How to Write a Press Release for Your Art Event/News

I'll start this post off with a shout-out to my high school speech teacher, Mr. Brennan. I've written hundreds of press releases over the years (one of them even got me a job running an art gallery,) and will surely be in thousands by the time I die. And every single one I write has the same structure I learned in speech class. Why speech? Because every news article is basically an informational speech, minus the sweating palms and audience staring at you.

I still prefer to do most of my writing by hand with a pencil on paper.

There are three basic parts to a press release: an introduction, the body, and a conclusion. Just like breakfast is the most important meal of the day, the introduction is the most important part of the article. It needs to answer the who, what, when, and where. The body is the why, and the conclusion restates the information from the introduction with the addition of how to find out even more. Sounds simple enough, right?

The very first sentence in your press release is vital to get right. This is not where you include your hook though - the article title is going to be the hook to grab the reader's interest. The first sentence needs to be to the point and include your who, what, where, and when. This is because there are many people who just glance through articles. If they are only going to read one sentence, you need to get the message across.

 So for example, if my title is "Local Author Earns 5-Star Review" (there's the general idea and hook,) my first sentence will be "Local author/illustrator Haley McAndrews of Denison, IA, recently earned a 5-Star review from ReadersFavorite.com for her third book, Toaster Haiku." To break it down:
Who: Haley McAndrews, a local author/illustrator
Where: Denison, IA
What: 5-Star book review from ReadersFavorite.com
When: recently 

The when would also come into play if this was about an event like an opening reception or a gallery show, you could add the dates and time in. Or maybe it's about an award you won last week. Then you would add that information in.

Your introduction can be one sentence long. It's allowed. If you have more information needed in the introduction, you can add it but keep it direct. If you want to add details, make it a paragraph in the body of the article.

Before we get too deep into the body, here are a few essential rules on writing professionally:

1. ​Do your best to avoid talking to the reader. "You should really read my books!" is clearly not written by a professional reporter. (But Haley, you talk to us readers all the time in your blog! Yes, that's because this blog is my hobby... It's basically a glimpse into my inner monologue. You're welcome.)
2. Write about yourself in the third person. Like you are talking about someone else. Say "McAndrews earned a 5-Star review" instead of "I earned a 5-Star review."
3. Refer to yourself by your last name, after the first mention of your full (first, last) name in the introduction. "McAndrews has published four books" instead of "Haley published four books." 
4. This isn't a rule, so much, but I still think it's essential: Quote yourself. This isn't as easy as it sounds, but it is a way for you to let a little personality shine through. Like this: "I wouldn't call myself a poet, really," McAndrews laughed.

Alright, onto the body! Here's where your article gets interesting, and you get to give all your details; the big "why." What do you include in the body?

• Information about the book Toaster Haiku: ink drawings, 38 poems, why I wrote it, etc.
• Information about ReadersFavorite.com: how many years has it been around, what is it, etc.
  
• Information about yourself: how long have you been making art/writing, the medium, a few relevant quotes, etc. This is also a great place to add relevant connections - if you have a day job, if your spouse is known, maybe you have family in the area... Like, I will add my parents in if I send a release to the papers in my hometown.
  
• Anything else specifically relevant to what the article is about. If it's an exhibition, talk about the gallery/location. Maybe you list other accomplishments briefly.
  

And finally we arrive at the conclusion. Ideally it is one paragraph and it's a twin to your introduction. Not an identical twin (don't just copy and paste) but more like a fraternal twin, definitely. You need to restate the first sentence of your intro, but reword it. Restate your who, what, where, and when. Also mention how people can find out more: a phone or address for the gallery, a website, or an email address. This is also where you can give your professional social media handles. If you have art at local galleries or will be selling at a local event, mention that too. 

Ok, Haley, I have a fantastic and very professional news release written... Now what?

Now you submit it! I recommend getting the email address of as many local papers as possible. You'll want to send it to a community/arts reporter (if the paper has one) or an editor. Make absolutely sure that you are sending it blind carbon copy (BCC:) if you are sending one email to many different papers. This way you won't offend anyone accidentally. 

More on your email; make sure you include the following information before the article: your name, studio name, mailing address, phone number, and email. This way, if they have questions they have all your contact info. You'll also want to find out when the deadline for submissions is prior to printing, so you can send your release in a timely manner. 

Don't forget to attach a photo or other image to the email to be included with the article. Remember the saying - a picture is worth a thousand words!

Writing a great press release is a skill that gets honed with practice, just like everything else is. If you use these tips when writing, you can take your articles to the next level. Keep in mind that submitting a press release should be free. Be wary of a reporter or paper that wants to charge you for submitting a release. And, they may choose in the end not to run your article, or to rewrite some of it. Try not to take it personally, they could be saving it for a later date, or maybe they ran out of room. Either way, take a deep breath and try again next time, because I believe in you! 😊