Archives for December 2009

How to Write a Press Release Part 4: The Follow Up

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This is the final of four posts on how to write a press release. Each post will focus on a different aspect of press release writing. This post focuses on follow-up.

Once you’ve written the release and sent it to the appropriate outlets, you’re done, right?

Not

You need to follow who did and didn’t pick up the release and why. If it’s a simple promotion or hiring of anything but a top executive at a large company, the release might not see the light of day in all but media that run all announcements and maybe some local press. Though your client might think it’s important, in today’s battle for eyeballs (and for space, particularly in print), it’s just not that important to most of the audience.

Other times, you might have what you believe to be a good release, with good information for the media and for its audience, but the timing could be wrong. Who knows how many releases were ignored following 9-11? I know of a bank that had a huge press event planned – much more involved than a simple release – the day the Challenger blew up. No one showed up for the event.

If using one of the wire services to post releases, you get whichever outlets might pick it up. If sending out targeted releases, contact some of the top targets:

  • Was the release received? It may have just gotten buried in a crush of e-mails or gotten tied up in a spam filter.
  • Who is the correct contact person (it may have changed)?
  • What types of releases are the editors and reporters interested in?
  • Are there upcoming features where the release information may be useful (review the editorial calendar for potential recommendations)?

But undertake care with such follow-ups. If you’re sending a lot of releases on plenty of mundane items, even a good, information-packed release is likely to be ignored. Also, editors/reporters are busier than ever as print and online publications cut staff. They won’t respond well to too many follow-ups or follow-ups about mundane items. So you might want to turn any overlooked release on their part into an opportunity to introduce yourself and ask the contact what types of releases/information for which they might be looking. You might still send other releases (you can don’t want to overly cull a distribution list), but this will give you an idea when a specific release should get attention from the editor/reporter and a follow-up e-mail or phone call is warranted.

What are your thoughts?

Phil Britt is a 30-year writing veteran and has operated his own firm, S&P Enterprises, Inc.,([email protected])  for the last 17 years, with articles appearing in many national publications, primarily in financial services and technology. He has worked with companies and PR firms from around the country, some as a journalist, and others as a subcontractor (never working on the same item “from both sides of the desk.”).

Freelance Writing: The Early Years

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Shared with permission:

Dear Deborah,

I have a confession to make. I Googled you to learn more about you and your “early years.” I can’t find much about you save for online articles and your blog.  I’m interested in learning more about the beginning of your writing career, how you juggled a full time job while you were starting out and when you knew it was time to quit your day job.

Thank you for your blog. You and your colleagues provide a valuable resource.

Sincerely,

Loretta M.

I asked Loretta if I could respond to her email publicly because so many of you ask me about how I knew I wanted to be a freelance writer, my publishing career and when it was time to leave my full time job. It’s not a very interesting story, probably it’s typical and normal.

An early start

Like most of you, I always enjoyed writing. When I was in school, I didn’t join my fellow students in their moaning and groaning over term papers and essays. I looked forward to these assignments and did well. My favorite classes were those having to do with writing such as Journalism or English composition. I fed my addiction by keeping notebooks and diaries, even as far back as high school.

A career in publishing

I didn’t go to college upon graduation like most students my age. Instead, I took some night courses when I was a little older. My real writing experience began in 1985 at the age of 20, when I was hired as the receptionist for a boutique publishing company. They published over 100 titles including knitting magazines, tattoo magazines and even some adult oriented magazines. As I  moved up the ranks, some editors took me under their wings to encourage me to write more.

After 8 years I left my job in publishing to work for the graphic design and editorial firm that designed and handled the editorial and writing for many of the magazines published by my original employer. Though the gig was to be administrative, my duties were that of an Editorial Assistant and I loved my job. For a while.

My first byline

My first print byline appeared  in the early 90’s for a now-defunct music and tattoo magazine.  My boss sent me to attend a concert at Bryant Park put on by a top New York City hard rock station. The band wasn’t very well known but I felt special as I hung out backstage to ask questions about their tattoos. I got the gig because the original writer became ill at the very last minute. There was no one to fill in but me.

I loved seeing my name in print and wanted more.

Another of my duties was to give a final proofread to magazines before they went to press. Though I enjoyed this as well, it was also the reason I left the job. Many of the magazines were adult in nature and I didn’t enjoy proofreading them or looking at the accompanying images.  I left after several years to work for the accounting department of an upscale retail chain.

