Press Release Write-up and Distribution FAQs
As we mentioned in our last features announcement, Prudent
International Inc introduced a new Press Release package that combines Press Release
"write-up" and "distribution" for only US$149.95. This new package is intended to
bring quality and affordable Press Release services within the reach of medium
and small budget individuals and companies.
Our Editorial Team has
prepared the following Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) to help cement your
understanding of the new Press Release package. More comprehensive FAQs can be
found at:
http://prudentpressagency.com/modules/news/article.php?storyid=74
How much does your press release submission service
cost? The price for "preparing" and "distributing" a press
release of 400 words or less is only US$149.95. You will also receive a
comprehensive press release distribution to more than 60,000 general editors and
access to about 20,000 specialist magazines and websites. Your press release
will also reach over 20,000 freelance journalists and reporters. To view part of the media we will
reach with your Press Release, visit our Media List at:
http://www.prudentpressagency.com/medialist/index.htm
We also offer press release preparation services (without
distribution) for only US$49.95.
How soon does the press release go
out? Your press release will be distributed between Monday 9hrs EST and
Thursday 16hrs the following business day. This ensures that editors and
journalists receive them on their computers emails or fax machines the next morning.
We see stronger responses with press releases received in the morning and well
before weekends.
How are your press releases sent? Your press
release is sent via email with the text formatted by us for line length and
presentation. We also send out electronic faxes. The text of the press
release is sent within the body of the email message as many organizations will
not accept attachments because of virus and bandwidth concerns. If you have an
image, we upload them to our website and provide a link to them on our website.
The subject of the email message sent to editors will include your press release
title or an abbreviated version of it.
How do I post my Press Release
FREE on your site? To post your Press Release
free on our website, register for a free account and login to your
writers account. Go to the "Submit an
Article" link and post your article. Our editors will review it to see if it
meets our requirements before posting it on the website. Everyday hundreds of
journalists and media editors visit our website in search of new articles and
fill-ups. They are also part of the 30,000 syndicated RSS/XML subscribers on our
networks.
What makes your press release services different from
your competitors?
- We never charge a membership fee. Unlike other press
release services, we have no hidden or extra charges. Our low prices stay low
and remain among the lowest in the industry but the quality of our PR services
remain high.
- We don't spam journalists. Our sources have opted to receive our
press releases and media communications. We also maintain a responsible remove
list for those who do not wish to be contacted by us. Beware of press release
services which bombard journalists with unwelcome emails: you'll run the risk of
weakening your impact and alienating the very audience you want to impress.
- We contact interested journalists directly. We reach more than 75 percent
of our sources by name, and send press releases to their personal email
addresses. Most press release services simply use a generic
"editor@newspaper.com" format.
- Our low price of US$ 149.95 includes
quality press release write-up and distribution. We challenge you to find a cheaper service
offering a combination of the two at the quality and guarantee offered by us.
- We don't just send your press release. We send you proof of distribution!
We also watch the media for new angles to pursue in future. As a client, you'll
receive a customized report with links to your press release between five and
ten websites where it appears.
Under what circumstances does
Prudent Press Agency reject Press Releases?
Every press release we post
on our website or to the media must pass through a brief review process. We do not verify any of the news or proofread any press release that
was not prepared by our PR team. Correct grammar and spelling are the
submitter's responsibility. Please remember the importance of submitting
well-conceived and well-written press releases. We do not
review all releases for general content to make sure that the release falls
within our guidelines which are as follows: We will not post advertisements
and will reject press releases that are not deemed newsworthy. Press releases
that we perceive to be inflammatory or intended to cause harm to a third party
will not be accepted. We will reject all releases that are written in all
capital letters which is perceived as screaming. In addition, we will only post
press releases which are in standard press release format.
Why are
some of your articles free? All Press Release articles on our website are
free to editors and journalists. Prudent International Inc was originally
founded as a news wire organization. Many professional journalists and reporters
around the world routinely sell their writings to the media through us.
