. Useful prompts include why you wrote the book, what changed during the writing process, what readers often misunderstand about the subject, and what you hope a reader does or feels after finishing.
For publicity outreach, relevance matters more than volume. The Authors Guild explains that pitches may target reviews, interviews, lists, gift guides, and other coverage, and that publicists tailor pitches to particular outlets and audiences. Your kit supplies the reusable facts and assets; your email pitch should still explain why this book fits that specific recipient.
Add proof and useful extras selectively
Include a few short review excerpts or endorsements with the source, link, and permission where required. Add links to prior interviews, articles, speaking clips, awards, or notable coverage. Choose examples that demonstrate how you perform in an interview or why the current book deserves attention.
Depending on the book, useful extras may include a sample chapter, reading-group questions, a sell sheet, an event introduction, a teaching guide, a pronunciation guide, or information about school and library visits. A novelist does not need the same kit as a cookbook author or a leadership speaker. Include an asset only when it helps the intended media user.
Finish with one clear contact path
End the page with a dedicated publicity email address or contact form. State who handles interview requests, review copies, rights questions, and events. If different people manage those requests, label them clearly. Avoid publishing a personal phone number unless you actively want unsolicited calls.
Add the date the kit was last updated. Review it whenever a book, bio, headshot, award, retailer link, or contact changes. Broken download links and outdated publication dates undermine the convenience the kit is supposed to provide.
Use this ten-minute media-kit test
- Can a visitor understand the book and its audience within 30 seconds?
- Can they copy a short bio and book description cleanly?
- Can they download the cover and author photo as separate files?
- Are image credits and permissions clear?
- Are the ISBN, publication date, publisher, formats, and purchase links current?
- Are there at least three useful interview angles?
- Is the publicity contact visible without hunting?
- Does the page work on a phone and without signing in?
If every answer is yes, your media kit is doing its job. It cannot guarantee coverage, but it removes friction at the moment someone is deciding whether—and how—to feature you and your book.
