Media Kit Magic for Romance Authors (free one-page media kit template)

When I started writing fiction, I didn’t consider the need for a media kit. I had one for my non-fiction works, but think I needed one for fiction. Wrong!

The issue was that I when I thought about “media,” I was thinking traditional options such as newspapers, radio, and TV. Since I don’t see many fiction authors in those mediums, I didn’t think I needed a kit.

But those aren’t the only mediums. If you’d like to attract the attention of book bloggers, podcasts, and influencers, a media kit can help.

My first media kit in non-fiction was several pages of information in a folder and eventually posted as a PDF online. Today, I try to stick to a few pages along with a one-sheet because who’s going to read 10-pages of information about you and your book?

What is a Media Kit?

A media kit is a package of promotional materials designed to provide the media, publishers, and potential collaborators with essential information about you. For authors, especially those in the romance genre, a media kit typically includes a captivating biography, high-resolution author photos, book summaries and cover images, press releases, testimonials or reviews, and contact information. Essentially, it serves as a professional portfolio that highlights an author’s brand, achievements, and published works in an engaging and succinct format.

The purpose of a media kit is to make it easier for journalists, bloggers, and reviewers to learn about and feature the author, aiding significantly in marketing and publicity efforts.

Essential Components of a Romance Author’s Media Kit

As listed above, a media kit can include lots of information, but what’s most important is the info that will intrigue the media to want to talk to you. I recommend starting with a Media One Sheet, a condensed version of the media kit.

Media One-Sheet

I like the media one-sheet as a link on my media page or in an email to media. It’s short and succinct, so the media doesn’t have to sift through pages and pages of information. Write with Harte Members can get a media one sheet template for Canva in the Freebie resources (you need to be logged in). Not a member? You can join here for free!

1. Author Biography: This isn’t a dry CV. It’s your story so make it as captivating as your books. Share your journey, inspirations, and why you adore writing romance.
2. High-Quality Author Photo: Ensure yours is quality but also shows the authentic you. While you can go to a studio to get professional photos, you can use your smart phone at home for something more personal. It just needs to be high quality (not fuzzy or blurry or dark).
3. Book Covers and Descriptions: Just like for readers, media will be attracted by your cover and book blurb.
4. Contact Information: Make sure the media can easily reach you by including your email, phone, and maybe social profiles as well.
5. Testimonials and Reviews: If you book has reviews, list a couple of them.

Full Media Kit

The one-sheet is a great tool to email or even have available at events, but it can be hard to fit everything you want media to know onto one page. I have a media kit that is 5-pages long in PDF as well as text on my website, JennaHarte.com. It includes information about me, each of my series, and information interviewers might be interested in.
Items in the full-media kit:

1. Author Biography: This isn’t a dry CV. It’s your story – make it as captivating as your novels. Share your journey, inspirations, and why you adore writing romance.
2. High-Quality Author Photo: Ensure yours is quality but also shows the authentic you. While you can go to a studio to get professional photos, you can use your smart phone at home for something more personal. It just needs to be high quality (not fuzzy or blurry or dark).
3. Book Covers and Descriptions: Just like for readers, media will be attracted by your cover and book blurb.
4. Contact Information: Make sure the media can easily reach you by including your email, phone, and maybe social profiles as well.
5. Testimonials and Reviews: If you book has reviews, list a couple of them.
6. Past appearances: If you’ve been interviewed before or spoken at an event, list them. This shows other media has been interested in hearing from you, and that you have experience being interviewed.
7. Factoids: This is optional, but I like to include some interesting tidbits that might interest media.
8. Sample Questions: I highly recommend a list of possible questions the interviewer can ask. This helps them do their job. When I used to do a podcast, I always asked my interviewees for a few sample questions to make sure I asked questions that were important and helpful to them.

How to Use Your Media Kit

The first place to send your media kit is to your website. I like to have all the info on a webpage so I’m not forcing potential media to download anything, but I also have a link to a PDF in case they do want to download it. Most media outlets won’t take email with attachments, so having a link to the website and PDF is ideal when sending pitches to the media.

Pitching to Media Outlets

Armed with your media kit, you can now reach out for interviews. How do you do that?

1. Make a list of media sources you want to participate with.
2. Review the guests/topics the media sources have covered recently. Your goal is to pitch an idea that is new or fresh take on an old idea.
3. Consider using a tool like Connectively (formally Haro) to find additional interview options. While none of the media sources there will likely be looking for romance authors specifically, there may be some who want to interview authors in general about publishing etc.
4. Read the pitch guidelines and FOLLOW THEM!
5. Create your pitch. This is essentially a press release. In your pitch:
   • Greet them by name
   • Indicate why you’re reaching out to them. If possible let them know what you’ve read or listened to or watched of theirs, and why it made you think you’d be a good fit for them.
   • Provide a topic to cover. Make it easy for them to say yes to you by doing some of the work. Make your idea unique (see #2 above).
   • Tell them a little about you, and then give a link to your media kit and one sheet.
   • Thank them for their time and sign off with your signature line
6. Send your press release email to the media sources you researched making sure you follow the guidelines (if any) they have on their websites. Failure to follow the guidelines will likely result in no response.