Is PrudentPressAgency.com and SkyNewswire.com a not-for-profit company? No. PrudentPressAgency.com
and SkyNewswire.com are a privately held for-profit company and a fully owned
subsidiary of Prudent International Inc USA & E.U. We manage to keep our prices so low
because we rely on volume sales, advertisement placement for clients and other
media related services. Please note that our low prices never affect our ability
to maintain high quality services.
Can I post my release via snail
mail? Our Press Release team can turn around a news story and run an
editorial news flash banner on our site or post out your message to the media
typically within about 20 minutes. We can only do that if the news story comes
in an electronic format (email or web page).
So, sorry to say, the press
releases which still come into our office daily on paper, by snail mail are just
thrown straight into the bin. They usually arrive too late anyway, so they fail
on two counts.
How much does it cost to have your agency prepare
my Press Release without distribution to the media? We are asked this
question many times. Among the reasons given for wanting a Press Release
write-up without distribution are:
1. Acquiring quality material for
organizational and company in-house magazines and journals
2. Acquiring
quality material for advertisement brochures, leaflets and pamphlets
3.
Acquiring quality material for Press Release section on websites
4. Testing
the agencies ability to produce quality PR write-ups at lower prices.
We
charge US$49.95 for a 400 word piece. All our PR
team are graduates in the field of journalism and/or Public Relations with a
combined experience of over 80 years.
What are the most important aspects of a Press
Release? If you plan on preparing and distributing your own Press Release
ensure that:
1. The first lines of your press releases includes: "FOR
IMMEDIATE RELEASE" (or FOR RELEASE May 26, 2002) and "For more information,
contact:" followed by your contact information.
2. Craft a compelling
headline. The headline makes your release stand out. Keep it short, active, and
descriptive. If you don't know how, read a number of compelling headlines till
you get some idea.
3. Hook reader with the first paragraph. A first paragraph
shall summarize the five W's: who, what, where, when and why. In fact, most
readers will give up if you haven't "hooked" them in the first few lines.
4.
Put the most important information at the beginning. This is a tried and true
rule of journalism. Never hide golden points to the end.
5. Don't sell but
answer questions! Making over-inflated statements is helpless to your business.
Write a release that answers questions about your business, rather than piling
flowery adjectives without saying why.
6. Avoid saying something is "unique"
or "the best". Instead, show how people will benefit - i.e. save time, save
money, make their life easier, etc.
7. A 'non- biased' source is very
helpful.
8. Provide all possible contact information including mail address,
telephone, fax, e-mail and web site (especially for online business).
9.
Proofread & Proofread! Do remember to proofread your press release for
typographical errors before you send them out.
10. End your press release
with "###" (without the quotation marks) after your last lines of text. This
symbol lets the editors know they have successfully received the entire
release.
Does you accept press releases for adult
content? NO. Prudent Press Agency does not accept explicit adult
content pieces and reserves the right to refuse all press releases containing or
promoting adult content.
Tune-Up
Traditional PR isn't in any danger of dying out from online media; rather, it
will adapt and use new channels offered by such outlets as blogs, pod casts, and
RSS feeds.
Joseph Reriani - PR Consultant
This article is part of Joseph Reriani's "PR Tune-up Blog" newsletter posted to over 6,000 subscribers weekly. The newsletter was first published in 2002. For more articles and PR tune-up tips, please visit www.PrudentPressAgency.com and www.SkyNewswire.com. Joseph Reriani is a PR expert and Fellow with the Chartered Institute of Public Relations- United Kingdom. He is the President/CEO of Prudent International Inc and Executive Editor of Prudent Press Agency. He is also an Assistant Editor of SkyNewswire.com directed by Jackie Mugambi . He is a trained journalist and specializes in helping businesses, organizations, and individuals improve their public image by effectively employing the power of public relations. Mr Reriani can be reached at jreriani @ PrudentPressAgency.com. You may freely copy and re-publish this article without altering any part in the body.