PERFECT PRESS RELEASES
by Tracy Cooper-Posey

This is the first part in a three-part series on the writing and use of press releases. In this installment, we look at the writing and structure of the press release. Part Two covers the distribution of press releases -- who to send them to, and how. And Part Three helps you brainstorm and build a list of reasons, events and excuses to send out press releases.

Press releases are a key element in your on-going publicity campaign. With everything else you do to market your business, so often you can capitalize on the events and marketing developments that occur by sending out a press release to drum up associated publicity, so it pays to learn how to properly build and distribute them.

As a magazine editor, I’ve seen hundreds of press releases that I couldn’t use -- because they were badly composed, didn’t hold the information I needed, or failed to provide a contact for further information, or else the subject matter wasn’t of interest to my readers.

I’ve also lost count of the numbers of phone calls and emails I’ve received that invariably begin with “Well...er...we have this event coming up in a week or so....” I should congratulate these people for contacting me in the first place. Many event organizers and business managers don’t take even that simple step. My usual response to this sort of contact is “send me your press release, or press kit,” if the subject is something my readers might like to hear about. And it’s amazing how often that request is greeted by an incredulous silence.

I know, I know. We’re the writers, right? We should instantly interview you on the spot, scoop out all the relevant information, and write it up for you. Right?

Wrong. A press release is your FIRST form of contact with any media outlet, whether it be television, radio, or press. Even for some of the more sophisticated and bigger websites, a press release can be a first salvo -- although many websites deal just as well with a chatty, informative email.

The fact is, the press corps does not hit the pavement every day to go sniff out the news, hoping they’ll trip over stunning, profoundly world-shaping events in the area of their readers’ interests. What really happens is: editors and producers in all media daily receive (often dozens of) press releases that announce events, news and more. They chose the most interesting and relevant press releases and send their reporters and journalists off to find out more, get a quote, write it up, and present it in the desired format.

Some print media have even been known to pick up the guts of the press release and print it as is, or with minor changes. This has happened to press releases that I’ve sent out. It’s a sign that you wrote a good release, and you sent it to the right people.

So, how do you write them?

Press releases have a standard format. Here’s an example of one I sent out recently to promote one of my fiction titles:

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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:

WEST AUSTRALIAN AUTHOR SEES HER DREAMS COMING TRUE
New York Publishers Starting to Call

This week, West Australian Tracy Cooper-Posey took one more big step towards fulfilling her dreams of success when she signed a contract with New York’s Medallion Press to publish one of her romance novels – Heart of Vengeance.

“I’m thrilled beyond belief”, says Cooper-Posey. “Signing a publishing contract is always exciting but this one is extra sweet.” Although Heart of Vengeance will be her ninth published work, it is her first mass-market paperback. Cooper-Posey’s other romance novels have been published on-line by Hard Shell Word Factory and Ellora’s Cave, and her Sherlock Holmes pastiches in trade paperback by Winnipeg’s Turnstone Press under the Ravenstone label.

Located in New York City, Medallion Press publishes mainstream adult and young adult fiction in a variety of genres including Romance, Fantasy, Science Fiction, Mystery and Thrillers. They seek to raise the expectations of the book buying public with their well written, visually appealing products and become a leader in the publishing industry.

Contact:
Mark D. Posey, Public Relations Manager
Sasha Productions
Address Line 1
Edmonton, Alberta, Canada
T6L 4E4
Phone (780) 555-5555
http://www.sashaproductions.com

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Several things to note about this release, which will guide you to writing
your own.

1. LENGTH. One page is better, two if you absolutely have to. Never three. No-one will stay still long enough to read it, because they know, from long experience, that the further into the release they get, the less relevant and timely the information (and we’ll cover the structure in a moment, too).

2. FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE. 99.9% of press releases should carry this statement. It means that the recipient is free to release the information to the public as soon as they chose to. In very rare circumstances you can state that the information has an embargo “UNTIL FEBRUARY 29TH” or whatever the critical moment may be. You should explain why the release time is so sensitive. I’ve seen releases with embargoes that are phrased, for instance, as “In order to protect the close members of xxxxx’s family, who will be leaving the country on February 28th, we are asking the press to refrain from reporting on this case until February 29th, and we appreciate  your cooperation.”

3. HEADLINE: The subject line is critical. It states the subject of the press release and sums it up, all in one or two lines. A busy editor or producer may not scan much more than the headline before tossing the release, so you have to make it count. In the example, above, notice that I inserted the critical phrase “West Australian Author” into the headline. That’s because I was sending THIS version of the release to media in Western Australia, the state I was born and raised in. For media in my current home town, I adjusted the headline to read “Local Author”. You should also adjust your headlines to suit the media you’re sending the release to. What you’re doing, when you adjust headlines in this way, is giving the editor or producer a local context, something that is relevant to their publication and their readers. It will prick up their attention.

4. OPENING PARAGRAPH. If the opening paragraph in the sample sounds suspiciously like a newspaper article to you, congratulations, you’re getting the hang of this. If your headline was well written, and hooked the editor, you’ve now got one paragraph to reel the editor in. That one paragraph expands on the headline and tells the editor every relevant fact about the event, all at once. This is where the editor truly decides if this is something they can use, and settles down to read the rest of the release.

5. OTHER PARAGRAPHS. The remaining paragraphs give you a little more flexibility and discretion. Sometimes, if you have a person as the subject of the news, or an expert on the topic being presented, you can get some relevant quotes from them, as I did in the sample. Press releases like this have the most chance of being copied verbatim, because you’ve done the journalist’s work, and the release can be slid into the publication at the last minute. You can add paragraphs that expand on the facts in the first paragraph, rounding them out. The last paragraph(s) of the release should be backgrounder information on the business or businesses involved.

6. CONTACT INFORMATION. The person you put as contact should be someone who can speak knowledgeably on the subject, OR, can coordinate interviews or provide further documentation and images if the press request these items, or both. In my sample, I used my husband, who is often easier to reach than me, as I’m often out of the house for long periods of time. Therefore, availability is another factor to consider.

7. CLOSING. You’ll read in lots of how-to manuals that you must put “- 30 -” centred at the bottom, but really, this is an archaic rule. The hash marks I used also do the job, and many press releases don’t have a close at all. The listing of further contact information is a pretty clear indication that the reader has reached the bottom of the release. Also, Make sure your grammar, punctuation, spelling, etc, is flawless. You’re sending this to professional wordsmiths, in the case of the press, and to intelligent, well-educated professionals at other media outlets. Poor writing will make the reader question the quality of the news you’re trying to convey.

In Part Two, I’ll show you how to figure out who you should send press releases to, and how to send them.

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Tracy Cooper-Posey is a freelance copywriter, and former editor of regional and national magazines. She has worked in the advertising and marketing industry, and is also a successful author of nine popular fiction novels. She is currently the editor of MarketYourself, a monthly newsletter on marketing and promoting the small to medium-sized business, which you can find at
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/anastasia_black_newsletter/ Her copywriting helps businesses and corporations everywhere build their marketing collateral -- including press releases. Visit www.sashaproductions.com/portfolio.html for information on her
copywriting, and www.sashaproductions.com for information on her fiction.