Guide
Last updated November 2026
A press kit for authors needs six things: author background, book details, reviews, story ideas, interview topics, and by-lined article ideas. This guide explains each one using the media kit approach of C.S. Lewis & Co. Publicists and the real client kits in this portfolio, so you can build your own or know what to ask a publicist for.
Include whatever lets a producer or editor say yes without calling you first: who you are, what the book is, proof it is good, and ready-made stories and interview topics.
Most guides stop at the checklist. The part they miss is what happens next, which we cover below.
What to include
| Part | Why the media needs it | Practical tip |
|---|---|---|
| Author background | Tells a producer why you are the right expert to put on air or quote. | Lead with expertise and audience, not your life story. |
| Book details | Gives editors the title, subtitle, and publisher at a glance. | Make the subtitle do the explaining; several kits in this portfolio do. |
| Reviews | Offers outside proof the book is worth an editor's time. | Add reviews as they arrive and refresh the kit. |
| Story ideas | Hands an editor angles that fit their audience. | Write them as headlines a magazine could actually run. |
| Interview topics | Lets a radio, TV, or podcast host plan a segment fast. | Keep each topic to one clear, conversational question. |
| By-lined article ideas | Opens op-ed and contributor placements under your name. | Tie each idea to a timely issue in your field. |
Procedure
Write one sentence on what you know that a news audience needs. Every other part hangs on it.
Download two or three client kits from our press kits page in subjects near yours and note how they open.
Aim for angles an editor could assign today, not summaries of chapters.
Drop in reviews and any earlier media as they come in.
A PDF to send, and an online press page that stays current.
Decide who receives the kit and the book, and when you will follow up with each contact.
The gap
C.S. Lewis & Co. Publicists describes the media kit as the first item in its author publicity work, followed by distribution of books and kits, an intensive follow-up process, and a continual stream of fresh pitches. A beautiful kit that sits in an inbox does nothing. The follow-up is where producers and editors are reminded, asked, and finally booked. If you are building your own kit, budget as much time for follow-up as for design.
The firm aligns pitches with breaking news as it happens, often the same day, because the first publicist to respond to a hot-button event can win an on-the-spot interview. That means your kit should make your expertise obvious enough that you can be pitched on stories nobody can predict. A strong background section does more for breaking-news bookings than any single story idea.
For more on turning coverage into lasting opportunities, read the firm's articles on getting more from every podcast interview and how CEOs turn books into speaking platforms. Cathy Lewis also interviewed storyteller Matthew Luhn on using Hollywood storytelling in book publicity for Thrive Global.
Ready to compare with the real thing? Go back to the book publicity press kit portfolio or open the press kit examples.
FAQ
Include the material media people need to say yes quickly: author background, book details, reviews, story ideas, interview topics, and article ideas. Those are the elements C.S. Lewis & Co. Publicists lists for its media kits. Many kits also add a photo, a cover image, and contact details for the publicist.
More in the full FAQYes, interview topics are one of the most useful parts of a press kit. Radio and podcast hosts often prepare quickly, and ready topics help them plan a segment around your expertise. C.S. Lewis & Co. Publicists includes interview topics in the media kits it creates for clients.
More in the full FAQStory ideas are short, specific angles a journalist could turn into an article or segment, built from the book's subject and the author's expertise. C.S. Lewis & Co. Publicists also writes timely pitches that tie an author to breaking news, often the same day, so the story ideas keep evolving after the kit goes out.
More in the full FAQNo, but add them as they arrive. Reviews are part of the media kits C.S. Lewis & Co. Publicists creates, and they give editors outside proof that a book is worth covering. A kit can launch with author background and story ideas, then be updated as reviews and early coverage come in.
More in the full FAQBy-lined articles let an author publish under their own name in newspapers, magazines, and trade journals, which builds authority beyond interviews. C.S. Lewis & Co. Publicists lists by-lined articles and op-eds among the placements it pursues, and its writing services can create ghostwritten op-eds based on the author's book and expertise.
More in the full FAQYou can, and the guide on this site shows what to include. The difference a publicist adds is distribution, follow-up, and relationships. C.S. Lewis & Co. Publicists says it has well-developed first-name relationships with hundreds of editors, reporters, columnists, and producers who receive and act on its kits.
More in the full FAQAuthors and publishers with an upcoming launch are first in line at C.S. Lewis & Co. Publicists. Start with a conversation about your expertise, your goals, and your publication date.
Published by C.S. Lewis & Co. Publicists