But I was bored. I didn’t want to add, I wanted to write.

The beginning of a freelance writing career

Throughout the 90’s, I attended night courses, mostly related to small business, at Baruch College in NYC. While there I also learned basic HTML and created a website so I could write whatever I wanted. I didn’t know it then, but it was my first blog. My dad was my biggest fan and one of my two daily visitors.

I began fantasizing more about writing for a living and researched the ways to begin. In 1999 I landed a humor column with Suite 101. In those days they paid a monthly fee which wasn’t much but I felt very important. The column was very popular and I enjoyed responding to the lively community in the comments. Through the Suite 101 gig, I landed a few other humor writing gigs here and there.

At that point in my career I had just gotten married and my husband and I were saving for a house. It didn’t occur to me to consider leaving my job to freelance, but I began looking for freelance writing jobs simply because I enjoyed writing.

Movin’ on up

In 2001, my husband and learned we were pregnant and bought a house in another state. Here was my chance to start over as a freelance writer. I was going to leave my job anyway to move and raise my child, now was as good a time as any.

I will say first and foremost, I probably wouldn’t have left my full time job if my husband didn’t already have a very good job. If we didn’t have two salaries, it would have been a lot more difficult for me to support myself in the beginning.

Goals are good

We set a goal. I would take a year to get my career off the ground and if it worked out well I could continue to write until our son was enrolled in school full time. Though I didn’t want it to be a temporary thing, I really didn’t expect to still be doing this now.

During the first two years I worked as hard as I could with a baby by my side. I didn’t keep all my eggs in the same basket. I worked for content sites, web clients such as iParenting Media and Legal Zoom, newsletters like the Dollar Stretcher, a couple of private clients and even landed a newspaper column using, believe or not, content site clips.

I believe the diversity was the key to my success.

I guess the rest is easy enough to figure out. I don’t find my story particularly interesting or inspiring. The truth is, I enjoyed writing and when I had to leave my job to relocate and have a baby, I saw my opportunity. It turned out to be the best thing that ever happened to me.

Now tell us your story. What is your background and how did you get to where you are today?

Identifying the Reasons Your Freelance Writing Business isn’t Growing

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If your freelance writing business isn’t growing  the way you had hoped, you’ll probably want to evaluate the reasons this might be the case. Like any business, you should expect to see a bigger, better client and profit base than the year before. Growing a business isn’t just writing or looking for work.

If you want your business to grow in 2010, let’s see if we can identify the reasons your business may not be doing as well as you had hoped. Nip those  issues in the bud, and get motivated in time for a positive and profitable new year.

If you’re business is stagnating, it may have to do with one of these issues:

1. Lack of marketing and promotion

It’s not enough to hang out a sign, you have to let the world know you’re talented and open for business. Research the various methods to market and promote your business. What are some of the ways you can get clients to take notice? Don’t just put up a website or a blog to introduce your services, work hard to bring in traffic and business. Align yourself with designers, ad agencies and other places who work for clients who hire writers. Contact businesses and reach out to the places who hire writers. Business won’t come to you, you have to bring it in.

2. Lack of motivation

What’s keeping you going? Don’t just get by, strive to be the best. Figure out what motivates you and use that to your advantage. Doing the bare minimum is only going to get you so far. Keep your eye on the prize, identify your goals, and set a plan into place so you can achieve your goals. Writing for one or two clients each month and leaving it at that won’t ensure growth.

3. Not charging enough

It’s not enough to break even each month. You’ll have to pull in a profit. If that’s not happening, you’re not charging enough. It’s understandable how some writers will start out low in the beginning, but your paycheck has to grow if your business is going to grow. As you take on more clients and more projects, raise your rates. If you’re in demand you deserve a paycheck equal to the title. Most clients won’t balk at a reasonable rate increase and most expect it after a period of time.

4. Lack of advertising

Again, who will people know about your business? To make money you’ll have to spend money, even on advertising. Research your demographic. Where is your ideal client base likely to converge? What do they read? What blogs and websites do they visit? Find out and invest in an advertising campaign.

5. No networking

Networking is the single best way to introduce yourself – and your business to others.Whether it’s online or offline, if you’re not out there meeting people and talking about what you do, your business won’t grow. Get on the social networks, visit the forums, participate in blogs and online discussions, join writers groups, attend conferences and seminars and let everyone know about you. Build relationships. Every single person you meet is a potential client.

