How to Write a Press Release

When it comes to your career as an artist, getting name recognition and creating a stir about your work is the name of the game. We would all prefer to stay in our studio and do our ‘thing’, but knowing how to write a press release that the media will want to print and will have the best chance of actually getting published is a necessary role in promoting ourselves. Although there is never any guarantee that our release will go to print, the following information should give you the best, possible chance for success. Please don’t let the length of this article intimidate you! I’m just the type of person that tries not to exclude any detail. The process is really much easier than it looks. After the first time, it’s a snap as you will have laid all of your groundwork. A sample press release is attached at the end of this article.

Page Layout & Content

• Type PRESS RELEASE (all caps) at top of page.
• Follow with CONTACT information: name, title, phone and email.
• Type FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE…….. or specify a release date.
• Type your headline in all caps. Try to create a catchy headline that summarizes the most important point of the story.
• Type the body of the release in lowercase letters. Your lead-in sentence should grab a reader’s attention.
• Be sure that the content of your release answers the questions: WHO, WHAT, WHEN, WHERE, WHY & HOW. Your release must clearly and concisely communicate your message.
• Specific information and details should be at the end of the first paragraph or in the last paragraph. You’ll want to write your release with the most important information at the beginning and the least important at the end.
• Short, concise sentences and paragraphs are best. One paragraph is ideal if possible. You’ll have a better chance of getting a short release printed than a long, space hogging one. Never go over 400 words.
• The word ‘FREE’ has amazing power. Mention it if appropriate. Example: ‘Free and open to the public.’
• Attribute all quotes. If you can include them, they add personality to your copy. Try to keep them to ‘one-liners’.
• If appropriate, ask the reader to take some sort of action. Example: ‘Call John to register.’
• Adding photos where possible adds visual interest getting the reader to look and then read. It also saves the paper some work (they like that). Use .jpg format if you can and give the photo a caption using present tense. If there are people in the photo, identify them left to right.
• I try to keep my releases to one paragraph and then create a second, one or two sentence paragraph using a smaller font. This may simply be to tell more information about the organization (CGP is a non-profit organization dedicating to fostering artists within a 100 mile radius of Pittsburgh. ). Or, ‘John’s work in clay has won him numerous awards and national recognition. More of his work can be viewed on his website www.johntheclayguy.com.

• At the end of your press release (leaving a space after last paragraph), you might want to encourage further exposure. You can do this by adding a simple line stating: Interviews available by phone, email or in person.  OR  Reporter & Photographer Welcome.
• Use  # # #  at the end of your release. This means ‘the end’ in media talk.

Submitting Your Release to the Media

• Make a list of target publications and note the writers who cover art, community events, or whatever topic is related to your announcement. Find the writers’ email addresses. For small, local publications the contact may simply be the Editor. A look on the publications’ website or a phone call will give you this information.
• Email is preferred these days. They won’t need to re-type your announcement and you’ll have a better chance of having it go to print. If you don’t have a computer you can certainly send your release via ‘snail mail’. Regardless of your means of sending, it is important to target the correct person and to personalize your announcement to them. Be sure to spell their names correctly! This level of personalization is what will get the writer to notice, and hopefully print, your release.
• When you send your email, NEVER mass email your release to a list of BCC recipients. It will be treated as spam. Don’t use a subject line that may look like spam. Examples you want to avoid: ‘Important Announcement’ or ‘Big News’.
• As you begin your email addressing the specific person, be sure to ASK them to print your release! Perhaps invite them to the event or tell them why they should care to print your announcement. Examples I have used in the past include:                           “As I am a local artist, I think this could be of interest to your readers.” OR “I’m hoping you can print this announcement in (publication name) as our guild    serves artists in a 100 mile radius of Pittsburgh .” OR “This exhibit is a free, family event and open to the public.” If you are snail mailing the release, this can be done in a very short, hand written note that accompanies your release.
• Embed your release right into the body of the email. Do not send as an attachment, although it is fine to send photographs as attachments.

Timing Your Submission

• It is always a good idea to know the preferred ‘lead-time’ (when to send) for each publication. Call and ask, or you can go by these general guidelines: Monthly publications: two months, Larger weekly/daily newspapers: 3-4 weeks, Smaller community papers: 7-10 days.
• Send your release Tuesday, Wednesday, or Thursday morning so it will be sitting at the top of their Inbox. Avoid sending on a weekend or a Friday afternoon as it may get buried among other emails.

A Few Notes in Summary

Building a relationship with the media can aid your career tremendously. If your release is printed, write a note thanking the specific editor for the coverage. This is very true with small, local papers. Don’t overlook them as this is where you will most often get the coverage you seek quite easily. I have found local papers more willing to include photos. Unlike the larger newspapers, community papers are often interested in ‘feel-good’ human interest stories. Maybe they’ll feature you! But you won’t know if you don’t ask.