:: day of diy :: How to write a press release 3

pinK letterpress by pink sorbet

I'm sorry I missed last weeks ::day of diy:: post, life just gets you that way sometimes! Anyway, lets get started on instalment number 3 of my ::day of diy:: Press Release. (For anyone just joining us check out my other posts on how to write a press release here.

Todays installment is all about making contact. You now have your press release written and waiting to go out, so lets get on to who we are going to send them to and how to find their details.

I keep all this information on a spread sheet, so it might be worth your while setting up a template that you can print off and add to when you get more information. The best place to start is make a list of all the publications you want to send your press release out. Again, keep in mind your target market/ audience. If you have a copy of the magazine, wonderful, but if not it is no worry.

You are looking to find out the telephone number for the magazine. I sometimes have a look at the magazine's website or their publishers site. Once you have this number you are wanting to call and ask : who the features editor is and their email address. I find that most of the time I get to a switch board and am asked what department I want to get put through to. Sometimes I go for the features dept, the fashion dept or the style dept.

This is how I introduce myself (short & sweet!) once I have reached the right depatment.

Hi, my name is Laura Baillie and I make eclectic vintage style jewellery. I was wondering if you could tell me the best person to email my press release to?

- That would be Jo Missy Editor.

Thanks, do you have an email for her?

- Yes, it is jomissyeditor@myfavoritemagazine.com

Thank you so much for your help!

Now sometimes the person who I am chatting to is the person who wants to see the press release, this is the time to strike while the iron is hot. Once you are off the phone, get your email sent out straight away. This way they remember who you are and you are still fresh in their mind.

Give this a try and let me know how you get on. You don't have to start with 20, just pick one and see how you get on. We all have to start somewhere, and although is can be quite nerve wracking, you'll soon get the hang of it.

:: my life ::

1. Zuppa di ceci e porcini by href="http://www.undejeunerdesoleil.blogspot.com/" un dejeurner de soleil

things to do this week:

make up template for A line skirt

make a Rococo mood board

design some more summer wedding jewels like this simple gold pearl leaf necklace

:: day of diy :: How to write a press release 2

Letter Press by pink sorbet on flickr

Welcome the the second instalment of my guide on how to write a press release. (If you have just found me have a read over my last post to get up to speed.)

This week I want to talk about the content and feel to your press release. We all know how we get drawn in to a catchy headline, making us want to read on to get all the juicy details. The same goes for your press release, you want the editors to get soaked in and want to know more. This being said, I always leave the title until the end. It is much easier to write something catchy and related to your article once it has been written. So lets get onto the body of the article.

Firstly you want to get all your information onto 1 A4 sheet. No one wants to read your life story, and editors are busy people and get bundles of these through every day. On your A4 sheet you want to have one image about 5cm x 4cm at the top and all your contact info at the bottom. Pick a great photo, one of your current products, something related to what your going to be talking about. The image above gives you a guide for how much actual writing space you have.

OK, now lets get started on the content, your Lead paragraph. This is where you want to grab the readers attention and cover the 5 'W's - who, what, where, why & when.

Write in the 3rd person for press, Laura Baillie, she, they...... not for blogs etc which are more personal. We'll cover them later on.

Who - Give a little information about who you are, nothing epic, short and to the point.

What - What do you make, sell or service do you provide.

Where - where are you based, even down to where you work from. Do you knit in your Georgian house beside the fire or in a modern industrial unit?

Why - a quick couple of lines about what makes you stand out and why they should write about you.

When - when is your new collection, product launch or collaboration going to be available?

Remember to keep this all brief, this is just one paragraph to grab the readers attention, this is not the main section!! This bit is like a tasty starter.....

Now we move on to the Main Body of your press release, the main course. This is where you want to expand on the points you made above. What makes you or your products newsworthy?

Think locally first if you are sending this press release out to local newspapers and magazines.(This in my opinion is the best place to start, your local press are always excited to here about entrepreneurs.) Are you a woman who is earning your money crafting and bringing up a family? Would your story be inspiring to other women in your area? Do you use locally sourced materials, that always get people excited.

Expand a little on your background. Have you been drawing since you were 3, and exhibiting locally? Or have you been a nuclear physics lecturer, but now spend your days making ceramic ornaments? Keep in mind what is going to excite the readers.

Do you have a special technique you use, or use recycled materials? Let them know.

Now in this last section you want to summarise some of the points in your lead paragraph and the main body. Maybe pick 2 or 3 points. Don't introduce any new information here. This is a summery of what you have already mentioned. In this paragraph you want to cover what your business makes, sells, provides, where they can buy your items, and where you are based.

Then, as seen on the image above include your contact details.

Now you have the important stuff down, come up with a catchy headline. Nothing to wordy and nothing too profound, but something that will make this stand out.

This may take you some time to work through, and do take your time. Don't rush down some ideas and get all gun hoe. You'll end up sending out something shabby and half baked and it won't represent you or your business well. Remember to spell check everything, and maybe get someone else to read over it for you. It's always great to get another set of eyes to spot grammar mistakes or missing punctuation.

Lets meet up again next Tuesday for the next installment, Day of DIY Writing a Press Release - Making Contact. In the main time ask any questions you have and drop me note to let me know how you are getting on. x

:: work in progress ::

Simple Elegance :1:

I have been working away on a new range Simple Elegance over the last few days. With boxes of beautiful gemstones on my desk I often feel that it is each stones characteristics that should be focused on and not lost amongst other details. So I decided to keep these necklaces simple and let the rich or light colours and textures of each stone speak for itself.

The necklace above has a string of Carnelian gemstones atached to a gold chain. The stones are 6mm, so small and sweet.

Carnelian is said to bring peace & harmony, give strength to your voice and give courage.What a lovely idea, to have little gemstones of strength laying on your neck.

I'll be listing this necklace and more gold and silver Simply Elegant pieces this evening in

my Etsy shop.

:: day of diy :: Press Release

"lettered" by roseredrose via flickr

Thanks to everyone who got in touch about wanting more information on writing a press release, I know how hard I found it at the beginning, so as we go along, keep asking questions. I'm going to break it down into sections, every Tuesday some more information. I don't want to bog you down with too much at once!

FACT FINDING

Before you start getting excited about whipping up catchy phrases and pictures, we have to go on a fact finding mission. I know it sounds dull and you want to tell the world about your creations, but hold your horses!

The first thing about writing to your press release is working out who you want it to go to. If you are a fine artist there is no point sending one to Vogue fashion magazine. You want to reach your target market, what magazines are they reading? Spend some time working on this first, and have a clear idea who your target market is.

Once you have a clear idea of who you are trying to reach, it makes everything else so much easier! Now write down a list of what magazines they will be logging into or flicking through for all their information. Go through the list a couple of times, keeping in mind that you don't want to be waisting your time or editors time sending out information that isn't relevent to their readers.

Now you should have a list of 5 or so publications, enough to get started with. Let start with magazines. Can you buy a copy of the publication or go to the libery with a pen and paper? Look for the page with the list of who does what. You are looking for a phone number for the magazine or the email address of the person you want to consider your press release. It may be the editor, features editor or for example the shopping & style editor. Take a note of this and hold onto it tightly! This is your contact list.

Here is a list of some recommended reading for you & some ideas:

Etsy - Storque - articles on target markets

Magazines.com - just one list of magazines to start you off with some ideas

Finding your niche - by modishblog biz tips (a great place!)