SolveYourProblem
eMarketing Series:
How To Write A Press Release
That Blows Away
Editors & The Competition
( 30 pages )
3) Give
Me My Space, Please!
Scientists say
that humans need at least three feet of personal space to
be at a maximum comfort level. Well, press releases need space,
too! It may seem excessive when printed out on paper, but
an editor will greatly appreciate it if you format your page
so that it allows for double, if not, triple spacing.
When as editor
receives your story, reviews it, and decides that he wants
to look into it further, he needs to have space on your printed
copy to make notes, changes, and additions to your work. Your
paperwork will probably be moving between personnel, so it’s
a great idea to give them room to work!
Paper quality
should be considered as well. Use a standard white 8 ½
- by – 11-inch high quality bond paper. Type your submission
in 12-point font, in a style that is easy to read, such as
Times New Roman. Print your press release on a desk-jet or
laser quality printer for the best appearance.
Position your
story a third of the way down the page, after presenting your
contact information, headings, and specific dates. Once you
begin your main content, make sure you left-justify your work
so that the editor has room in the right margin to make further
notations, if necessary.
Always maintain
at least a one-inch margin on every edge of the paper. If
your press release has more than one page, be sure to write
“continued,” or “more,” at the bottom of each previous page.
If you do wind
up with more than one page, be sure to identify your work
on each additional page by writing your last name, and the
title of the story in the upper left-hand corner. If you want
to, you can also number the pages, beginning on page two of
your submission.
When you have
more than one page, use more than one page to print on! Never
send your work printed on both sides of the paper. And remember,
as netiquette rules suggest, never type in all capital letters.
It’s considered shouting, and for print work, it makes it
difficult to read. Stick to the elementary formatting, and
you’ll keep the editor’s eyes happy.
4) Crossing
Your “t’s” and Dotting Your “i’s”
Some things to
double-check before you submit your work for publication:
-
Did I use
the right tense and keep it uniform throughout the press
release? Try to keep your press release in the Active voice.
Instead of using the Passive voice, saying: “A meeting will
be held on Monday night,” try using “The organization will
meet on Monday night.”
-
Are my abbreviations,
if used, correct? Many organizations use acronyms, so the
media have devised a way to employ the practice in their
reporting. The general rule is to completely spell out the
name on the initial reference, such as: Federal Bureau of
Investigation, followed by the acronym FBI in any following
mentions of the organization throughout the story.
-
Have I capitalized
Proper nouns and brand names? Always avoid capitalizing
any words that do not require it. Use capitals for proper
nouns, names, and specific popular areas that the community
will generally understand as being a certain region.
-
Are any
numbers, lower than 10 spelled out in word form? One rule
of thumb for numerical references is that very small and
very large numbers are never written in figure format. Instead
of writing “1” you would write “one.” And you would refer
to fifteen thousand in word form, not as 15,000.
-
Have I excluded
the use of any time specific words, such as “today” or “tomorrow?”
If you accidentally include the use of one of these types
of words, it will usually be eliminated from the content.
The only time it is appropriate to use these is when a media
sector is speaking of something that has already happened.
Normally, this occurs in an afternoon paper, which reports
on the happenings that took place earlier in the day.
-
Are my courtesy
titles for each person mentioned in my press release correct?
For example, am I correct in assuming it is “Mrs.” instead
of Ms? Most media do not even use courtesy titles at this
date, preferring instead to simply refer to the person as
“Jane Doe,” initially, and “Doe” from that point on in the
story. But, depending on your target media’s guidelines,
you’ll need to make sure that if you did use courtesy titles,
that you’ve used them properly.
-
Have I omitted
any use of sexist language, such as policeman or fireman,
and instead, made them gender-neutral? Traditionally, certain
jobs were gender-specific, such as those on the police force
or fire fighting staff. Now, a firefighter can be male or
female, so the title has evolved to reflect the new change.
-
Have I succeeded
in not using any words of fluff that would make my work
appear to be biased to the public, such as “best,” or “wonderful?”
One of the biggest mistakes public relations departments
make when submitting a press release, in hopes of getting
news coverage, is in turning their “news” into an “advertisement.”
Look at your press release from the public viewpoint, and
see if you think they might misconstrue any information
you’ve added to look unbiased in their eyes.
-
Is my work
addressed to the correct personnel, and furthermore, is
my own contact information correct? One critical mistake
some inexperienced writers make is addressing their work
to the wrong personnel. Worse, some even send it to a staff
member who hasn’t worked for the publication in years! An
editor can only assume your work is sloppy if you fail to
make a quick phone call to verify your contact information.
-
Have I used
my spell-checker, and then reviewed the document with my
own eyes for proper word usage? Be sure to watch out for
words that the computerized spell-checker might not catch.
If you wish to say, “For the next two years,” make sure
it doesn’t read “Four the next two years.” Have another
person read your press release before sending it in, to
catch any errors that you might fail to spot.
5) Wrap
It Up!
Formatting doesn’t
end with font styles and page settings. Sending in your submission
has a rule of its own, and everyone should follow the basic
procedure courtesies.
If your press
release is more than one page in length, never ever staple
your pages together. Either number your pages with proper
identification (in case any page gets separated from the others),
or use a paper clip to fasten them to one another. A staple
is only going to make the editor either rip the pages apart,
or go through the hassle of trying to find a staple remover
on his already-cluttered desk of unsolicited submissions.
There is no need
to send your work in any fancy method. Unless it’s a time-sensitive
piece, don’t use overnight carriers that will require personnel-specific
signatures. Simply use standard sized packaging, and refrain
from writing messages on the outside of the envelope – it
either won’t be read, or it will make an unprofessional impression.
Proper formatting
is the easiest way to gain the trust of an editor. If everything
looks good from first glance, then he or she is going to march
forward in giving your document a careful consideration on
whether or not they wish to include your work in an upcoming
issue.
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