6. Not branching out

If you work for content sites, consider querying one magazine per month. If you only write for magazines, consider business writing. If you only write ad copy, consider writing for websites. Keeping all your eggs in one basket isn’t wise, especially in this economy. Being married to a particular form of writing means you could lose it all if that genre goes out of business.

7. Sticking to one niche

Sure, you’re very good knowledgeable about that one particular thing, but you’re starting to say the same thing over and over again and beginning to sound stale. Specializing is terrific, but it’s also good to break out of your comfort zone and add your voice to something new.

What are some of the methods you use to grow your business?

Getting Confidence in Your Job Search: Fake It 'Til You Make It

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One comment that I have heard several times since I started freelancing from people who are thinking about taking the plunge is that they couldn’t do because they “don’t have the confidence” to do it. Here’s the thing: You don’t (necessarily) need it.

If you waited until you felt fully confident and completely comfortable before you started applying for gigs or talking to potential clients, you probably won’t ever put yourself out there to pursue freelance opportunities. You can become more confident over time, though, by adopting the “Fake It ‘Til You Make It” approach.

A potential client sees your resume and cover letter or the materials you submit when you approach them about offering your services. They make a decision based on what’s in front of them. They have no idea when they are reviewing your stuff how you felt about yourself or your abilities when you composed them or how you feel about your abilities today.

As long as you feel confident enough to present yourself as someone who can listen to what the client needs and do what they ask, you are ready to go after the gigs you want. If you are going through a rough patch – confidence-wise – and you want to get back on track, the answer is simple: Take action.

If you don’t feel that you can tackle a lengthy list of gigs or potential clients you are interested in working for, start with applying for one job or contacting one company you are interested in working with. Apply for the gig, make the call, put the package of materials in the mail, but do something. The more times you do something to move your career along, the better your odds of getting hired. Nothing helps you feel more confident about your abilities than turning a potential client into a current one.

Until you start to feel confident in your abilities, just fake it. Then take action to move past that point.

From a Man with a Pen to a Lady with a LapTop: An Inteview with Deb Dorchak a/k/a Harrison McLeod

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Deb’s note: To be clear, I am not taking sides. Both “James” and “Harry” are my friends and I hope this will be the case for a long time to come.

As the quiet partner behind Men with Pens, I found Harrison McLeod intriguing. While James Chartand was clearly the outspoken leader, the mystery behind Harry made me want to know him better. The Pen Men handled a couple of redesigns for FWJ and are responsible from  changing us from a single blog to a network.

Each time I contracted James and Harry they went on and beyond the call of duty. James was in constant contact and I had several late night G-chats with Harry who never complained, even though I’m sure I can be a pain in the butt sometimes. They were especially helpful during the Great Server Crash of ’08, and when they dropped everything to help and never treated me like an idiot even though I’m technically challenged. I can’t remember when I had a better customer service experience.

By now you know both James Chartrand and Harrison McLeod are women. Each chose to make themselves public in their own way, reflective of their very different personalities. We heard from James a few days ago, and now it’s time to learn more about Deb Dorchak who most of you know as Harry McLeod.

You’re probably not surprised when I tell you Deb is the same quiet, gracious and talented person. The only thing that’s changed is the name and gender we originally knew her by.

I give you, Deb Dorchak:

By now you’ve read the post on CopyBlogger, is there anything you wish to address?

Yes. There have been a few insinuations along the way that James’ hand was forced into coming out. Some have even gone so far as to label it blackmail. What is even more disturbing is that this rumor is allowed to perpetuate and at no time has the record been set straight. In no way were revenge, publicity, slandering Men with Pens or any of its members, destroying MwP, or causing intentional harm to James and her family the motivation for this situation.

I left. I left because of personality conflicts with James. I quietly resigned, told four people who were closest to me, who I respected deeply and who I felt I had to apologize to if I had hurt them in any way. Whether or not they wanted to continue a relationship with me, as friends or co-workers, was totally up to them.

I was starting clean. I owned what happened and left it up to the Powers That Be to figure out how it would all turn out.

I honestly thought I’d be starting with nothing. No portfolio, no contacts, nothing. The net isn’t as big of a place as people would like to believe. All of us run in circles that overlap. For better or worse, news travels fast.

