Book publicist Kate Bandos says authors who send their books to book reviewers, reporters and other media people must know how to make their packages stand out from all the rest.
That could mean sending the book in a purple envelope so that when you make your follow-up call, you can remind the reporter to look for the purple envelope.
It also could mean wrapping the book in something that’s an attention-grabber. For example, before sending the book MOMMY! I HAVE TO GO POTTY! A PARENT’S GUIDE TO TOILET TRAINING, Kate simply wrapped several sheets of toilet paper around the review copy before putting it into the envelope. It was simple, inexpensive, yet it immediately got the message across in a fun way.
Clever packaging can also mean using rubber stamps and stickers on the outside of the envelope, and even sending gifts of food that tie in to the title of the book.
Kate features more tips in the article she wrote titled “Turn Book covers Into Creative Publicity Tools” in Issue 41 (November/December 2004) of The Publicity Hound subscription newsletter. You can order it here.