You guys write press releases, right? Some people seem to think that PR actually stands for ‘press release’ and maybe that’s not such a bad thing, because most of the time the first weapon in your public relations effort probably should be a press release.
You do write them though, right? Or maybe have somebody else write them, but your company produces press releases, correct? Regularly? Put something out in the last month? Three months? Good. Good to know. You’d be surprised at how many of your competitors don’t. Suppliers, converters, whatever. No, really. Sure, they did at one time. Before. Or they mean to. Getting round to it. Real soon…
What is it with this industry and marketing? OK, OK, this is a blog not a rant. Let’s move forward. Let’s agree that we all see the value in writing down good things about our products and people and distributing this information freely to places that will publish them (or publishing them ourselves) so that other people can get to know more about what good work we’re doing?
There are some people who don’t do this simple thing as often as they should. Or at all. Maybe. You guys aren’t those guys though, right?
I wanted to talk about how to set up/format your releases so they have the best chance of a) being published and b) being published pretty much as you submitted them, rather than being butchered (in this context that means shortened) by any swamped editor who may fish your release next out of the pile. But….as blog posts are (supposed) to be short, let’s do this: I will write down a list of a few things to check on with your next release….if you promise me you’ll have one written. By someone. And that last bit even takes the responsibility of actually writing it off of your shoulders.
Not too shabby. I think this is going to be a breeze.
What?
Not sure what’s newsworthy? Nothing new(s) happening just at this very second and precisely now?
Not true.
You’re going to get one out there just as soon as you guys get over the next hill?
Not true either.
OK. Let me start you off. Let’s borrow that pencil for a second:
- You made something
- You sold something
- You bought something
- You researched something
- You hired someone from without
- You promoted someone from within
- You moved somewhere
- You went to a thing
- You expanded
- You exported
- You invested
- You reported
Here’s your pencil back. Get started (or get someone else to get started). As the old saying goes (I’m mangling it here a little) Effort without promotion is like winking at a girl in the dark.
Let’s meet back here when you’re done and I’ll tell you a few very simple but important ways to give yourself the best shot of getting your new novel published.
Any questions in the meantime, speak to my publisher.
All the best,