People are also not stupid. It doesn’t take much to connect a few dots. I’ve been told there’s a lot of negative fallout from this. If there is, I don’t see it. Or maybe I haven’t seen it yet. Who knows?

What I do know is that I used Harry in name only. I’ve always been a private person and even if one of my close friends I’ve known for years asked me for a picture of myself, I’d be hard pressed to give one simply because I’m never one to be in front of a camera. Just ask any of my High School buddies on FaceBook. I think they can count the number of pictures they have of me on one hand.

The thing is, personal life is personal life, business is business. I’d like to think that all of my interactions as Harry, whether they were on the blog, in IM or in other correspondences were handled professionally and that I didn’t lead anyone on to believe I was more than their designer, tech adviser or a friend to spend some time chatting with.

If you’ve been keeping up with the news around the blogosphere, you probably have noticed bloggers questioning the Men with Pens name and design. Why make it so darn masculine and why suck everyone in with a persona rather than androgynous names or initials?

It started as a tongue in cheek joke. What amazes me is that no one can seem to laugh at themselves without getting offended. We were brainstorming blog names. I thought of that old skit on “In Living Color” called “Men on Film”. My mind made the leap to “Men with Pens”. The inside joke? The characters Harry and James were gay. They were both characters we had on an RPG creative writing board we used to run. We liked them, used the names and called it a day.

Looking back, it seemed like a good idea at the time. Hell, even my mother thought it was hilarious – and she dealt with the glass ceiling of the corporate world for twenty-something years. Now I’m seeing from the many points of view I read that it’s really doing everyone a disservice. Men, women, the human race in general.

Face it, this is human nature. There will always be one group or another that thinks itself superior. No matter how evolved you think you are, unless you’re Mother Theresa or Gandhi, or even Jesus Christ Himself, there’s still a small part in everyone that will in some way or another, be biased for some reason.

I didn’t start out to suck anyone in with a persona. And I don’t think I did, either. I hope not. Harry may have struck some as slightly feminine. That’s fine. I happen to be a woman who enjoys a lot of the things that men do. I ride a motorcycle, practice archery and iaido, I’d rather spend my time shopping for chrome than shopping for clothes, don’t give a damn about the latest fashions, never wanted kids and the moment a group of women I’m with start talking about babies, I’m gone. Are those stereotypical remarks? Sure they are.

I’ll tell you something though, stereotypes start with a tiny grain of truth. Maybe we over compensated for the masculine aspect. I don’t know. Men? Speak up, I’d like to know.

Was the increase in income really that substantial for a male dominated business over a female dominated business?

The increased income didn’t improve full force until we did the first redesign from JCME to Men with Pens. The writing was a struggle. It was long hours for very little pay and competing on auction sites for projects against third world countries bidding far lower than the rest of the world. Didn’t matter if you were male or female.

The moment our new blog design came out we started getting requests for graphics. Writing began to take a back seat. As I’ve said before, the work spoke for itself. From the time that site launched to the present, people came to us without any solicitation.

Now that I’m out, I find that the same is true. My work speaks for itself. The clients and contacts I have couldn’t care less if I’m a man, a woman or a Wookie. They like the service and products I provide and that’s the bottom line. I get paid what I’m worth, and if they don’t want to pay it, that’s fine. I’m not going to twist their arm or cry foul and pull the gender, race or any other card on them.

Did you enjoy being a woman trapped in a male online personality?

Didn’t even consider it much. I think if I were a man, I’d have the same personality. I’m very much like my Dad in that I’m quiet, like to work in the background and don’t go in much for following the crowd. I’m extremely patient and try to treat others the same way I’d like to be treated.

If I was trying to emulate anything at all, it was simply being a kind human being.

Was it as if “Harry” was taking over your life and you were no longer Deb?

Harry never took over my life. The only thing that hurt the most and wore on me over time was I made some very genuine friendships. There were many times when these friends would come to town (after all, all roads lead to Vegas, don’t they?) I’d have to decline a drink or a visit and the opportunity to get to know them better, or even just to say thank you.

The urge to say screw it all and tell them was strong. But I promised I wouldn’t, despite my many attempts to ask James to give this up and say enough was enough and call the show to a halt. She wasn’t interested.

Did you ever find yourself having to check yourself to make sure you were the right person?

