Writing Press Release - Getting Editors to Respond

·	Will editors print my press release “as is?”

It would not be the norm for your press release to be printed as you submitted it. It is more likely an editor will:

Do a story based upon an idea sparked by your press release.

Quote you as an expert in a story they are already writing

Call you for an interview. Unfortunately, there is no law which decrees an editor must contact you before using your press release. And so, of course, they don't. And no, we can't make them.

·	When can I expect my press release to be used?

Except for press releases which promote a specific event, editors and talk show hosts can keep the information on in a research file indefinitely, waiting for a story they intend to do. So don't get discouraged. You have put the idea out there and now you must wait for their interest to coincide with yours.

·	There is no set number of editors or talk show producers you can expect to respond to your press release.

You may be pleased with the response, or you might not be -- but I can guarantee, no matter how "hits" you get, you'll think there should have been more.

The truth is, press releases have a very long life span. They can be kept up to a year, waiting for the time when the editor or talk show host finally decides to do a story on your subject matter.

·	How can I make sure editors print my press release?

The only way to insure a newspaper will pick up your press release is to pay them to run it as an advertisement. What PublicityInk.biz does is to present your press release a professional manner that will catch editors’ attention and hopefully inspire them to do a story. This we do, not just to insure happy customers, but to continue to be a source editors can count on. We do NOT want editors to opt-out!

Think of PublicityInk.biz as a post office. You pay us to send your work -- exactly the way you would pay the post office. The post office has no influence over the editors, nor do we. Just as you would not expect to give the postman a cut of your earnings, likewise, you owe PublicityInk.biz nothing beyond the initial e-mailing price.

·	I sent 3,000 press releases and got no response. Why is that?

The way press releases usually work is that they cause some excitement or nothing at all. When you are writing one, or analyzing an existing one, it is helpful to take a look at your local paper and picture where in the paper it would be - which section - and how it would look. Trust me, it is a very helpful exercise.

You have to remember too, that although you sent to 3,000 sources and got not a hit, they all have the same criteria. They all want "news."

Might you have written an advertisement instead? A good one, granted, but there is a difference between an ad and a press release. With a release, you have to nail the question, "Where is the "news" value?" You might have a great product, but unless it is the cure for cancer, a better news angle might be (1) the stock going public (2) the stock going through the roof (3) J-Lo using your detergent and that's why her hands get so many engagement rings put on them.

·	How can I make my press release “news?”

One of the hardest parts about getting free publicity is marrying your product or service with a "news" angle. If you can do this, you've got a good shot. The simplest way is often to tie it to a holiday or an upcoming event.