The Author Media Kit: Why You Need One and How to Make It Stand Out

by Penny Sansevieri | Feb 18, 2025 | Book Marketing Basics

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Crafting and promoting your book can feel like a full-time job, especially when it comes to grabbing the attention of media, bloggers, bookstores, events, and influencers. That’s why I love it when author’s take the extra step to create their own author media kit. These media kits are a great way to showcase your book, your message, and your expertise in one polished, go-to resource that tells your story, in the way you want it told. And even beyond telling your story, a solid author media kit can help to expand on your book’s topics, as we’ll discuss in a moment.

And it doesn’t matter where you are in the publishing process. Whether you’re a seasoned author or just published your first book, having a media kit not only makes you look like a pro, like you’re taking yourself and your work seriously, but it’s also is a must for building credibility, saving time, and standing out in a crowded market.

So let’s dive into why an author media kit is helpful, what should be included, and how to create one. I’ll even include some author media kit examples to help spark your own media kit journey.

Why an Author Media Kit Is Essential

Professionalism and Credibility
A media kit tells the publishing world that you are taking this seriously and treating authorship like the business it is. You’re more than just another author trying to get noticed – you’re serious about succeeding. It’s also helpful when journalists, bloggers, influencers, and bookstores come calling because you can send them the kit (or direct them to it on your website) and everything they need it all in one place.

Saves (Lots of) Time
If you’ve ever been on the receiving end of positive respond to a blog pitch and then had to scramble to find your author photo, book cover image, or your about the book write up, you know what I’m talking about. A media kit eliminates the need to scramble. It’s in one place and ready to go. And let’s face it, there aren’t a lot of things that we can say that about, now are there?

Increases Opportunities
Because of the professional nature of a media kit, it increases your chances of getting placement, getting that coveted media or podcast interview, or speaking gig. As I mentioned earlier, a media kit puts your best foot forward and, if you’re competing for placement, interviews, or speaking gigs, makes you a more attractive candidate!

Showcases Your Author Brand
In short, your author media kit is a visual representation of your author brand. It’s a polished reflection of who you are, what you’re about and reflects your professionalism and builds trust not only with those who are receiving it, but with your audience as well.

How to Create an Author Media Kit

Creating a media kit may sound daunting, but it doesn’t have to be. I’ll take you through the steps below, and while you may not have content for all of the pieces outlined below, you should definitely expand your media kit as you grow as an author.

1. Start with the Basics

Your Author Bio
Include a short, engaging bio that highlights your expertise, accomplishments, and what makes your story unique. Also, be sure to include a tether to the book. So if you wrote mystery why you’re a huge fan of the genre, that kind of thing. Write in the third person to keep it professional.

Your Author Photo

Get a good photo taken and make sure it’s recent.

Your Contact Information
This is so often forgotten but very important. Make it easy for people to reach you. Include your email, website, and social media handles.

2. Showcase Your Book

Book Details
So this is a list, when I say “book details” I mean just the facts, we’ll get to the description in a bit. Include the title, cover image, genre, ISBN, and formats available (paperback, eBook, audiobook).

Compelling Book Description
Include your book description and if you have a long and short one, maybe include both. Someone may prefer a shorter one for posting.

Endorsements and Reviews
Here is your time to brag! Include any standout reviews, editorial reviews, awards, or accolades. You can pull these from Amazon, too. But this is an area where, if you don’t have any, you can always come back to this. But don’t include this box unless you have something to put there. A header with Reviews in the title with nothing else following it don’t spark confidence!

3. Add High-Quality Visuals

I mentioned the author photo before but it’s worth repeating because it’s often forgotten. Be sure to include professional headshots, book cover images, and any author event photos if applicable.

Make sure all images are high resolution. Also, if you have a media room on your website, be sure to store these images there, too so a bloggers, influencer, media person or whomever can just grab them and go!

4. Incorporate Media-Friendly Extras

Sample Interview Questions
Provide 5–10 questions to guide interviews or Q&A sessions.

Fact Sheet
Do you have any interesting facts about the book? Include these here, these can be fun, quotable bites of information or recent statistics if you’ve written non-fiction

Links to Media Features
More bragging! Share all your links, remember media loves media and the same is true for bloggers, podcasts, reviews, and influencers. No interview is too small!

5. Customize for Your Goals

Depending on your goals and your topic, you might want to include a few additional elements:

Speaking Topics
Highlight topics you can speak on, whether at events or virtual panels.

Event Calendar
List upcoming book signings, readings, or appearances.

Audiobook Details
If applicable, include a section on where readers can access your audiobook.

An Author Media Kit is More Than a Tool

It’s your calling card. It not only saves you time but also positions you as a credible, professional author. With the right elements in place, your media kit can open doors to new opportunities, helping you build your brand and reach more readers.

Ready to create your own? Use this blog post and these author media kit examples #1 and example #2 as a starting point to craft a resource that works for you. The link above will take you to a Dropbox where you can view some of the extraordinary kits my team has created! And if you’re ready to get rockin’ on a super professional look, check out Canva because their ideas and options are endless!

What’s been your experience with media kits? Share your tips or questions in the comments below!at’s been your experience with media kits? Share your tips or questions in the comments below!