No, never. I kept my personal life and my online life separate.

What made you decide to give it all up?

The internal personality conflicts, the power plays, the constant miscommunications and endless days of stress where there shouldn’t have been any. I was told I changed, and I really started to believe that. Using Harry’s name didn’t screw with my head half so much as the issues going on behind the scenes.

Last August I hit rock bottom. I had deep depression, felt totally alienated and really thought there would never be any way I’d be able to pick myself up and start over. I did that once before. Lost everything in a divorce shortly before I moved out here. It felt like I’d been through a disaster where my home and everything in it just got burnt to the ground.

I felt that way again. I had to dig deep and see where this was coming from. Had I changed? Had I lost my integrity? Was I being manipulated? Was I manipulating others? The mirror asks a lot of hard questions.

Now, before anyone starts to think I’m fishing for sympathy, I’ll be the first to tell you, that’s not the case. I didn’t broadcast this to the world, and I still don’t like talking about it. But that’s what happened. Again, it had nothing to do with gender, these were my problems, my situations that I either created myself or allowed to happen.

I owned it, picked myself up and made a decision. I could go on living like this or I could get off my ass and out of the pity party and do something about it.

Tell us about your new business…

Ahhh…the new biz. From the ashes of destruction grow glorious new things. Sirius Graphix started when one of my now team members, Rose Redelfs said she’d always wanted to write an ebook. I said go ahead, do it, I’ll design it. We’ll sell it. I wanted to do more ebooks anyway.

That led to talking to Wendi Kelly, who said she’d market that. From there I said I had a theme I developed, we should get that out…

One thing led to another and before I knew it we were three (four counting Elizabeth Fayle who was with us at the time as well) individual service providers pooling our skills together to drum up some business.

From there, Sirius Graphix was born. In the space of a week, we already had clients knocking at our door. We had no home site, nothing to show them from past projects, we didn’t even have our services and price list together.

But we had clients.

Within a month, the website was up. Yes, with a blog. That was a tough decision for me because I really don’t enjoy blogging. But people like what I write, so there you go.

When I realized I needed a good code person to help with the theme development and other technical aspects of web design (I think if I had to choose between coding and blogging, I’d take blogging) we took on Allison “Sushi” Day.

Although I knew I could have done this all on my own, I didn’t want to. I wanted to design. Not spend hours with code, or hours writing. Just design. My team allows me to do that. And I give them the freedom to do what each of them does best. You want to know the real secret to business? Teamwork. No micromanaging, no looking over anyone’s shoulder. Just let your people do what they’re best at doing.

We bounce ideas off of one another, and never shoot down any idea. Like Wendi is fond of saying, “There’s no such thing as a bad idea.” (much in the same way I like to tell clients there’s no such thing as a stupid question).

Are your new clients receptive to your ideas and prices even though you’re a woman?

Alright. I’m putting my foot down on this one. Enough already with the gender thing. It stays alive because we keep perpetuating it. And before anyone starts quoting my own words back at me, yeah, I know I started it with that Big Idea three years ago.

That’s what growing is all about. I bet a lot of you had some foolish ideas in the past you thought were great, only to look back and say to yourself “What was I thinking?”

Clients are receptive to our rates because we’re honest about the time it takes to put a project together. As much as I would like to give stuff away (and Wendi has to frequently hold me back and remind me when I’m in an overly magnanimous mood) the reality is everyone’s time is worth something.

I’m no different. I still have bills to pay, expenses to take care of and an internet connection to keep connected. Hey, I may not have kids, but I do have a roomie and two cats who still like to eat – not to mention myself. Food is nice. Very nice. So is enjoying life in general.

What’s next for Deb?

The sky’s the limit. I’ve got several concept projects in the works, everything from theme development to publications. The Team and I can’t stop the ideas from coming and it’s going to keep us busy for a long time to come.

I’ve always been impressed with the bond the “Pen Men” had with their community. I’m sure you miss them a little (and vice versa): Is there anything you’d like to say to them here?

I missed the people who were there at the beginning. By the time I left MwP in November of this year, there wasn’t one name in the comment section that I recognized. It was like I woke up one morning, looked at the comments and wondered where everybody went.

Once it all came out, I reconnected with many of the old crew. I explained the situation, and apologized for any misunderstandings. Whether they still wanted to be friends or communicate was totally up to them.

