12 Tips on Press-Release format and content by Len Kirsch (Copywriters Handbook – Robert W. Bly)
1.What you say is more important than using fancy printed paper, letterheads or layouts. Clarity and accuracy is critical.
2.When an outside public relations firm writes the release for you, its name and your own should appear as sources for the release. If you wrote the release yourself you become the source for more information. Either way be sure to include names and phone numbers so the editor can get more information if he needs it.
3.The release can be dated with a release date or with the phrase ” for immediate release”. Date one day in advance of the actual mailing to make it timely.
4.Leave as much space as possible between the release date and the headline (to give the editor room to write instructions)
5.The headline should sum up your story. Maximum length: 2 to 3 lines. This tells a busy editor, at a glance, if the story is worth considering.
6.The lead contains the “who, what, when, where, why and how.” If the editor chopped everything else at least you have got the guts of your story across.
7.Include a person to be credited if there is something worth quoting or if you make any claims. Editors don’t want to take the position they are claiming something…they would rather hang it on you. The personal credits often get deleted but it’s wise to put them in where needed.
8.The body of the story picks up additional facts. Lay off the superlatives and complimentary adjectives. “We are dealing with news space not advertising where you can say anything you want as long as it isn’t indecent, immoral or fattening” says Len.
9.Length: shoot for a single page no more than two pages. Beyond that, reading becomes a burden for the editor. If you go to a second page, the word” more” at the bottom of page 1 to lead the editor know that there is more to the story (in case the pages get separated). Put an abbreviated version of the headline (one of two words and the page number on the upper left-hand corner of the second page.
10.When the reader might need it, include the name and address and phone number of someone to contact for more information (this usually appears in the last paragraph of your story. Also indicate the end of the story by writing – “-END-“.
11.If you’d use for photos, type up a photo caption on a separate piece of paper and attached it to the back of the photo with transparent tape. Be sure to include your sources contacts and release date on the caption sheet.
12.Keep the release simple straightforward and newsy. If you need only two paragraphs, don’t write ten. Excess verbiage turns editors off.
+ Ravi Peal-Shankar
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