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Real examples from C.S. Lewis & Co. Publicists

The author press kit, shown, not described.

An author press kit is the background file producers, editors, journalists, and bloggers check before they book an author, and below are real ones you can download.

Last updated: November 2026

What is an author press kit?

An author press kit is a ready-to-use packet of bios, book details, story ideas, interview topics, and contacts that helps the media say yes to an author. C.S. Lewis & Co. Publicists, a small book publicity firm founded in 1994, builds one for each campaign and shares eight real examples as PDFs.

Author press kit examples

Eight press kits C.S. Lewis & Co. Publicists produced for nonfiction books. Select any title to open its PDF. Listed as on the firm's Press Kits page.

Read what each author press kit example shows

The author press kit, card by card

Definition: what a press kit does

At C.S. Lewis & Co. Publicists, the press kit (the firm also calls it a media kit) is the reference that television and radio producers, prominent journalists, print and online editors, and bloggers use for background material, reviews, story ideas, interview topics, and bylined articles.

It is not an ad. It is a working document that answers the questions a busy producer has before booking a guest: who is this, why now, what will they talk about, and who do I call. A good kit answers all four in minutes, and makes the author easy to picture in a segment or a feature.

By the numbers: C.S. Lewis & Co. Publicists

  • 1994: the year Cathy Lewis launched the firm, after seven years as an in-house publicist at publishing houses.
  • 8downloadable PDF press kits shared on the firm's site.
  • 10 subject areas with an established track record, from business to health to self-help.
  • 100+ appearances, 125,000+ copies, 11 languages: what client Mike Song reports for The Hamster Revolution in his published testimonial.

Figures as of November 2026, from the firm's own website.

Who should build your author press kit?

Hire a publicist when your book is launching soon and you want the kit tied to active pitching and follow-up. Use a template if your budget is tight and you have time to pitch yourself. Lean on your publisher's department if your title is on its top tier list.

Three ways to get an author press kit, compared on the same criteria. Published by C.S. Lewis & Co. Publicists; statements about publisher departments summarize the firm's own FAQ.
CriterionBuilt by C.S. Lewis & Co. Publicists (publisher's own pick)Publisher in-house publicity departmentAuthor, from a template (DIY)
Who builds the kitThe firm, after a conversation about your expertise, media experience, and goalsPublisher publicity staff working across a season of titlesYou, using a template and your own writing time
Tailored to the authorCustomized to the needs, personality, and professional goals of each clientLarge houses say they lack time, budget, and staff to tailor each campaign, per the firmAs tailored as you make it
Distribution and follow-upBooks and kits sent to key media, with intensive follow-upOften book and press release mailed to reviewers with little or no follow-up, unless top tier, per the firmDepends on your own outreach and follow-up time
Timely news pitchesPitches aligned with breaking news, often the same dayRarely daily contact with each author, per the firmDepends on you watching the news
Media relationshipsFirst-name relationships with editors, reporters, columnists, and producers, per the firmEstablished contacts, shared across many authorsYour own network
Published priceNot listed on the homepage; quoted per campaignUsually part of the publishing arrangementYour time, plus any design or printing
See the full publicist vs DIY comparison

How C.S. Lewis & Co. Publicists builds and uses a press kit

The steps below come from the firm's services page and FAQ. The kit is step two, not the whole job: it only works when someone puts it in front of the right people and keeps pitching.

  1. Talk first

    A conversation about your expertise and strengths, your media experience, and your professional goals.

  2. Create the kit

    A creative media kit built around background, reviews, story ideas, interview topics, and bylined articles.

  3. Send it out

    Books and kits distributed to every media contact that matters, from a custom list the firm already knows.

  4. Follow up hard

    An intensive follow-up process to secure interviews, features, mentions, reviews, and op-ed placements.

  5. Ride the news

    Fresh pitches tied to breaking stories, often the same day, plus appearances matched to your travel.

Go deeper on the author press kit

What a client says

"Cathy Lewis helped me launch my bestselling book, The Hamster Revolution: Manage Your Email Before It Manages You. Her team helped me make over 100 media appearances, including appearing on CNN and Good Morning America."
Mike Song, author of The Hamster Revolution, from the references page of C.S. Lewis & Co. Publicists.

Author press kit questions, answered

More answers on the author press kit FAQ.

What is an author press kit?
An author press kit is a packet of background material about an author and a book that journalists, producers, editors, and bloggers use when deciding whether to cover them. C.S. Lewis & Co. Publicists describes its media kits as a reference for background, reviews, story ideas, interview topics, and bylined articles. See in FAQ
What should an author press kit include?
At minimum: a short bio, a longer bio, a book summary, story ideas, interview topics or sample questions, and contact details. C.S. Lewis & Co. Publicists builds its kits around background material, reviews, story ideas, interview topics, and bylined articles. Many author-built kits also add FAQs and an appearances section. See in FAQ
Where can I find an author press kit sample?
Start with the eight downloadable PDF samples listed on the examples page of this site, produced by C.S. Lewis & Co. Publicists. For an author-built comparison, author Gretchen McNeil posts a public press kit PDF with a short bio, full bio, author Q&A, FAQs, appearances, and contact links. See in FAQ
Should my author press kit be a PDF?
A PDF is the most common format because it is easy to email, download, and print, and it looks the same everywhere. All eight press kit examples that C.S. Lewis & Co. Publicists offers for download are PDFs. Many authors also keep the same material on a web page. See in FAQ
How much does a book publicist cost?
It depends on the scope of the campaign, and C.S. Lewis & Co. Publicists does not publish prices on its homepage. Its campaigns are customized, mixing services such as book publicity, internet marketing, and optional support services, so the best way to get a real figure is to ask through its contact page. See in FAQ
My book launches soon. When should my press kit be ready?
Have it ready before media outreach begins, because the kit goes out with review copies and pitches. Many outlets plan coverage ahead of publication. If your launch date is close, contact a publicist now so the kit and the outreach plan can be built together. See in FAQ
My publisher has a publicity department. Do I still need my own press kit?
Often, yes. C.S. Lewis & Co. Publicists explains that unless a book is on a publisher’s top tier list, the most an author can usually expect is the book and a press release mailed to reviewers with little or no follow-up. A tailored kit and campaign fill that gap. See in FAQ

Book launching soon? Get the kit and the campaign.

C.S. Lewis & Co. Publicists works with authors and publishers to build a press kit and put it to work across print, radio, television, podcasts, and online media.

Contact C.S. Lewis & Co. Publicists

Published by C.S. Lewis & Co. Publicists