Creative Press Releases

Where did this guy come from? My publisher has been nagging me about press releases. So, we got creative.

Depending on genre, you can use snippets from your books to generate press releases. In my genre - techno-thrillers - it is perhaps easier than for say a genre such as literary fiction. We have a few press releases along the lines that follow:

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30 Megajoule Electromagnetic Pulse Gun Technology - A Reality?

A detailed description of electromagnetic pulse gun technology in a hand-held pistol form. Could a hand-held energy pulse weapon be built? Does one exist?

James Marinero explores the concept in 'Gate of Tears'

Here are some edited snippets:

“Yes, it looks a bit like the standard issue L107A1 – the old SIG 226 – deliberately, with the same weight, balance, trigger pull weight. This, though, is the latest gear – British manufacture I’m proud to say. Mostly plastic. No projectiles – it’s an energy pulse weapon. We call it an epigun.

Point and shoot. Lethal, or not, choose as you fire. Aim for torso. A regular trigger pull for stun, a double tap usually kills. The stun pulse disrupts the nervous system of the target for a few minutes, incapacitates them for an hour or so, a bit like a tasar. The double tap sends the heart into deep arrhythmia from which it does not stabilise. Composite Kevlar derivative armour is no protection. Complete recovery from stun in most cases – except memory- but even stun could be fatal if the subject has a heart problem.

Infra red sights with illuminator - here where you’d expect a Maglite torch. Has a high temperature spot target designator– you’ll be wearing a headset with night vision goggles even though the moon is up so you can see into the shadows. Charge in the energy cell is good for 30 kill shots, silent, no flash.

“You may see a slight flicker of light when you hit your target – metal or animal. Oh, and it’s good for disrupting most electronics unless they are very heavily shielded.”

Steve toted the pistol, and could see that the barrel appeared to be blocked.

Don nodded. “Yes, there’s a specially shaped alloy core inside the barrel – room temperature superconductor or so I’m told, together with neodymium rare earth magnetry. It maximises and focuses the pulse energy – like a directional aerial. It’s all electronic – no hammer action, decocking lever, dead simple....

“No drop either as there’s no bullet for gravity to act on, though it makes no difference at 20 metres” Don continued.

“If you want more recoil then we can adjust that too, but it reduces the load by about 50% if we dial it up to the recoil of the 226. Muzzle energy is 15 kiljoules equivalent – that’s the same as a .50 calibre heavy machine gun. Energy cell holds 1 megajoule, only half is usable though.”...

“Hell Don, I’m a soldier not a scientist. I once went out with a girl called Jools and yeh, she was known as Megajools – 42 double D chest. That’s all it means to me. How come you know so much about this weapon?”...

“I headed the evaluation and operation acceptance testing team, so I should know...

(c) 2011 James Marinero. Extracts may be reproduced by bone fide journalists

END

You should choose the keywords carefully. Although we are categorising the press release in Arts/Entertainment / Books, the main keywords are topic-related and designed to pick up a specific technical audience:

keywords
pulse weapon,magnetic pulse gun,new gun,new weapon,new thriller,new novel, james marinero,gate of tears

I hope that you found this useful.

J