Sample Pitch

Subject line: The never ending romance (pitch)

Hello Sally Sue Romance Book Podcaster,
I so much enjoyed your recent episode with AUTHOR NAME where you talked about pet peeve tropes. I’m so glad I’m not the only one who doesn’t like secret child. 

I’m writing to pitch you the never ending romance, a romance series that continues with the same couple. I hate it when romances end and I have to say goodbye to the couple. But it’s difficult to find romance series that continue with the same couple, so I wrote a romantic mystery series that does just that!

My name is Jenna Harte and I’m the author of the Valentine Mysteries an ongoing romance series between a sleuthing couple who stumble over dead bodies by day and tumble into bed at night. I’ve also penned a contemporary romance series, Southern Heat, and, at the urging of my agent, wrote a cozy mystery series. 

I’ve been interviewed on The Cozy Sleuth Podcast and have been on panels or led workshops at the Virginia Festival of the Book, Malice Domestic, Maryland Writers Association, the Virginia Writers Club, and more.

When I’m not writing HEAs, I run an online community for romance authors, Write with Harte, that includes a podcast (I’d love to interview you too!). 

If you’re interested, I’d love to discuss this further with you. You can easily access my media kit at JennaHarte.com or email me at (EMAIL).

Thank you so much for your consideration!

Jenna Harte
❤️Website: Jenna Harte
❤️Free Romantic Mystery: Deadly Valentine 
❤️Amazon Author Page
❤️Exclusive Jenna Harte Community
❤️ARC Team
❤️Join Write With Harte, the online community for romance writers

Who to Pitch and Send Your Media Kit to

• Book Bloggers
• Book related podcasts
• Book influencers (e.g. BookTubers, Booktokers)
• Local media (newspaper, radio, magazine)
• Writing/Publishing oriented media (e.g. writing magazines, NPR shows related to books)
• Any media that your readers consume

Tips to Generate Interest In Your Kit

Many media outlets get more pitches than they can manage. Too many of the pitches are the same old blah blah blah. Here are tips to make your pitch standout:

1. Include your pitch idea in your subject line. e.g. The never ending romance from sample.
2. Personalize the greeting with the host/interviewer’s name.
3. Let the media outlet know you’ve done your research by telling them what you’ve viewed on their site/show (see sample).
4. Make your pitch topic unique. What is different about you as an author or person, or about your books that will standout from all the other interviews this person has done? Or tie your book into current news, trends, or seasons.
5. Keep your email brief. Media people don’t have time to read a tome. If they’re interested in the topic and you, they’ll check your website and/or social media, and/or email you.
6. Be engaging. While you don’t want to be too informal, you do want to be interesting.
7. Considering offering something to the outlets readers. While this could be your lead magnet, something like a giveaway or discount would offer more value.
8. Don’t be afraid to follow up. While you don’t want to bombard media folks with emails, if you don’t have a response in a week or maybe two, email again to follow up. This email should be brief, asking if they got your last email, but should include your pitch topic idea and link to your media kit. (Sample below)

Follow up Sample

Subject line: The never ending romance (pitch follow up)

Hello Sally Sue Romance Book Podcaster,

I know you must be busy, but I wanted to follow up on my email from (DATE) pitching the Never Ending Romance, a romance series that continues with the same couple. 

My name is Jenna Harte and I’m the author of the Valentine Mysteries an ongoing romance series between a sleuthing couple who stumble over dead bodies by day and tumble into bed at night. I’ve also penned a contemporary romance series, Southern Heat, and, at the urging of my agent, wrote a cozy mystery series. 

I’ve been interviewed on The Cozy Sleuth Podcast and have been on panels or led workshops at the Virginia Festival of the Book, Malice Domestic, Maryland Writers Association, the Virginia Writers Club, and more.

If you’re interested, I’d love to discuss this further with you. You can easily access my media kit at JennaHarte.com or email me at (EMAIL).

Thank you so much for your consideration!

Jenna Harte
❤️Website: Jenna Harte
❤️Free Romantic Mystery: Deadly Valentine 
❤️Amazon Author Page
❤️Exclusive Jenna Harte Community
❤️ARC Team
❤️Join Write With Harte, the online community for romance writers

If you have comments or questions, or what you to share your media kit page or more ideas for creating and using your media kit, let me know in the comments below!