How to Write a Press Release That Doesn’t Sound Like Propaganda

(And How to Avoid Describing a Book Like It Just Cured Global Loneliness)

Press release...

We’ve all seen them. Press releases in children’s publishing that read like North Korean state television. Every book is “heart-stopping”, “utterly unforgettable”, “a landmark event”, even if it’s a third sequel to a story about a bunny with a shopping addiction.

But does it work? Not always.

In an age of fake news, reader fatigue, and algorithmic indifference, it’s worth asking: how do you write a press release that feels real, grounded, and - dare I say it - human?

Let’s begin with what not to do…

The Bad: PR-speak Bingo

Here’s a quick checklist of terms that signal Propaganda, Not Prose:

"Snapped up" (used as if acquiring a book is akin to rescuing a child from a well)

"Pitched as…" (usually means "we’re not quite sure how to market it yet")

"Absolutely sucker-punch of a tale", "thrilling moment", "dove in without hesitation" (does anyone talk like this after a contract signing?)

"Electrifying phrases", "fearless debut", "LOL-worthy" (perhaps once original - now beige wallpaper)

"We’re delighted…" (always used; never questioned)

Example:

Albion Kid's Press has acquired three picture books from bestselling children’s author and illustrator Margo Channing… A new book from the inimitable Margo is always an event... this has one of the best endings I’ve ever read.

Let’s be clear: Margo (doesn't exist) is a brilliant author. But by saying every book is “an event,” the word loses meaning. It flattens this book’s unique shape into the same puffed-up silhouette as every other.

The Good: Let the Book Speak

A strong press release should make a reader want to know more, not feel like they’ve already sat through the BAFTAs.

Better Approaches:

Tell the origin story of the book - where, when, or how the idea struck.

Share one arresting line from the manuscript.

Offer a comparative phrase that's unexpected but accurate. (“This is Paddington meets Fleabag” has more flavour than “instant classic.”)

Highlight something specific the author wrestled with or revised - it makes them feel human.

Margo’s other release flirted with this nicely:

It began with a lost shoe, a grumpy bear, and a very long apology note.

That detail is vivid and personal - far more evocative than “inspirational tale of belonging.”

The Ugly: Freezer-Bag Phrases

In press releases, some phrases feel like they were pulled straight from a cryogenic chamber and defrosted for generic use:

"We are thrilled to publish…"

"Unforgettable cast of characters…"

"Will appeal to fans of…"

"A timeless tale for today’s reader."

These lines are freezer-bag safe - they won’t cause offence, but they won’t create desire either. They say nothing that hasn’t been said ten thousand times.

Raising from the dead!

If you describe reissued books as “bold new beginnings” when they’re actually 35-year-old formats with a new font and a royalty-free stock image… that’s not PR. That’s historical fiction.

Five Tips for an Honest, Effective Press Release

Ditch the “Delighted”

Instead, say why you’re pleased to publish it. Is it timely? Is it wildly different from your usual list? Say so.

Avoid Adjectives as a Crutch

If you must say “fearless,” explain what the author took a risk on. Was it tone? Form? Subject matter?

Include an Unexpected Detail

Readers love specifics: “She wrote the final chapter in a tent during a thunderstorm” will always win over “an unforgettable ending.”

Mention the Illustrator REALY IMPORTANT!

In picture books, the artist is not the decoration. They're half the storytelling engine if not more and because of the way data is collected and books can be catalogued by author - illustrators can at times seem to become footnotes..

Give Credit Where Credit is Due

If a book is part of a long legacy, say so. Readers respect heritage. It doesn’t weaken your brand; it enriches it.

A Modest Proposal for Reprints

If you're going to repackage older series:

Acknowledge the original: “Originally published in (Insert Title) by (Insert year), this classic series returns in a new format for a new generation.”

Don’t pretend a reboot is a birth. It’s a return. And that’s something to celebrate honestly - not obscure the origins, the readers, librarians and teachers will know that you are not a publisher to be trusted..

Final Thoughts

We live in a world now where everything is sold as essential, groundbreaking, transformative. But readers are savvy. So are journalists. And let’s be honest: so are authors.

If you want your press release to stand out in 2025, stop telling us it’s brilliant - show me why.

Five Brutally Useful Questions Before You Send a Press Release

Still tempted to call your latest book "a dazzling triumph"? Stop. Breathe. Ask yourself these questions first:

1. Who am I actually talking to? Is this for journalists? Bloggers? Readers? Booksellers? Pick one - and talk to them like a real human being, not a committee.

2. What’s the real news here? Not "we're thrilled to publish it" - what’s actually new, unusual, surprising, or meaningful about this book?

3. Why would anyone care - outside my own office? Be honest. Find the hook. If you can’t explain it to a stranger in a pub, it’s not clear enough.

4. What action do I want them to take? Read it? Feature it? Review it? Interview the author? Make it easy - and tempting - to do.

5. Could this headline survive without a single adjective? If not, go back and sharpen the facts. Real stories don’t need fairy dust to shine.

And remember: Journalists can smell “thrilled” at twenty paces. Give them a reason to come closer.

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Margo Channing’s New Picture Book The Label on My Foot Launches a Tender, Hilarious Adventure from Albion Kids Press

Bestselling author-illustrator Margo Channing, beloved creator of Young Bear, The Midnight Biscuit, and How to Mend a Broken Sledge, returns this autumn with a brand-new picture book that promises to steal hearts - and possibly nibble the furniture.

