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This may sound like a bit of a rant, so I’ll try to keep it as upbeat as possible … I hate amateur press release writing. OK, there – it’s out.
There are plenty of types of writing that people can BS. Blogs are opinions, creative writing requires imagination, but press releases – they really just need to be BS free. And that BS is the quickest way to smell an amateur.
I remember learning about seven word intro sentences in one of my undergrad newswriting classes. Not going to lie – not my favorite thing. However, there were so many other principles from newswriting that translate into press release writing – how to write news, for example. After all, that’s what press release writing is: Writing a story in a newsworthy way that makes it easy for journalists and media outlets to print and adapt to their own purposes.
Amateurs miss the mark on this.
The Marks of an Amateur in Press Release Writing
As a wise nun named Maria once said, “Let’s start at the very beginning, a very good place to start.”
• Formatting – Before the writer even begins with any writing, he or she should take a moment to format the document. Date and location line, header and subhead, end marks, contact info, and let’s not forget the all-important release line. This formatting is your first clue as to whether your writer knows what he or she is doing. Does your document have end marks (“###”) included? If not, find a new writer. Does your release have the release line on it (“Hold for release” or “For immediate release”)? How about your dateline? If not, find a new writer.
• Release – On that note, if you have someone writing for you, your release line should always say “Hold for release.” Why would you ever risk releasing something that has not been reviewed? Sure, your writer isn’t pitching your release to anyone – but that doesn’t mean that someone on your staff might not accidentally find the wrong version. That said, make sure your press release writer always uses the hold line unless you have implicitly requested otherwise.
• Style – Blogs can have a bit of leisure in the language. Copy-written materials can be fun. Press releases can be fun, too – but at the end of the day, they need to be news. Amateur press release writing shows many flags in the style – amateurs use such phrases as “as well as” or passive voice. That style is not intended for the newsroom. Your press release writing style should get to the point, have direct language, and always include the who, what, where, when, why, and how as far up in the document as possible. In fact, if your release doesn’t answer these questions in the first paragraph, move on – this is one of the first rules of newswriting.