What I found was an amazing amount of support, I was missed, and they were glad to have me “back”. It was something very personal, between me and them, and something I’ll never take for granted or forget.

For more information about Deb Dorchak and her new design business, please visit the Sirius Graphix website.

If you have respectful questions for Deb, feel free to post them as she agreed to come by from time to time and respond.

Tax Tips for Freelance Writers Part 4: When a Writer Needs to Hire a CPA

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Taxes

by Thursday Bram

While the standard business advice is that you need to hire a CPA as soon as you go to work for yourself, most freelance writers don’t need to call on a CPA quite that fast. As long as your taxes are fairly straight forward, you can take your 1099s to a tax preparer and get your income tax return completed for less than you would pay a CPA. If you’re willing to put the hours into it, it’s even possible to do your taxes on your own: completing Form 1040 will take some time if you aren’t just working for one employer, but there are both in-depth instructions and software packages available to help you out.

There are certain situations in which hiring a CPA does make sense, though. Most of them can be summed up in one description: your taxes are getting more complicated. Here are a few examples of when hiring a CPA can make your life a lot easier.

  • Your tax burden is getting out of hand: Depending on what state and local taxes you’re paying, as well as how much you’re earning, it’s easier for a freelancer’s tax burden to take up a larger portion of income than someone working for an employer. Most tax preparers can only help you find the obvious tax deductions, but a CPA can help with an overall plan to reduce your tax burden and keep more money in your pocket.
  • You choose a new business structure: Some freelance writers find it practical to start an LLC or otherwise change their business structure from a sole proprietorship to something else, especially if their businesses are growing. But while such a move may sometimes reduce the overall amount of taxes you could owe, it increases the paperwork dramatically. You’ll need a professional to help keep it all straight.
  • You’ve got multiple sources of income: Some writers end up with income from more than just client work. If you’re receiving royalties or selling an ebook, for instance, you may want to work with an accountant, rather than a tax preparer.

If anything about your taxes doesn’t make sense, it’s worth taking the matter to a CPA. While a tax preparer usually only knows the details associated with completing a tax return for someone who has one source of income, a CPA is trained in a variety of fields beyond simply preparing an income tax return. A CPA can often advise you about everything from how buying a house could affect your business’ finances to when it’s a good idea to change your business structure. A CPA can offer you the big picture. Some CPAs will offer a short consulting session, rather than the more expensive option of bringing your taxes in. You may be able to get the benefits of talking to a CPA with committing yourself to something more than your freelancing career needs right now.

How to Write a Press Release Part 3: Distribution

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This is the third of four posts on how to write a press release. Each post will focus on a different aspect of press release writing. This post focuses on distribution.

First, a quick invitation to our writers from other countries to offer ideas on press release distribution in other countries. Though I have a couple of international clients, there are only two, so I’m sure that others can offer some additional ideas for distribution in the U.K., Europe, Asia, Canada and other markets.

No, distribution isn’t technically “writing,” but if you’ve written it and no one sees it, does it make an impact? No. Maybe the client will be satisfied that the release has been written, but unless it gets some notice, the client is unlike to stay with you long.

Now not all releases will grab the attention of the press, as mentioned in the first of these posts. At times, the release is little more than fodder that is unlikely to get any attention beyond your client, but needs to be written anyway because your client thinks it’s important.

Even good, well-written press releases might not be picked up if the news of the day is particularly heavy, particularly if the release is time sensitive. Releases that are more evergreen may be used by the press in subsequent days, or may be able to be recycled as part of a pitch about a related feature.

To enhance the chance of the release being used, it’s important to target the right press outlets. Typically, PR Newswire, Business Wire, PRWeb.com and Canada Newswire are the top choices because they’re available to all interested press. Most of the information on these services will be picked up by aggregators like Google News, but could be buried in the search engine listings. The wire services are pricey – not a problem for a PR firm of some size, but a serious issue for someone with only a couple of clients.

Another drawback from the wire services above, though I’ve used them all as a journalist, is that there are so many releases that yours could get lost in the noise, even if it is among the best of the day.

So whether these services are too pricey or not, it is good to send electronic releases to targeted press. A quick, though again costly, way to find the right press contacts is through Cision, formerly Bacon’s Information.

