Increase publicity by submitting a well-written press release.
The best press releases are simple word documents accompanied by high resolution images. This makes it easy for publications to use the submitted materials in a timely fashion.
If you are sending other types of documents, such as pdf documents, or publisher docs, then stop. It takes extra time to extract the contents of a pdf file for use. Sometimes the information can’t be extracted at all if the file is actually an image file. Your event may not be publicized simply because of the time it would take to compile text for the article. It’s called a press release, for use by the press. It contains handy information, names, and dates that can be copied into any other program for use in the publication. By submitting a file that must be converted into a different kind of document, you are creating more work for the publication.
The press isn’t interested in the design or layout of your press release. That layout you created with those fonts will probably not be used. If you want something showy for other purposes, then create a postcard or flyer for those people who won’t be publishing an article or distributing information.
Keep in mind the end use and submit the appropriate format. If you include print ready images (suggested size would be 5×7″ at 300dpi) then the publication has everything they’ll need to run a story. If you send tiny images they won’t be able to use them. Or, they will need to contact you for larger images.
If you send that high quality cmyk tif image you used to create a poster, you will be going overboard. It will take extra time to download that giant image and resize it for use in the newspaper or magazine.
However, it is always preferable to have an image that is too large, than an image that is too small.
Don’t send your jpg flyer to the publication. It may go on the bulletin board in the office, but it won’t end up in the paper. Why? Because someone will have to retype everything on it.
Don’t make us retype everything you send! Mistakes can and do happen! Pone numbers can be entered incorrectly, names and addresses may be misspelled. Prevent these errors by sending a friendly word or text document. Your press release might actually be used for an article or easily included in a publication if you follow these suggestions.