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Attention Whoring 101: Write better press releases
Jack Matirko
There is one key reason to write and issue press releases: to gain exposure. Their entire purpose is to convince a member of the press that your event is worth covering. To do this effectively there are several dos and don'ts that you need to be aware of:
1) Be formal.
Even if you know the people who you will be sending the release to it is important to make a formal presentation. This is because you are trying to beat out other people for the same coverage. While the decision to cover an event might rest with the editor, their decision isn't just based on knowing and liking you. It's based on what will make the most interesting story. Besides, in the long run it makes your life easier to send the same release to everybody instead of trying to write a different one for each person you know. If you make your event sound newsworthy someone will want to cover it.
2) Explain why your event is newsworthy.
If it is a new show, tell them everything about it, include quotes from artist statements, a brief description, time, and location. Will there be refreshments? Is it a solo show or a group show? If you're an artist and it's a group show, who else is showing?* Are there any organizations or charities involved? Essentially, explain why people should care.
(*It's okay when starting out to do a little trading on the more popular person's name, that's what group shows are for. Take an honest assessment, if it's in your best interest to say someone else is in the same exhibition in your press release then use that to get more people looking at your work. There will be time for vanity when you get a solo show.)
3) Do the reporter's job for them.
Your press release should look something like a news brief from the AP. It should be written in third-person perspective and full of facts. The goal is to get publications to run the release almost completely unaltered. There are two reasons for this. If you get them to print your words verbatim then you get to control what is being said. More importantly, if you do most of the work for them, they will be more likely to use it. I'm telling you, making journalists lives easier is exactly the kind of goodwill you want to be fostering. If they need something last minute, because a more compelling lead fell through, this could be your opportunity. Essentially it could mean the difference between being printed or not.
4) Don't badger.
Yes, they got your release. Don't call them; they'll call you. If you pester, you will sound too eager. They will think that means you are worried no one is going to come, which could make them not want to show up either. That is why it is so important for you to make sure the release says everything you want to say and that it really sells your show.
5) Don't say too little, and don't say too much.
250-400 words, with contact info, on letterhead (unless it's emailed). No more, and definitely not less. One or two sentences isn't enough to convince anyone your show is worthwhile. Likewise, if you make it too long it will read like you're trying too hard to make it sound good, which usually has the opposite effect on an editor.
1) Be formal.
Even if you know the people who you will be sending the release to it is important to make a formal presentation. This is because you are trying to beat out other people for the same coverage. While the decision to cover an event might rest with the editor, their decision isn't just based on knowing and liking you. It's based on what will make the most interesting story. Besides, in the long run it makes your life easier to send the same release to everybody instead of trying to write a different one for each person you know. If you make your event sound newsworthy someone will want to cover it.
2) Explain why your event is newsworthy.
If it is a new show, tell them everything about it, include quotes from artist statements, a brief description, time, and location. Will there be refreshments? Is it a solo show or a group show? If you're an artist and it's a group show, who else is showing?* Are there any organizations or charities involved? Essentially, explain why people should care.
(*It's okay when starting out to do a little trading on the more popular person's name, that's what group shows are for. Take an honest assessment, if it's in your best interest to say someone else is in the same exhibition in your press release then use that to get more people looking at your work. There will be time for vanity when you get a solo show.)
3) Do the reporter's job for them.
Your press release should look something like a news brief from the AP. It should be written in third-person perspective and full of facts. The goal is to get publications to run the release almost completely unaltered. There are two reasons for this. If you get them to print your words verbatim then you get to control what is being said. More importantly, if you do most of the work for them, they will be more likely to use it. I'm telling you, making journalists lives easier is exactly the kind of goodwill you want to be fostering. If they need something last minute, because a more compelling lead fell through, this could be your opportunity. Essentially it could mean the difference between being printed or not.
4) Don't badger.
Yes, they got your release. Don't call them; they'll call you. If you pester, you will sound too eager. They will think that means you are worried no one is going to come, which could make them not want to show up either. That is why it is so important for you to make sure the release says everything you want to say and that it really sells your show.
5) Don't say too little, and don't say too much.
250-400 words, with contact info, on letterhead (unless it's emailed). No more, and definitely not less. One or two sentences isn't enough to convince anyone your show is worthwhile. Likewise, if you make it too long it will read like you're trying too hard to make it sound good, which usually has the opposite effect on an editor.
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