But it’s best to rely on your own resources. If the target is the local press, that’s easy enough to find through the newspaper and local electronic media information. If looking to go national or local, determine the end audience that the information should reach (consumers, professionals or a mix), then determine what press reaches those audiences. A little Google research is helpful here. Beyond that, you’ll want to confirm via e-mail phone who should get releases at different publications and Web sites. Just don’t inundate targeted press with releases, otherwise they’ll fall into the background noise of the hundreds of wire-based releases the press sees every day.

What are your thoughts?

Phil Britt is a 30-year writing veteran and has operated his own firm, S&P Enterprises, Inc.,([email protected])  for the last 17 years, with articles appearing in many national publications, primarily in financial services and technology. He has worked with companies and PR firms from around the country, some as a journalist, and others as a subcontractor (never working on the same item “from both sides of the desk.”).

This series on press releases was due to popular demand from the FWJ community. What would you like like to learn about? [email protected]

The Basic Elements of a Press Release

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Free sample press release

by Phil Britt

This is the second of four posts on how to write a press release. Each post will focus on a different aspect of press release writing. This post focuses on the basic elements of a release.

Once you’ve determined the purpose and the audience for the press release, the next step is to collect the materials you need, and then write it. You might have everything at your fingertips, or usually can get it with a phone call or two.

A press release should follow the same general principles as one learns in Journalism 101. Include who, what, when, where and how. But it’s the last one, how [you write it] will be the major determining factor on whether the release will be “picked up” by the press.

If the release is about a new product or service, you’ll want to include some of the specs and a good photo. But, as the old sales aphorism says, sell the sizzle, not the steak. For example, it’s better to say a technology will enable a consumer to download two hours of video in five minutes than to just mention the download speed in gigabytes per second. You’ll probably include both somewhere in the release. But put the sizzle higher. Include it in the head or subhead. It’s more likely to grab the audience’s attention, meaning the release is more likely to be used or a larger article is more likely to be written than if you stay with simply the specs.

A caveat: Your client, which in the above example, could be an executive with an engineering degree, may be in love with the technical specs. So you will need to counsel the client that the sizzle should have the top priority. But he or she may insist on the steak. So it may not be a battle you can win, but you can try.

In the first paragraph, you’ll generally want to include a date, the company’s name, headquarters location and the basic message of the release. Some clients will insist on jamming a lot of other information in the first paragraph. This leads to what a condition in the reader that a journalism professor once called MEGO (My Eyes Glaze Over). But that’s a battle you can let the client win without losing the overall effectiveness of the release.

Beyond that, you’ll want to include any important details, a client quote or two. Remember that the press is busy. Most online and print sites (as well as radio and television) have thin staffs that battle constant deadlines. They’re not going to go through long releases. So keep it simple. Anything beyond a second page (for a printed release) is unlikely to be read. An electronic release more than a few hundred words is usually too long.

Contact Information Critical

One of the most frustrating things for an editor, reporter, or blogger is when contact information isn’t included on a release. I even had a PR person tell me once, “we don’t want a lot of calls.”

(From Back to the Future) “Hello, McFly,” then why are you sending out the release? While there are a some online and print pubs that will run the release in full, the release will get better notice in those publications that are more selective. Even if it’s just so an editor can clarify something, include the contact information, with phone and e-mail at a minimum. It’s in your interest to have the press release information used when it’s fresh, so you don’t want to enable an editor or reporter to contact you in multiple methods.

Cell phone can be included, but you may want to only give that out to select press. Instant messaging information should be supplied if you have an IM account.

What are your thoughts?

Phil Britt is a 30-year writing veteran and has operated his own firm, S&P Enterprises, Inc.,([email protected])  for the last 17 years, with articles appearing in many national publications, primarily in financial services and technology. He has worked with companies and PR firms from around the country, some as a journalist, and others as a subcontractor (never working on the same item “from both sides of the desk.”).

A Writer's Pet Peeves

by 15 Comments

I recently got a rather…hm, how shall I put this…Let’s say a rather “brusque” comment here on the Other Stuff blog.  It seems that in sharing my desire to spend a holiday in/on Maui, I managed to annoy the ever-living daylights out of one of my readers.  Apparently, she lives IN Hawaii (which I’ve been assured is OK to say because it’s a group of islands, not just one) and she says “my skin crawls” when someone says they are interested in being “in” Maui, rather than being “on” Maui.  It seemed a little odd to get bent out of shape enough to post about the issue, but to each their own, right?

