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Get Free Press Coverage
by Beth Ann Erickson
Advertising is expensive. A
small classified ad in my local
paper costs around forty bucks
to run a four-liner ten days.
Four dollars a day probably
isn’t that expensive but those
four-dollar increments add up to
well over a hundred dollars over
a one-month period. To make
matters worse, it’s almost
impossible to make your ad stand
out in the cluttered classified
section, especially if it’s only
four lines long.
Luckily, there’s a way to snag
those column inches for free.
Write a press release.
Every time something good
happens in your writing business
– whether you decide to host a
seminar, whether you land a new
client (get their permission
before you announce your
affiliation, of course), or if
you ink a book deal – write a
snappy press release and fax,
mail, or deliver it to as many
media outlets as you can.
Each press release should
contain the elements of a good
article. The better written your
release, the better your chances
of getting it published.
Here are some basic rules you
can use to get your press
releases read:
* Be sure to include the Who,
What, Where, When, Why, and How
in every release you write.
Answer these questions and the
press release practically writes
itself.
* Make your headline snappy and
relevant to their audience. It
should summarize your article
succinctly.
* Write it in the “inverted
pyramid” style. This means you
lead with the most important
information knowing that if an
editor is going to shorten your
press release, he’ll usually cut
it from the bottom and work his
way up.
* Press releases sent to printed
media like a newspaper or
magazine can be longer than ones
sent to auditory media like
radio. Fill an entire
typewritten page if you’re
sending the release to a
newspaper. When you send it to a
television or radio station,
edit it until you can
comfortably read it aloud in
around one minute.
* Read every press release aloud
before you send it. ESPECIALLY
those releases sent to radio and
television stations. The less a
news director has to edit your
work, the better your chances
are that they’ll use it. And
when you get a reputation for
producing easy-to-read writing,
you’ll get even more coverage.
* Send your release to an actual
person. Releases sent to “The
New York Times” will probably
get tossed by a secretary. If
you send your press release to
“John Doe at the New York
Times,” chances are he’ll at
least scan it before he decides
if it’s newsworthy.
* ALWAYS remember to mention
your credentials. Remember, a
BIG reason you’re contacting the
press is that you want to spread
the word about your writing
services.
* Don’t be afraid to “touch
base” with the person who
supposedly received your
release. I had to send a press
release to our large local paper
three times because they kept
“losing” it. I was always
polite, professional, patient,
and pleasant (how’s that for
alliteration?) when I spoke to
them. My persistence resulted in
a 1/3 page article on the FRONT
page. Wahoo!
When you send press releases,
your worst-case scenario will be
that they won’t use it. Don’t
give up. It’s not personal.
Media people are extremely busy.
Keep trying, build a good
reputation and you’ll eventually
hit pay dirt.
Sometimes your press release
will run as you wrote it.
Sometimes they’ll run it but it
will be edited – sometimes it
will be edited a LOT.
Best case scenario? They’ll send
out a reporter and photographer
and you’ll get an entire
article. That’s when your job
gets fun…
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Beth Ann Erickson is the
publisher of Writing Etc., the
free e-mag for writers. Make
Your Writing Sparkle. Write
Killer Queries. Get Published.
Subscribe to Writing Etc., the
FREE e-mag for writers. Receive
the e-booklet "Power Queries"
when you subscribe.
http://FilbertPublishing.com
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