14 Tips For Sending Effective Press Releases

by John Hewitt

1. Know whom to send it to, not just where. Find out who the editor or reporter is for the section you want your release to appear in. If possible, include his or her name on the release itself, not just the envelope.
2. Send the release to only one person per news outlet. If you send it to more than one person, you may be blamed for any problems that develop because of duplicated coverage and effort. As a general rule, this action (called 'double planting') is unacceptable, although some outlets have relaxed this restriction.
3. Don't just send, call. If you want your release covered, call the person before sending the release, and then call a couple of days later to make sure he or she has received it.
4. Timing is everything. Don't fax a release out the day before an event and expect it to receive coverage. Give the maximum possible amount of time for the news outlet to decide how it wants to cover the story. If you feel the event is so far in the distance that they might forget about it, simply send another release-or a one-page Media Alert-as the time draws nearer.
5. Know your deadlines. Magazines, even weekly ones, are often planned months in advance. Publications based on seasonal events, such as Christmas and Easter, are great examples of this. For weekly or monthly 'calendar' items, know when the deadline is.
6. Keep it short and informative. Reporters and editors are notoriously busy. Most press releases should be kept to one page, double spaced. Two is acceptable. If they want more information, they'll ask. And if they need to cut, your most important information will be there (see next tip).
7. Write it in a news style-the 'inverted pyramid.' That means putting the prime information (who, where, what, and when) into the lead-first paragraph. It also means keeping the sales pitch subtle. No exclamation points! Many papers will directly reprint a press release, as long as it's written in a professional news style. Use short words and sentences. Make sure what you're saying is very clear.
8. It's still better to mail than fax. Almost all papers have fax machines, and a few of them prefer to receive their press releases via fax, but the majority still prefers mail-and even the ones who like fax will still run mailed pieces. Fax only in an emergency (read 'crisis'). If a client has somehow been implicated in a devastating event (such as the Jack-in-the-Box meat disaster), the need to get important information to the press outweighs the nicety of mail.
9. Always include specific information at the top corner of every page: a two- or three-word description of the story, the name and phone number of key contact people (no more than two), the page number (if there's more than one page), and the release date (usually 'For Immediate Release'-otherwise, 'Please hold until MO/DA/YR').
10. If you have good photos, send them or include the words 'Photos available on request' with your information at the top of the page. Send only high-quality photos, and only if they add to your story. Black-and-white glossies are best; 8' x 10' or 5' x 7' are preferred. Protect photos with cardboard when mailing. Don't tape or paper clip them, since this can ruin the photo. Be sure to identify subjects and placement clearly (left to right), on a pressure-sensitive label on the back of the photo.
11. Buy an AP stylebook and learn how to abbreviate words properly, when to write out number words (or numerals), and how to refer to formal names properly.
12. End the press release by typing either ### or -30- across the center of the page a couple lines below the text's end. If the release continues on another page, type -more- at the page's bottom center.
13. Use standard 8 1/2' x 11' paper typed on one side only. Never break a paragraph across two pages. Leave plenty of margins for editors to write notes in (1 1/2' all around is more than adequate).
14. Fold the release so that the headline and date are the first things the editor sees on opening the envelope. Don't fold your release like a letter. Better yet, don't fold it-send it in a 9' x 12' envelope.