Joan Stewart

Press Release Tip 46 Avoid alphabet soup Acronyms and abbreviations make press releases difficult to read.  This press release, about a scientist who will tell a community whether it has a higher-than-normal rate of cancer, had several unnecessary acronyms and abbreviations which I removed when I rewrote it. I also added a headline.  It refers… Read More

Press Release Tip 47 How to promote a product for a niche market If you’re promoting a product for a niche market, state that in the headline, and don’t dilute the release with a lot of extraneous information. The release below was written to promote a line of men’s skin care products that would appeal… Read More

Press Release Tip 48 Write for the Web Online marketing expert BL Ochman says the rules for writing press releases for the web are different than the rules for writing them on paper. She recommends: Make sentence and paragraphs short. White space is your friend. It makes reading from the screen easier. Nothing is harder… Read More

Press Release Tip 49 Tweak your releases for different audiences If you’re writing a press release for two or more very different audiences, it’s time for a makeover. That’s what PR pro Kathi Petersen did when she was promoting “The Doors of Asheville” benefit auction for the Neighborhood Housing Services of Asheville, a nonprofit in… Read More

Press Release Tip 50 Use long headlines The first tip in this module for authors and publishers will help your release command attention quickly in a noisy marketplace. When authors write press releases for a book launch, too many of them make the mistake of never explaining in the headline what the book is about.… Read More

Press Release Tip 51 Explain why you wrote the book If you’re stuck thinking of a way to begin your press release, one of the best angles is to explain why you wrote the book. This is particularly helpful for fiction authors. That’s what I did when I wrote the press release below for my… Read More

Press Release Tip 52 Tell a dramatic story The art of storytelling is perfect for press releases about fiction or nonfiction. That’s what I did when I wrote the press release for my client, Cheryl Obermiller, author of “Fraud Points! – the Small Business Owner’s Guide to Outwitting Embezzlers, Thieves, and Scallywags.” I could have… Read More

Press Release Tip 53 Tie your topic to a celebrity Any time you can tie your product, service, cause or issue to a celebrity, you increase your chances for publicity and for people to find you on the Internet. This is especially true with books. Author Laura K. Bryant wrote a press release about her… Read More