There's an unwritten "code of ethics" out there that dictates the 
guidelines the media expects savvy publicists to follow. Certain 
do's and don'ts that keep the amateurs out of the "club". More 
than a few well-intentioned businessmen owners trying to lobby 
for free publicity have been caught in the tangled web of 
protocol violations.

As crazy as it may sound, the most common reason publicity 
campaigns fail is something you might call the paralysis of 
analysis. You come up with an idea, it sounds good, but you 
wonder if you're being objective enough. Weeks and months later 
you're still tweaking and fine tuning it. If this is a problem 
for you, it might be helpful to know that editors and program 
managers never remember the bad press releases (unless they're 
really bad). It's the good stories they remember. So if you 
send one in that gets tossed in the trash, it shouldn't hurt 
your chances the next time around.

Right up at the top of the list of reasons press releases fail 
is a general category you might call trying too hard. It usually 
stems from insecurity. You've never done this before, so you 
want to cover all bases. That usually leads to a long list 
of behaviors that do nothing but label you as a beginner.

Under this category you'd find those long, 10-page press 
releases. They tell it all. You walk away with a complete 
picture. They say far more than needs to be said. 

The ONLY purpose for a press release is to entice an editor or 
program director to call for details. The entire press release 
should fit on a single, double spaced page. You just need to 
give them the basics. A few details and plenty or reason to 
call. Anything else will make your release too long to merit 
the time of the typical media person. 

This category would also include the fancy press release. Cutesy 
flowers on the border and perfumed stationary all yell "AMATEUR" 
to a news editor. So do deliveries by singing bears and tap 
dancing teens. People who know what they're doing typically limit 
themselves to simple straightforward stories on white, unadorned 
stationary. The story should be the main focus, not the paper it 
comes on. 

Which brings us to another serious mistake a lot of press release 
writers fall prey to. They can't answer the simple question:

Why are you telling the story?

Remember, you're trying to get your story run as news or 
entertainment. Something that would make a stranger stop 
and buy a newspaper. 

Before including anything in your story, always ask yourself "who 
cares?". Is this the kind of stuff the average Joe walking down 
Main Street wants to know or are you trying to sell information 
only your mother and kids are interested in?

Even if you happen to get it perfectly right the first time, 
there's another very deadly trap most beginners fall into. 

It feels great to see your picture on the front page of 
newspapers around the country. But fame is very fleeting. 
It won't be long before business will be back to "normal", 
unless you plan carefully. Plan your campaign ahead of time 
and schedule what you have to say so you can say it in various 
stages. Find ways to become more than just a one-time guest. 

You want the world to know you as the "expert" in your field. You 
need to watch the news whenever it breaks a story you can build 
on. You want to do your own reporting every time something in 
your field comes up you think the world might want to know about.

Once you get the system down, it's then just a matter of keeping 
the momentum going. 

If you need help writing press releases, you can find 
all kinds of free information on my web site at 
http://www.PressReleasesMadeEasy.com. 

If you'd like to become a real pro on the topic, you must get my 
publicity kit. It offers complete, step-by-step instructions and 
includes dozens of samples of successful press releases and media 
campaigns that you can use as your models. You'll also find a 
huge list of newspaper and radio contacts around the country, an 
invaluable source in getting your campaign going. You can find 
the complete course at:  http://www.Hartunian.com/prkit. 

It's a crazy world out there, and most attempts at telling 
stories fail long before they make it out of the printer. 
Fortunately it only takes a little know how to stand out among 
the 5% or so that regularly get their stories published and 
their guests interviewed. 

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