An author media kit is not a sales document aimed at readers. It is a professional resource aimed at journalists, podcasters, booksellers and event organisers who need information about you and your book before they decide whether to cover, interview, stock or promote it. The goal is to make their job as easy as possible.

Format First: Avoid the PDF-Only Kit

The most practical advice from publishing professionals on this topic: do not build your media kit as a PDF only. PDFs compress images below usable resolution, make it difficult for journalists to copy text quickly and frustrate producers trying to grab a usable photo under deadline.

The preferred format is an HTML-based pressroom page on your author website with clearly labelled, downloadable assets. If you do not have the technical setup for this, a well-organised Word document with hyperlinked downloads is a better fallback than a designed PDF. The priority is accessibility for the person receiving it, not visual polish on your end.

What to Include: The Essential Components

About the Author

Professional author bio in two versions: a 50-word short version and a 200-word long version
High-resolution author headshot (minimum 300 dpi, JPEG or PNG, not embedded in a document)
Links to active social media profiles

About the Book

High-resolution book cover image (minimum 300 dpi)
Full title, subtitle, genre, approximate word count and ISBN
Book description (the pitch paragraph or blurb)
Publication date and direct purchase links
Comparable titles and target readership

For Interviewers

8 to 12 suggested interview questions with brief answers — this is the most practical element an author can provide to a podcaster or journalist
Frequently asked questions with prepared answers
Key themes and talking points the author can speak to confidently

Credentials and Social Proof

Pre-publication reviews, endorsements or quotes from recognisable names
Previous media appearances, if any
Author credentials relevant to the book (particularly important for non-fiction)

Contact Information

A direct email address for media enquiries
A publicist's contact details if one is engaged

Optional Extras Worth Including

A sample chapter or excerpt for reviewers who want to evaluate before committing is useful for any author approaching book bloggers or literary journals. An event kit for bookshops and event organisers covering room requirements, technical needs and prepared talking points is worth adding if you plan to do in-store events or speaking engagements.

Pitching to Australian Media: What to Know

Every pitch to an Australian outlet should include an Australian angle — a clear answer to why this book matters to Australian readers right now. Generic global pitches are less effective than pitches framed around the local context.

Outlets that are genuinely accessible to self-published Australian authors include Australian community radio stations (2SER, RRR, Triple R, FBi Radio and others), which regularly feature author interviews and are far more open to independent authors than commercial stations. Local and regional newspapers respond reliably to "local author" stories. Kill Your Darlings reviews literary fiction and essays from credible self-published authors. Author Services Australia runs a specific read-and-review program for Australian indie authors.

Save yourself time: Books+Publishing, Australia's primary trade review journal, does not review self-published titles. Neither do The Australian or The Sydney Morning Herald as a standard practice. Direct your media kit toward book bloggers, community radio, independent bookshop newsletters and genre-specific BookTokers rather than pursuing outlets that will not cover your book regardless of quality.

Timing: Send your media kit and review copies to bloggers and podcasters six to eight weeks before publication. For any traditional media that may cover your book, three months is the minimum lead time. Community radio and local press can often be approached two to four weeks out.

Before the media kit, make sure the manuscript is ready.

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How to Write a Media Kit for Your Book Launch