Press Release Tip 59

Give trade magazines generic photos

Craig Saunders, the editor of Optical Prism, Canada’s magazine for eye care professionals, says photos are a constant source of irritation for him.

He advises Publicity Hounds who want coverage in the trades to send editors a CD or thumb drive every so often with more generic industry photography.

“My magazine is always looking for certain photos to illustrate features and we can’t find them in stock libraries or go out and shoot our own,” he said. “At the very least, it will get your company’s name in the photo credit. It will certainly make you popular with the editor and design staff. Never underestimate the power of the design and layout people.”

Editors at other magazines are leaving clues all over the Internet about exactly what they need. If you know where to look, you can help them and get publicity in the process. These include top-tier magazines as well as smaller niche publications.  My package “How to Find Your Way into Glossy Magazines”  explains how to know exactly what magazine editors want. 

Opportunity #59 to write a press release: Product recall

If you’re recalling a product, issue a press release. But don’t stop there. Learn how to communicate when the news is bad. You can access a free copy of crisis counselor Jonathan Bernstein’s media training book “Keep the Media Wolves at Bay” by giving your name and email address.

Next: How to write photo captions.