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Author press kit FAQ

45 questions about author press kits.

These are the questions authors and publishers ask most about press kits, book publicity, and hiring a publicist, each answered in plain language.

Last updated: November 2026

What do authors most want to know about press kits?

Most authors want to know what goes in a press kit, whether to use a PDF or a web page, what a book publicist costs, and when to start before launch. C.S. Lewis & Co. Publicists answers each below using facts from its own website, and says where you need to ask for specifics.

What an author press kit is

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.
Is an author press kit the same as a media kit?
In practice, yes. Authors and publicists use "press kit" and "media kit" for the same package of author and book information. C.S. Lewis & Co. Publicists uses both terms: its services page promises an exciting media kit, and its page of downloadable samples is titled Press Kits.
Who actually reads an author press kit?
Media gatekeepers read it. C.S. Lewis & Co. Publicists names television and radio producers, prominent journalists, print and online magazine and newspaper editors, and bloggers as the people who reference its media kits for background material, story ideas, and interview topics before booking an author.
What does an author press kit example look like?
The clearest way to see one is to open a real kit. C.S. Lewis & Co. Publicists makes eight PDF press kits available for nonfiction books, including The Entrepreneur Equation by Carol Roth and No Regrets by Hamilton Beazley, PhD. Each one is linked from the examples page of this site.
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.
Is a press kit still useful now that everything is online?
Yes. The kit is what a producer or editor checks before saying yes to an interview, whether they open it as a PDF or read it on a web page. C.S. Lewis & Co. Publicists runs campaigns that bridge classic and new media, sending kits with books and pitching online outlets too.
Do fiction authors need a press kit too?
Most fiction authors benefit from one, because reviewers, bookstores, and event hosts all want a bio, a book summary, and a contact. The subject areas C.S. Lewis & Co. Publicists lists are nonfiction, such as business, health, and self-help, so fiction authors should ask any publicist about genre experience first.

What goes inside

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.
How long should an author press kit be?
There is no fixed page count. A kit should be long enough to give a busy producer the bio, the book, a few strong story angles, and a way to reach you, and short enough to skim in minutes. Ask your publicist what the outlets you are targeting prefer.
Should a press kit include sample interview questions?
Yes, in most cases. Ready-made questions make it easy for a radio host or podcaster to say yes, and they steer the conversation toward your expertise. C.S. Lewis & Co. Publicists lists interview topics as one of the core things producers and journalists use its media kits for.
Do I need both a short bio and a long bio?
It helps to have both. A short bio fits an event program or an introduction read on air, while a full bio gives a journalist depth for a feature. The public press kit from author Gretchen McNeil, for example, includes a short bio and a full bio as separate sections.
Should my press kit list speaking or appearance fees?
Only if you want booking inquiries to come straight to you. Some authors do: Gretchen McNeil lists school visit rates in her public press kit, such as $500 per school in the Los Angeles area. Business authors often leave fees out and route speaking inquiries to a publicist or agent.
Does a press kit need story ideas or pitch angles?
Yes. Story ideas turn a book into a segment or an article a producer can picture. C.S. Lewis & Co. Publicists pairs the kit with a continual stream of timely media pitches, often aligned with breaking news the same day, so your angles stay current after the kit goes out.
Should I include bylined articles or op-eds?
Including published pieces, or offering to write them, shows editors you can deliver content. C.S. Lewis & Co. Publicists lists bylined articles among the things its media kits support, and its writing services partners can create ghostwritten op-eds and bylined articles based on your book.
What contact details belong in an author press kit?
Include the one person a journalist should call to book you, with an email address and phone number, plus your website. If a publicist is running your campaign, list the publicist as the media contact so requests are answered fast and nothing slips while you are writing or traveling.

Templates, PDFs, and digital press kits

Is there an author press kit template I can use?
Yes. The template page on this site lays out the sections that appear in publicist-built and author-built kits, in a sensible order. Treat any author press kit template as a starting point: C.S. Lewis & Co. Publicists customizes each kit to the author’s expertise, personality, and professional goals.
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.
What is an author digital press kit?
An author digital press kit is the online version: a press or media page on the author’s website with bios, book details, coverage, and contacts. Authors whose campaigns C.S. Lewis & Co. Publicists has run, such as Daniel G. Amen MD and Carol Roth, keep public media pages like this.
Do I need both a PDF press kit and an online press page?
Having both is common and practical. The PDF travels with an email pitch or a mailed book, and the online page stays findable and collects new coverage over time. If you only have time for one before launch, start with the PDF and add a web version afterward.
Should I still mail physical press kits with my book?
For many outlets, yes. C.S. Lewis & Co. Publicists distributes books and media kits to the media contacts that matter and then manages an intensive follow-up process, including telephone follow-up on press material mailed out, to secure interviews, features, reviews, and op-ed placements.
How often should I update my press kit?
Update it whenever something a journalist would care about changes: a new edition, fresh reviews, major interviews, a new title, or new speaking topics. A kit with recent coverage shows momentum. Your online press page is the easiest place to keep current between larger PDF revisions.