The Label on My Foot (Albion Kids Press, September 2025) follows a small, scruffy bear who notices the forgotten label stitched into his foot - and decides to set off on a wild and winding journey to find whoever made him. Along the way, he encounters suspicious squirrels, bureaucratic badgers, and a band of rather philosophical moths. Think Paddington meets Fleabag - if Fleabag were slightly less chaotic and twice as furry.

Margo Channing says,

I wanted to explore the idea of belonging, but with mud, mothballs, and the occasional custard disaster. Children are brilliant at asking where we come from - often at 7:00 am while you’re trying to make toast.

Albion Kids Press, the publisher behind the smash-hit Bat in a Hat and Frank and the Really Bad Idea, is proud to welcome Channing’s new bear to their list.

Publisher Dora Pym of Albion Kids Press comments:

Margo has an uncanny ability to make readers laugh and think at exactly the same time. The Label on My Foot is about finding your roots - and realising your story doesn’t end with a label.

Beautifully illustrated, full of sly humour and genuine warmth, The Label on My Foot is a celebration of curiosity, mischief, and the accidental family we make along the way.

The Label on My Foot publishes in hardback and eBook on 12 September 2025.

Rights enquiries: [insert contact email].

About Margo Channing

Margo Channing is the bestselling author and illustrator of over twenty children’s books, including Young Bear, The Midnight Biscuit, How to Mend a Broken Sledge, and Crisps for Breakfast. Her work has been translated into 18 languages and has won multiple awards for both illustration and storytelling. She lives with several sketchbooks and an unreasonable number of pencils.

About Albion Kids Press

Albion Kids Press publishes lively, thoughtful, and slightly rebellious books for young readers. Their list includes breakout titles such as Frank and the Really Bad Idea, Bat in a Hat, and The Slightly Overenthusiastic Hamster. They believe the best stories are the ones that make you feel a little bit braver.

Press Contact:

Emily Shaw Publicity Manager, Albion Kids Press Email: emily.shaw@albionkidspress.co.uk Phone: +44 (0)20 1234 5678

(non of the above is real and written as an example)

The world will always need books that comfort, confuse, and occasionally cause a minor riot in the imagination. Albion Kids Press was built to encourage all three."

– Georgina Orwell, Founding Spirit of Albion Kids Press

How to Spin Straw into Gold

(Or: Writing a Press Release for an Old Book Like It’s the Moon Landing)"

In publishing - as in politics - spin is an essential dark art. One of the most curious rituals is the press release for a 'new' publishing project that is, in reality, nothing more than the recycling of old material.Yet with enough breathless adjectives, heroic metaphors, and vague promises of "inspiration," almost anything can be made to sound like a once-in-a-generation cultural milestone. Even a slightly tweaked colouring book from 1998.In this exercise, we’ll explore how a standard corporate press release can inflate a very modest announcement (such as the reissue of decades-old titles) into something resembling the Moon Landing, the Fall of the Berlin Wall, and the Invention of Sliced Bread all rolled into one. Below is a satirical reimagining of a typical publishing announcement, demonstrating how clichés, overstatement, and cheerful disregard for reality combine to create maximum hype with minimal substance.

A New Era Begins! (Sort of.)

Splinter Books Unveils Cracked Nest Imprint

28th April 2025

2 min read (depending on your patience level)

Splinter Books is thrilled to announce the launch of Cracked Nest, a bold and visionary new imprint set to revolutionise children's publishing - by reprinting decades-old books with marginally shinier covers.

As the newest addition to our vibrant and entirely original children's division, Cracked Nest will offer non-fiction, hands-on learning, and artsy activity titles for readers aged 3–12 laying the groundwork for a lifetime love of books that already existed elsewhere.

Cracked Nest rises proudly from the extensive dust pile of Pioneer Editions, acquired by Splinter Books last year after several days of intense filing. Taking inspiration from this treasure trove of previously published material, Cracked Nest will publish lovingly refreshed editions of old favourites before daring to dip a toe into something that might technically be considered 'new.'

Leading the imprint is publishing prodigy Brendan Smooth, who said:

It's such a privilege to republish other people's great ideas and call them our own next chapter. Cracked Nest is about beginnings - the beginning of realising it's easier to rearrange existing chairs than build new ones. Plus, the logo is really cute.

Smooth continued,

We're hatching all kinds of excitement here: terrific old subjects, slightly updated takes, and books so attractive they practically leap into a basket at a school book fair. It's a cracking list.

Samantha Glint, Managing Director of Children's Trade at Splinter Books, added:

We are utterly thrilled to be breathing new marketing language into a time-honoured backlist. Pioneer Editions, founded by the legendary Dennis Plotworthy, was a bastion of humour, creativity, and had great snacks at trade fairs. We're committed to carrying on that proud tradition - with fewer snacks, but more PDFs."

The launch list will include:

• The How to Sketch Badgers series (now with even more badgers)

• Moments of Mild Realisation (a thrilling non-fiction collection of obvious discoveries)

• The Boredom Rebooter series (activities you might tolerate if the Wi-Fi goes down)

• Tickle Your Cortex joke books (comedy that makes your uncle look edgy)

Expect Cracked Nest's first titles to shuffle onto shelves in January 2026 - refreshed, repackaged, and resolutely risk-free.

Categories:Cracked Nest | Nostalgia Sales | Repurposed Innovation