Five Pieces of Writing a Press Release

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Most people seem to believe they can write a press release, mail or email it to a radio or television station and sit back and wait for the avalanche of phone calls. But as time passes and no producers are beating down the door, they make a few phone calls only to discover that no one even read the release.

The following five important components of radio and TV press releases will make your show idea come to life for producers and hosts, and also position you ahead of the pack.

1. Headline! Headline? HEADLINE!!! Arguably the most important aspect of your press release, headlines are so vital that entire books written and seminars focus on how to construct the most effective ones. Now, don't let this scare you. Writing a killer headline is definitely a skill that can be developed; all you need is a clear and concise overview of your topic.

Write down your show idea and look it over. Now look it over again, remembering that it should be an idea for an interview that relates to your book but most definitely not a summary of the book's theme or content.

What is your key message? Is your show idea newsworthy? Are there any well-known people you can tie into your topic? Do you have any impressive statistics that are relevant? Does anything controversial tie directly into your subject? The answers to these questions will help you develop a headline that will capture the attention of producers and hosts.

Your headline must communicate the topic of the show instantly in an eye-catching way. It should not be longer than one sentence and it should be designed to function as the sound bite on your topic. Now that's a lot of weight to put on a single sentence!

Sometimes, you will need a subhead to support it. If your headline gives just a taste of your show topic, then a subhead will be useful for explaining it further. Anyone who reads the headline and subhead together should immediately click what the concept of the show is.

Here are two examples of the successful headline and subhead combination:

GLOBAL ECONOMIC CHAOS? Expert Reveals Predictions on Grim Future of US Economy

WISH YOU WERE FIRED?! The Secrets to a Happier Life

2. Topic Summary This is your chance to present a concise summary of your show topic. It should continue naturally from the headline and expand on it. The headline gets the attention and the discussion topic gives the reader more.

The discussion topic component of your press release should be two or three sentences, tops. Again try to tie your topic to current events, big names, big money, or controversy. Don't be worried about repeating yourself in different sections of the press release. After all, you want to get a cohesive point across! Tip: try writing the headline and topic summary together.

Here is an example of a headline and topic summary which were written together. Notice the bolded words and how they tie the two together.