Last week, I had the privilege of being a guest on the #BBlog chat on Twitter, focusing on Publisher/Blogger relationships. It was a wonderful and fun conversation that allowed book bloggers to ask questions and make comments about working with publicists. One thing that came up several times was:
Understandably, this was difficult to answer in 140 characters, so the host of the chat, @BookaliciousPam, asked if I would mind writing a sample letter as an example of an ideal way to contact a publicist. As usual, Pam was right, so below I’ve written a sample letter for the book bloggers out there.
Dear ______, (You can write Publisher, Publicist, or use their name if you have it.)
My name is _______ and I write for _______ (include name and link to blog). I review ___________ (Children’s Picture Books/Middle Reader/Young Adult Books etc.) and would love the opportunity to receive review copies for my blog from Publishers Name. I have reviewed _________ (include two or three links to your reviews of books from that publisher, or similar titles), which makes me think that my blog would be a good fit for ________ (list the book or books–only 2 or 3–you’re interested in reviewing or simply say “upcoming titles from Publisher Name”). In general, I tend to focus on _______ (fiction/non-fiction/SF/Historical etc.), but I am (or am not) willing to look at books outside of those genres. I will review a title within ________ (2 weeks/one month/two months etc.) of receiving it, unless a specific date is set prior.
- participate in blog tours
- do author interviews
- host giveaways
- post all reviews on Good Reads, Library Thing, and Amazon.com
For review copies, I am happy to receive:
- ARCs
- Galleys
- Finished Books
- E-Books
On days that I blog, I get between ______ and ______ unique visitors, while on days I don’t post, I get an average of ______ unique visitors. I post ________ (daily/bi-weekly/weekly) and am active on Twitter, Facebook, and GoodReads (include links to any sites you’re on) and promote my blog and new posts through those sites.
Thank you for your time. I look forward to working with you.
Best Wishes,
Name
E-mail
Twitter Name
Mailing Address