Trade press editors typically receive 10's of press releases every day, therefore even if you send out only one press release per month you are competing with 1000's of others for a place in the publication. With this level of activity even a good story may not be enough to get your story published - the editor must first decide that your headline is of interest as he filters out stories for his product.

The layout of a typical press release is shown in the illustration which an editor would be prepared to read. The layout is not elaborate, the message is simple but clear.  Shown below are some of the main points:

1. Company Name - always promote your company name with editors, they are as important as customers. Maintain a consistent style that editors will learn to recognise use your logo at the top of the page.

2. Address, Email, Fax and Telephone Numbers - Ensure that it is easy for the editor to contact you for further information. You never know when your press release could turn into a 2 page feature!

3. Heading - Tell the editor what the subject of the release is. Possible headings include; "Free new literature", "Company News", "New Product Release", "Application Case History".

4. Date - This is extremely important , Editors want to publish current stories, not yesterdays stories or releases which have already been published in other publications.

5. Headline - Don't try to write the headline that will go into the magazine as that is the editors' job. You should use your headline to get the editor to read the content of your release because if you don't then you don't have much chance of getting it published.

6. Text typeface -  Avoid fancy typefaces, handwritten and script faces. Choose a legible typeface such as Helvetica or Courier.

7. Text spacing - Always use double spacing for the body of the text. Many magazines "mark up " press releases and the spacing allows editors to do this more easily.

8. Content - The first sentence should encapsulate the entire story concisely. Keep the descriptions of the your company to the end of the release. Keep the verbs active and upbeat. Cover each of the points of the release, one point at a time in descending order of importance. Quantify claims and statements so that they are measurable.

9. Final paragraph - Summarise the company in a paragraph.

10. Signing Off - Always include a named contact for editors to call if they need further details. Don't use generic job titles or an "anonymous source"

11. Accompanying material - Interesting colour photographs are essential to enhance your chances of getting your release published. Professionally taken 6x4" photos are the best if you are using hardcopy as these can be easily scanned in. Include datasheets and product literature as these can also be useful for the editor.

Use of Email on the web

Once you have compiled your database of potential magazines and their editors you should consider how you wish to approach them. More and more editors and magazines are prepared to accept press releases by email, including photographs. Use their email addresses to approach them and find out the preferred form in which they would wish to receive releases. Ask them to specify the format and resolution of the press release (MS word...) and the resolution (normally 300dpi) and format of pictures (jpeg, TIFF, BMP - MAC or PC).

If editors will accept press releases distributed in this manner, then this can be a much more cost effective method of promoting your company through PR.