It's a real shame. If you open most any newspaper in the country 
you'll find at least one story you know really didn't need to be 
there. It just isn't that relevant or interesting. But somehow it 
made it in. 

You can't help but wonder if it just happened to be one of those 
days when absolutely nothing worth mentioning happened to any one 
of the 6 billion inhabitants of this planet. And you know that 
isn't true either. 

Nothing made it to the news because tons of people around the 
world made the first, worst mistake in announcing a news story. 

They didn't. 

They had information that people around their community, across 
their country or around the world would love to know. They came 
up with an idea that could revolutionize an industry, but gave up 
because the mainstream assured them the only way the press would 
listen would be through the very expensive advertising 
department. But that's far from true. 

Where advertising might cost you money, news typically costs the 
newspaper, radio or television station plenty of money to gather. 
They pay reporters, correspondents, wire services and anybody 
else they can find for good news stories. If you have a great 
story to tell, they're more than willing to accept a freebee.

But it needs to be in the right format, while following certain 
industry standards. You can find plenty of free advice on how to 
format a press release at my web site, located at: 
http://www.PressReleasesMadeEasy.com. 


If you're looking for a complete, extensive course on
the subject, you can find it at my site on line at 
http://www.Hartunian.com/prkit. Among the advice you'll find 
there, here are some of the other reasons why great news 
stories never get noticed:

1. Many great press releases get tossed, unread, because they're 
   too long. A program director or editor going through a stack  
   of press releases won't typically stop to read that 5-page 
   essay on why some business thinks they have a great product. 

   Most press releases are double-spaced and fit on a single 
   page. If you can't get your entire message in that space, 
   then you might want to consider hiring a professional writer. 

   Getting past the fluff and color and getting down to the 
   story is an art. It's worth developing, or at worst, paying 
   someone else who already has, for their help.


2. Another reason a lot of the press releases are never read is 
   because they're obviously self-serving. You may feel your new 
   product is the hottest thing going, but will someone else buy 
   a newspaper to listen to you brag? Remember, editors and 
   program managers are in the news business. 

   If you can't spin what you have to say in such a way as to 
   make it sound just as fascinating or useful as that juicy 
   stuff about the upcoming election or that tragedy in the 
   Middle East then chances are it won't make the cut. 


3. Many great stories are missed because they come too well 
   packaged. A dozen roses or even fancy letterhead are surefire 
   ways to slap a big sign across the front of a press release 
   that reads "AMATEUR". Forget about the bribes. Editors know 
   to watch out for fancy packaging. It typically reflects a 
   story that needs a lot of fact verification and may or may 
   not accurately reflect something it promises.

   Simple white paper with the correct traditional headline and 
   format is usually a simple way to make it to the "A" list on 
   the editors desk. 


4. Timing can make or break a good story. Obviously, announcing 
   your new "Santa's Village" that includes $2 million dollars 
   worth of animation and the ultimate Disney-style drive 
   through cars would be a waste of time if it arrived on an 
   editors desk in the middle of January. 

   If at all possible, timing your releases correctly can ad up 
   to a good solid foot inside the proverbial newsroom door. 
   Many people are in a rush to get their press release out.  
   I understand. It's exciting.  You just wrote your masterpiece.
   Now you want the media people to acknowledge it by calling 
   you for interviews.

   But hold on as best you can and consider whether or not you 
   are sending it out at the best possible time. That could be 
   the difference between getting the interview or not.


Obviously this list isn't extensive. There's probably as many 
"insider tips" as there are insiders, but following these 4 
suggestions will definitely put your press release up there 
in the top 10% or so of "good guys" that get a decent chance 
turning into an interview. 

Paul Hartunian is the world's leading authority on publicity 
and self-promotion. At his website - http://www.Hartunian.com 
- you'll find lots of information about how you can get free 
publicity for any product, service or business you're involved 
with. Get information about his complete publicity kit at 
http://www.Hartunian.com/prkit . Sign up for his free publicity 
ezine at http://www.Hartunian.com/subscribe . You can reach Paul 
at (973)857-4142. Or by email at mailto:PaulHartunian@Hotmail.com