How to Write Press Releases that Get Published
by Paul Krupin

Do you want to know the secret of writing a news release thatwill get published?  Here it is:

My secret for publicity success, developed from rigorous self-assessment, after having sent out over a million faxed newsreleases on behalf of over 2,000 clients:

"Tell me a story, give me a local news angle, touch my heartmake me laugh or cry), hit me in my pocketbook, make my stomach turn over, or grab my gonads."

Do this as many times as possible in a one page news release in30 seconds or less and you will succeed in getting publicity.

A few years ago I spoke at the National Public Relations Societymeetings in Omaha. I found out that most publicists at most bigPR firms don't have a real clue about how to write a newsrelease to get news coverage.  They write corporate fluff.

Rarely do you see them create something that makes an editor drop what hes doing and pick up the phone and call.  And yetthis is what you want an editor to do.

Few people who write a news release really think about what they want the editor to do after they receive and read a news release.

Ive been sending out news releases for people for almost 22years, and most of the people who come to me initially write detailed book reviews or commercial news and web siteannouncements, not short ideas for articles intended to attracteditors attention and get a dialog going that results in a feature story published.

I often have to tell them to start over or shift gears.

A lot has to do with the content and quality of the book,product service or web site, but let's just assume that you'vewritten the be-all, end-all of whatever subject in your field.

This is the ultimate sensation. The only thing anyone will everneed or want. You're all charged up and revved up to go.  Nowwhat...

A Publicity Plan!

Yes!  A Publicity Plan.

First, establish your goals for the release. Write them down.Memorize them.   Sleep on it. Wake up and think about them some more.

Remember you have to integrate your marketing with your PR and keep it all within your budget.  So identify what you haveavailable and write down how much you want to spend -- and on what -- and when -- and with whom.

Let's assume your goal is getting the word out about your product.  It could be an initial announcement.  It could be partof a year-long monthly campaign to a well targeted media list(again and again to get name recognition).

Look at your schedule and see that this week your task is athand.

You want to get an article published in as many places aspossible, to feed sales, acquire name recognition, drive webtraffic, all of the above, or whatever. These are common goals.

Now its time to be more specific.  Narrow your options andtighten the true alternatives you wish to seriously consider.

Think strategically.  Narrow the goals and keep it as simple ascan be.

Whatever your specific publicity goals, you need to be mindful of the types of news releases that can be written:  

- Print releases for feature stories

- Op-Eds for tips articles

- Event announcements

- Radio and TV interview releases

- Product or services releases

- Query letters

- Internet News Releases

- E-mail news releases 

All these can produce publicity success.  But writing each typeof  release   entails  arraying  different  information  into  adifferent format and style of presentation.  Each release has a different purpose and asks the editor or producer to take adifferent action.  And doing any of these well in order tosucceed is a daunting challenge.

Every year I complete a qualitative review of our custom newsdistribution and the relative success people have been having ingetting published as a result of sending fax and e-mail newsreleases.  We analyze this data to see what works and whatdoesnt work.  We ask our clients what got published and where, and how much publicity or success they experienced as a result.

While this is by no means statistically definitive, it is nonetheless useful. 

We've seen one page releases sent to targeted media lists result in successful publicity (defined loosely as having resulted in either wide national publicity, a significant number > 35, topnational interviews or bookings, or profit) for book authors,publishing companies, product firms, and government agencies,whose one-page news releases took one of the followingapproaches.

So no matter what type of news release you write, you willincrease your chances of success if it incorporates one or moreof the following.  Here's what appears to be working the best:

-human interest angles  -- particularly with heartwarminganecdotal stories that reveal deep emotion or feelings withbright, colorful word pictures, and enriched sensory experience

-interpersonal relationships on difficult or controversialissues -- focus on love, sex, money, communications between menand women, parents and children, companies, and employees,government and individuals,

-tips, articles, advice and tactics excerpted from books, tencommandments, ten tips, etc.

-unusual events, unique personal accomplishments, unusualcreative ideas

-humor and wisdom, fun and tragedy

-really new and unique products or books, Internet innovationsand developments

-politically and socially important editorial tie - in articles

-holiday and event tie-in articles

At least in my  humble opinion, for those of you writing newsreleases or seeking publicity, your chances of success arelikely to be increased if you follow one of these formats.

Even when you do, you will maximize your success if you give the editor a "local news angle".  Localizing news releases maximizes the publication of your release in weekly and daily newspapers.

The  easiest  publicity  to  get is the announcement of a localevent  with  a  distinct local human interest angle.  You don'thave to do the editors work for him, but the idea that the newsrelease  can be easily adapted to appeal to local needs must bevery clear.

Sometimes getting national  publicity is harder, especially in mainstream publications. You need to have a news angle that has some interest at a national level.   You also will competeagainst everyone else vying for attention in the nation, and youhave to distinguish why your release is worth publishing overothers.

You can make your job easier and be more successful by breaking your national media lists into geographically distinct areas and localizing the release.

Even once you've identified you target media, settled on a typeof news release, it all comes down to writing the actualrelease. Assuming you are aiming at print (radio/tv releases are a different animal) -- here's my advice.

Bottom line -- find out what works specifically in the media youwant to be in and use my special simple technique for publicityand news release success.

The Identify, Imitate and Innovate Technique

Go to a newsstand, and pick up the latest issues of everyrelevant magazine or publication you can find. The ones you want to be in. Then dissect each magazine for book articles.  Use yellow stickies, or cut these out and make a scrapbook. Study the publications closely and see how they write book articles and reviews. Make a list of the headlines. Study the style, length, focus, content, word choice.

Then start writing by imitating the articles you see. Remembermost of the small articles (which  are  the easiest to getpublished are one page 200 words.

Then Innovate it. Re-write it fifteen times. Make it Short andSnappy. Vary the character of your news release to the media you are aiming at.

You've written the end all of all books in the field. Or you'vecreated the best product in the world.  This is the ultimatesensation. The only book or product anyone will ever need.   Get enthused.   Now tell people why you are enthused in 150 to 200 words.

Read it out loud as if you were live on the air -- see if it sounds good.

By the way, good short articles in newspapers and magazines are often read on radio stations and on talk shows every day,especially on morning radio talk shows. This has happened to me.

Listen closely when it happens.   Remember what the radioannouncer is doing. He's reading a paper or magazine on the air.

Wow  -- a force multiplier effect. Like being seen on Oprah andgetting asked to do an interview with People magazine (This happened to my client Courtney Garton.  You can see the 7/27/98 edition of People magazine).  It also happened to my client Ms. Karen  Derrico,  author  of  Unforgettable   Mutts.   She did an interview  on   a  small radio station in New York City, and was heard  by William Safire, who then wrote about the Million Mutt March on Mothers day in Washington DC in his column in the New York Times.

A news release has to sing to you before you send it to me, if Iam  to  make you the best possible custom targeted media list I possibly can.

Best way I know to make it right is to follow in the footsteps of the successful before you.

Paul  J.  Krupin is one of the leading PR and Media Consultants,and is the author of the best selling ebook "Trash Proof News Releases")