How to Write a Press Release Editors Will Actually Read (and Share)

(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.

Decoding Publishing Corporate-Speak: What Those Press Releases Really Mean

In the world of publishing, language is everything. But when it comes to corporate announcements, the prose becomes... less than transparent. These carefully crafted statements sound upbeat, forward-looking, and united. But read between the lines, and you'll find a very different story, one of layoffs, imprint closures, budget cuts, and quiet retreats from creative risk.

Whether you're an author, editor, illustrator, or industry-watcher, here’s a glossary to help you decipher what publishers really mean when they say... well, anything.

Restructure

What it says: “We’re realigning the business to focus on our strategic strengths.”

What it means: Staff are being let go. Lists are being trimmed. Whole imprints may be disappearing quietly into the night. Midlist authors are quietly dropped. The office ficus plant is being sold.

Strategic Realignment

What it says: “We’re taking the business in a bold new direction.”

What it means: The bold new direction is usually downwards, sideways, or directly into Spotify.

No New Commissions

What it says: “We’re pausing acquisition activity to focus on delivering our existing programme.”

What it means: The imprint is functionally dormant or dead. You’ll be lucky to get an email reply, let alone a book deal.

Leadership Departure

What it says: “We thank [Name] for their inspirational leadership and wish them well in their next chapter.”

What it means: They were pushed, jumped, or saw the iceberg before everyone else.

New Logo / Brand Identity

What it says: “Our new visual identity reflects our commitment to innovation and creativity.”

What it means: We’ve changed the logo because we couldn’t afford to change anything else.

Embracing New Formats

What it says: “We’re excited to reach new audiences through audio and digital streaming.”

What it means: The print side is on life support, but at least Spotify doesn’t demand returns.

Editorial Focus

What it says: “We’re doubling down on our bestselling authors and key franchises.”

What it means: If you’re not a guaranteed hit, your manuscript is going nowhere fast.

Exciting New Venture

What it says: “[Departing editor] is launching a dynamic new indie house.”

What it means: They still believe in books and needed to escape with their dignity intact.

Wellbeing and Culture

What it says: “We’re investing in staff wellbeing as part of our long-term cultural reset.”

What it means: The survivors of the restructure have been given a yoga app login and a leftover branded mug.

Celebrating Our Team

What it says: “We’re proud of our exceptional team and everything they achieve.”

What it means: Especially the ones we didn’t sack.

In Summary...

For every upbeat press release, there’s often a quieter story- of creative friction, lost jobs, abandoned imprints, or the slow drift toward homogeneity. The publishing world is still filled with passionate, talented people. But many of them are quietly launching independent ventures, running freelance consultancies, or writing books in defiance of the very companies they once worked for.

If you want to know where the heart of publishing really is, look not at the logos but at the people who leave.

A New Era Begins! (Sort of.)

Splinter Books Unveils the Reditus Imprint

28th April 2025

2 min read (depending on your patience level)

Splinter Books is thrilled to announce the launch of Reditus, 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, Reditus will offer non-fiction, hands-on learning, and art and activity titles for readers aged 3–12 laying the groundwork for a lifetime love of books that already existed elsewhere.

Reditus rises proudly from the extensive dust pile of Pioneer Editions, acquired by Splinter Books last year after several days of intense fiddling. Taking inspiration from this treasure trove of previously published material, Reditus 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. Reditus 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 fonts, and books so attractive they practically leap into a basket at a school book fair. It's a crackling list.

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

We are utterly thrilled to be breathing life and new marketing language into a time-honoured backlist. Pioneer Editions, founded by the legendary Roderick Tattershall, 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:

Neural Giggles & Synaptic Snorts: Jokes for the Slightly Bewildered

Blurb:

Warning: may cause chuckling in inappropriate places (dentist waiting rooms, funerals, Zoom calls with your teacher). Neural Giggles & Synaptic Snorts is the joke book for people who find cracker gags too daring but suspect The New Yorker cartoons are mocking them personally. Packed with gags that go nowhere, puns that barely work, and punchlines that trail off into existential doubt, this is comedy for those who laugh gently, inwardly, and sometimes by mistake.

Includes:

• Jokes about potatoes (ethical and otherwise)

• A seven-part riddle that ends with “Oh never mind”

• Humour calibrated to the average British thermostat setting (tepid)

  
  

When All Else Fails: Survival Crafts for the Digitally Forsaken

Blurb:

The Wi-Fi is down. The phone is dead. The power’s gone. But you? You’ve got a toilet roll, four lollipop sticks, and this book.When All Else Fails is your companion for those desperate moments when all that remains is craft - the gentle, slightly pointless kind.

Learn how to:

• Build a spoon rack out of ennui

• Knit a mildly accusatory hat

• Create post-apocalyptic bunting from receipts and regrets

• 
  

Recommended for ages 9 - 99 and anyone trapped in a cottage with relatives, power cuts, or existential dread.

A Beginner’s Guide to Drawing Mammals That Refuse to Pose

Blurb:

Have you ever tried sketching a shrew mid-sprint? Or coaxing a fox into holding still while you find your 2B pencil? No? Then you're already more qualified than most readers of A Beginner’s Guide to Drawing Mammals That Refuse to Pose.

This essential (if largely ineffective) handbook guides you through the noble art of drawing creatures that couldn’t care less.

Inside you’ll find:

• Helpful diagrams like “Badger or Small Rock?”

• Speed-sketching tips for when the hedgehog bolts

• A glossary of animal expressions (including “mild disdain” and “drawing you back”)

Perfect for sketchbook warriors, amateur naturalists, and anyone who’s ever whispered “please just sit still” at a rabbit.

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

Categories: Reditus | Nostalgia Sales | Repurposed Innovation

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David Salariya has written, illustrated, designed and published books that have sold in the millions - and has spent decades trying to get editors, reviewers and journalists to care. As founder of The Salariya Book Company, he’s seen every kind of press release: the good, the bad, and the instantly deleted. More at davidsalariya.com.