Writing a Press Release

[EditorBFG]

Hi, everybody, I'm posting on EN World for the first time-- normally I just read, but now I have a question.

I've just started as the Chief Editor for a small D20 .pdf publisher, and our product is already up on RPG Now and selling well. But we need to write a press release to post to various sites and get the news out that . . . well, that we exist.

I've been checking out press releases from a lot of the big companies, and most of them don't seem like what we're looking to do. A lot of the big companies have a lot of corporate information to pad things out ("Brand X Games is an award-winning publisher that has been providing the public with great game supplements for five years. Headquartered in Bogota, Columbia, Brand X Games continues to . . . etc."). As a small publisher just starting out, a corporate info paragraph would be a bit thin.

A large number of the press releases seem to have quotes from the company president or some industry insider, (ex: "We at CocoPuff Games are excited to be working with Joe Smith, whose past credits . . . etc.), especially when multiple game companies are collaborating, in which case there are a lot of quotes. At this point, we have not yet been reviewed, except in much-appreciated comments left by those who have purchased our first product, so our only usable quotes would be from the writer or myself.

It seemed like the simplest thing at first, but writing a press release is starting to seem like black magic to me. So, short of waving a dead chicken over the computer and offering rum to the spirits, does anyone have any tips on crafting a press release?

EDIT: Correction: We have been reviewed. The writer just informed me that a review is now up at GamingReport.com. Still looking for help on the press release thing, though, so any input is appreciated.

 

[Warden]

I'd say start with the caption that you have for your product on RPGNow and include a quote and/or score from the review. The press release is designed to catch the attention of a passer-by and I find that the product information from the RPGNow page achieves the same goal.

And welcome to the jungle.

 

[jmucchiello]

There are two standard press release formats:

Company announces Event. Event is great because Reason. Distinguished Company Representative comments on how Event will affect YOU. Company is a public/private/etc located Where.

OR

CompanyA and CompanyB announce JointEvent. JointEvent is great because Reason. Distinguished CompanyA Rep says Blah. CompanyB Rep says OtherBlah. CompanyA is WhereA. CompanyB is WhereB.

Here's my tongue and cheek example.

 

[Morrus]

I really wouldn't worry about it. Just make sure you write something that says what you want it to. There aren't any "rules".

 

[Paradigm]

Make sure there is actual information in the title. Everyone expects that any quotes from members of the company are biased and therefore put little stock in them.

If you are going to announce products, put your sales text in the release. Also, information about your company is more than padding, if you won't talk about yourself, nobody else will.

 

[EditorBFG]

Thanks everybody you for all your input. I think I'm over the initial fear of public relations and have enough guidance to press on.

Actually, we've decided to just do our press release next week, because we missed the boat for the original release of our first product, but soon we'll have a second product which, according to the current plan, will be both released alone and added to a package with our first product, so there will be some actual current news to put in a press release, instead of "Check out our brand new product that came out last month!"

(It looks like we did okay anyhow. We finally got over the hump and overtook a Ronin Arts product to become #1 on RPGNow in the D20 Fantasy category . . . for about a day. Then we were overtaken on the charts by another Ronin Arts product. They're good. Oh well . . . that's the way it goes, I guess!)

When the press release does roll, everybody do me a favor and read it to tell me what I did wrong. I'm sure there'll be something.

Thanks again!