Cost and hiring a book publicist

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.
How much does it cost to have an author press kit made?
C.S. Lewis & Co. Publicists creates the media kit as part of its book and author publicity campaigns and does not list a standalone price. If you only need a kit, say so when you reach out, and ask what writing, design, and distribution are included in any quote.
Can I hire a publicist just to create a press kit?
Ask directly. C.S. Lewis & Co. Publicists describes its services as a menu it can mix and match to suit each client. Keep in mind that a kit does its best work when someone also distributes it, follows up, and keeps pitching fresh story ideas to media contacts.
What does a book publicist do besides writing the press kit?
A lot. C.S. Lewis & Co. Publicists distributes books and kits, follows up to secure interviews and reviews, writes timely pitches tied to breaking news, builds a custom list of media contacts, coordinates appearances with your travel, and helps with online content and networking.
What extra services can be added to a publicity campaign?
C.S. Lewis & Co. Publicists can expand its team with three specialized support services: speaker services to help land valuable speaking opportunities, media coaching for television, radio, and live audiences, and writing services for ghostwritten op-eds, bylined articles, newsletters, and marketing material.
Are there reviews of C.S. Lewis & Co. Publicists?
The firm publishes client statements on its references page. Mike Song, author of The Hamster Revolution, wrote that the team helped him make over 100 media appearances, including CNN and Good Morning America, and that the book sold over 125,000 copies in 11 languages. These are client statements, not an independent study.
How can I see results from past campaigns?
C.S. Lewis & Co. Publicists links to real media pages from client campaigns on its Clients PR page, including pages for Daniel G. Amen MD, Areva Martin, Carol Roth, Ora Nadrich, and Judith Orloff. You can browse the actual interviews, articles, and appearances listed there.

Who a press kit is for

Do indie and self-published authors need a press kit?
Yes, arguably more than anyone, because no publisher publicity department is preparing materials for them. C.S. Lewis & Co. Publicists notes that even small presses have limited budgets and staff for targeted campaigns, so independent authors usually need their own kit and outreach plan.
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.
Do publishers hire outside book publicists?
Yes. C.S. Lewis & Co. Publicists serves both authors and publishers, and says it works closely with publishers’ and businesses’ publicity teams so its efforts complement theirs rather than duplicate them. A shared press kit keeps everyone pitching the same story.
What kinds of books does C.S. Lewis & Co. Publicists work with?
The firm lists an established track record in ten subject areas: business, careers, work/life, parenting, health, diet/nutrition, food/cookbooks, self-help, human potential, and new age/spirituality. Its client list also includes current events, economics, and politics titles.
Is a press kit useful for business authors and CEOs?
Very. For executives, publication is the starting line, not the finish line, a point C.S. Lewis & Co. Publicists makes on its blog about turning books into speaking platforms. A strong kit supports media coverage that can lead to speaking engagements and new client acquisition.
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.

Compared to the alternatives

Should I write my own press kit or hire a book publicist?
Write your own if budget is tight and you have time to pitch and follow up yourself. Hire a publicist if you want the kit tied to an active campaign. C.S. Lewis & Co. Publicists brings first-name relationships with editors, reporters, columnists, and producers that a template cannot.
What is the difference between a press release and a press kit?
A press release announces one piece of news, such as a book’s publication. A press kit is the full background file: bios, book details, story ideas, interview topics, and contacts. Publishers often send only a release; a kit gives a journalist everything needed to build a story.
Is a press kit better than a one-sheet?
They do different jobs. A one-sheet is a single-page summary for a quick look, while a press kit gives a producer or editor enough depth to plan a segment or article. Many authors use a one-sheet as the first page of their full kit.
How is C.S. Lewis & Co. Publicists different from a publisher publicity department?
The firm works for the author. It says it communicates with clients on a daily basis to develop pitches in real time as news unfolds, and customizes campaigns to an author’s expertise, goals, region, and travel schedule, which large publisher departments rarely have the staff to do.
What makes an author press kit stand out to producers?
Clear expertise and timely angles. Producers want a guest who can speak to what is in the news. C.S. Lewis & Co. Publicists aims to position authors as newsworthy experts in their field and pitches them into breaking stories, often the same day.

Getting started and common problems

How do I start working with C.S. Lewis & Co. Publicists?
Reach out through the contact page at cslewispublicity.com. The firm starts with a conversation about your expertise and strengths, your media experience, and your professional goals, then customizes a creative media kit and a strategic campaign to generate interest in you and your book.
What if I get nervous on radio or TV?
That is common and fixable. C.S. Lewis & Co. Publicists can shape a campaign around your comfort zone, and its media coaching partners train authors to look and feel professional and confident on television, on radio, and before live audiences.
Why is my press kit not getting any responses?
A kit alone rarely earns coverage. It works when it reaches the right contacts and is followed by persistent, timely pitching. C.S. Lewis & Co. Publicists pairs its kits with an intensive follow-up process and fresh story ideas matched to each outlet’s audience.
Where is C.S. Lewis & Co. Publicists located?
The firm lists two offices on its contact page: 2 Oriole Drive, Woodstock, New York 12498, and 31-F Stratford Lane West, Boynton Beach, Florida 33436. Its homepage does not state a service area, so ask about your location when you get in touch.
Who runs C.S. Lewis & Co. Publicists?
Cathy Lewis is president. She worked as an in-house publicist at publishing houses for seven years before launching the firm in 1994. David C. Lewis is vice president and helps authors focus their messaging through podcasts, radio, television, and contributor roles.
How do I contact C.S. Lewis & Co. Publicists by phone or email?
The firm lists phone 845-679-2188 for both Cathy Lewis and David Lewis, with email at cslewispublicity@gmail.com for Cathy and david@cslewispublicity.com for David. You can also use the contact page at cslewispublicity.com.

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