Writing a movie is hard, pitching a movie is hard, financing a movie is hard, and making a movie is hard. After you wrap your production, you might think all your hard work is over – but it ain’t. Get ready for the hardest part of all: marketing your movie.

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Public relations, audience development, and social media marketing are tasks just as mystifying as filmmaking itself, which is why you’re lucky you have Film Daily on your side doling out free advice based on years in the trenches of the media marketing industry.

Most PR companies charge somewhere between $5000 – $25,000 to publicize your film. Follow our tips to do it yourself, and learn the secrets of building an audience for your work. Nobody said it’s gonna be easy, but with some marketing knowledge on your side you can promote your piece powerfully.

Over the next few days, we’ll be sharing our complete DIY indie film PR guide. Here’s the first lesson: how to make your own Electronic Press Kit.

What on earth is an Electronic Press Kit (EPK)?

An Electronic Press Kit (EPK) is a robust dossier, containing information about your film, which is distributed electronically to press, partners, PR, and bloggers. An EPK makes it easier for these parties to create content about your feature without conducting hours of research, helping you tell the story about your story while keeping you in control.

It amazes us here at FD when we receive slim EPKs with little to no relevant information and poor attention to detail. Never waste a chance to tell the story about your story. If the EPK is good, people will quote it verbatim; if it’s thorough, publications will request an interview (i.e. free publicity); and if it’s great, people will go to bat for you around town.