How to Write Perfect Press Releases by Steven Lewis

by Steven Lewis

Today's journalists are struggling to cover more with fewer resources, which means there are great opportunities for those who can make a timely pitch in the right way. In this guide for first-time press release writers and PR professionals alike, Steven Lewis breaks down the press release transaction, showing you how to write a press release that will get attention. As a journalist for publications like the Financial Times and Esquire, Steven Lewis received thousands of press releases. As a consultant to global corporations, he has written press releases that led to media coverage around the world. How to Write Perfect Press Releases puts all that experience in your hands and shows you how to do the same.

Genres: Writing

Paperback

First published March 25, 2012

About the author

Through a life formed, informed and forever reformed by seven children (and now sixteen grandchildren), Steve Lewis writes affectionately and passionately about our shared experiences on this earth.

From Zen and the Art of Fatherhood to Fear and Loathing of Boca Raton he has taken us on a narrative tour of every sunny nook and darkened cranny in the family home—and is now wandering through the yard, beyond the tree line, deep in the woods.

Steve is a former Mentor at Empire State College, a current member of the Writing Institute faculty at Sarah Lawrence College, a Contributing Writer at TalkingWriting.com, Editor/Literary Ombudsman at WritersReadOnline.com, and El Jefe of the annual Hatteras Island Writers' Retreats at Duckdog Cottage, Rodanthe, North Carolina.

Reviews

[Laura Roberts · Rating 5 out of 5]

As someone who is currently trying to attract media attention for a novel (a hard sell in any economy!), Steven Lewis' book caught my eye. Though I haven't yet put his ideas into practice, I can already see that his tips are going to help tighten up my writing and get my message across to the right people.

Why? Because he's done it himself, and shares his success stories with you, in point-by-point detail, to explain how he creates the perfect press release.

As a blogger, I also appreciated the way he mentioned going after blog publicity with a little more finesse than the "Here's my press release!" email. Though I've worked as a journalist and don't feel particularly offended by receiving a press release served straight, I'm always annoyed by PR hacks who don't even research my blog for the 10 seconds it'd take to find out its (very obvious) themes and interests, much less address me by name. Lewis gently sets people straight, pointing out that if you think the blogger is doing enough right that you think their mentioning your book/product/service will benefit you, then you ought to lead with that and make it obvious that you aren't just CC'ing a million other people about this item. Bloggers dig the personal touch, and the more human (and less spammy robot) you seem, the better things work for all involved.

Looking forward to implementing some of Lewis' tips and tricks in my next press release!