That got me to thinking about the little grammatical issues that bug the heck out of me, and I thought I’d share a few of them here.  I’d love for you all to add your two-cents’ worth.

  • When people say they’re “humbled” by an experience when they really mean that they’re “flattered.”  Saying you’re humble when you mean you’re flattered is incredibly un-humble.
  • Misusing the word “literally.”  If you don’t know what it means, don’t say it at all.
  • People who leave comments on blogs that should actually be sent as private emails.  (This isn’t a pot-shot at the commentator, but she did remind me of it.)  I once had a guy publicly (online) point out a mistake I made and then ask me to hire him to do marketing for my company.  Um, no.
  • Using random, commas, because you think, maybe one should go, here and better safe, than sorry.
  • When people hold up signs at political rallies that are misspelled.  I know not everyone is a great speller, but if you’re going to all the work of making a sign to publicly espouse your views, use a dictionary.
  • Using “then” when you mean “than” and vice versa.  I’m as guilty as the next person of making these kinds of mistakes from time to time, but this one really annoys me for some reason.

So, what do you have for me, Internet?  I know that you writers out there probably have a laundry list of these things, and I want to read every last one of them so I can either stop making that mistake or feel smug because I don’t.

What’s Wrong With Writing About Writing Because I Like Writing About Writing?

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Writers Rock Hat

Feel free to skip this blog post. I’m getting defensive again and if that sort of thing isn’t your cup of tea, I won’t be insulted if you ignore this post completely.

Reprinted with Permission:

Dear Deb,

I see through your agenda. Why don’t you tell everyone why you really blog? You just want to make money and that’s it.

Sincerely,

SJL

I published this letter because more and more people are writing to ask me about my “agenda” or why I blog. I’m blasted publicly and privately just about every day for earning money from this blog.

The truth is, I blog because it’s what I like to do. If you had a chance to talk about your favorite subject every day and get paid for it, would you? Then why do you blame me for doing it too? It’s like telling a best selling author he should write his book but he’s a whore for wanting royalties or an endorsement deal.

For two years I published only job leads. As the leads posts led to some interesting comments, I realized I enjoyed talking and creating discussion topics about writing. This blog wasn’t a marketing vehicle and it certainly wasn’t a money maker. It was something I liked to do.You can’t land a job with a blog filled with lists of writing leads. Don’t get me wrong, I landed clients as a result of this blog, but that wasn’t the reason I set out to do this.

Up until about six months ago, I didn’t even pull a profit with this blog. When I first hired Jodee to find leads because I was too busy with client projects, I paid her out of my pocket. Eventually anything I did earn went into the running of this blog or paying the bloggers. It wasn’t until last February or March, when I started treating this like a full time business, that I began to draw a salary. Don’t get me wrong, I worked hard to build this blog into what it is today, but that’s because I enjoy it so much. When it looked like this blog could be something special, I did everything possible to make it so.

Do I have an agenda with this blog? Considering it’s my primary source of income, I’d say making it profitable is high up there on the list. Honestly though, I blog because I like talking about writing. What’s wrong with that? Why do I constantly receive letters or read forum or blog comments blasting me about this or hinting of some hidden agenda? It’s not a vehicle to sell anything, I’m not constantly pimping projects (though for transparency sake, I do have stuff in the works), I’m not shoving my latest ebook or project in your face all the time.  I do this because it’s what I love to do.

This blog did turn out to be more than I expected. It turned into a career. It turned into consulting projects and speaking engagements and more. Do you see me promoting those businesses here? No. No I don’t. Those are cool perks that come with writing about writing.

What’s wrong with writing about writing because I enjoy writing about writing?

This isn’t a big kumbaya. I’m not looking for a bunch of “you so rock, Deb” comments, so please don’t go there. What I don’t understand and would like to discuss is why this freelance writing niche is filled with so many people who are so worried about what other writers are doing that they stoop to insulting, finger pointing and flat out nastiness. So you don’t like what I do, I respect that. I don’t like what Anne Coulter is doing but I’m not sending her hate mail either. What’s up with all the animosity?

Here is my agenda, people. I blog about writing because I enjoy it. I like discussing issues that affect writers and sharing tips with a community. I simply enjoy what I do. There. I admit it. That’s my big agenda.

That is all.

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