Press Kit Creation Template

Press Release

A quick note on how this template works. You fill in the blank boxes with your specific information. Once you complete each section and click on: "Send it to me now!" you'll receive the completed document via email as a MS word document which you can modify accordingly.

IMPORTANT: This template is software on our system so if you shut down your computer or your computer freezes while you're in the middle of editing your press release ALL of your information will be lost. We highly recommend that you CUT AND PASTE your information from a word document on your computer into the template on this page to insure that your work will be preserved. IF YOU REFRESH YOUR SCREEN, ALL CHANGES WILL BE LOST.

I want to share a secret with you. This may prove controversial.... Many publicists think otherwise, but I believe that the tip sheet is the most important piece in your press kit because there is no ego in it. There is no ostensible "I" promoting the information. A tip sheet is pure knowledge.

A tip sheet, often called "ten top tips," is a list of five to fifteen points that highlight your expertise while providing solutions to personal or professional problems. It begins with one or more short paragraphs followed by numbered tips.

Examples:

• Ten Ways to Reclaim Your Power as a Speaker.

• Ten Steps to Securing a Raise or a Promotion.

• "Cyberspace Civility: Nine E-mail Dos and Don'ts Every Business Person Should Know."

• Five methods to Choose a Wine That Suits Your Personality or Mood.

Lee Glickstein Example
Dana May Casperson Example
Susan Harrow Example - Short

HOT TIP!
Make a statement with your style.

If you already have a recognizable style or voice, use it. Editors prefer substance with style over flat facts. Notice how I've written Lee Glickstein and Dana May Casperson's tip sheets in their unique style and voice. Discovering your voice is an exciting aspect of promoting yourself.

HOT TIP!
Use examples of the kind of clients or customers you prefer.

Here is how to develop a tip sheet so it will bring you the business you want without having to blare it. In other words, the right people will be attracted to what you have to give. Use examples that include the kinds of clients or experiences you want. I remember one of my jewelry-designer friends telling me about a particular pitfall when selling a line of earrings. She had one type of dangly thingamajig readily available in red and yellow, both of which the buyer ordered. She then asked the buyer, "Would you like to buy them in purple also?" The buyer responded, "I don't know; show me the purple." She realized that the buyer couldn't make the visual leap to imagining the earrings in purple. This buyer is not alone. Many people, no matter what their profession, don't see how you can help them unless you state it explicitly. Odd as it may seem, it must pertain to them or their business exactly for them to understand you are a match with what they need.

HOT TIP!
Nudge that funny bone.

Humor makes a piece more attractive to journalists. They want to entertain their audience even if the subject is serious. (The tip sheet I wrote for manners maven Dana May Casperson's publicist is in keeping with Casperson's humor and sense of fun about what is proper.)

HOT TIP!
Stamp your style on everything.

The really valuable "how to" or tip sheet pieces incorporate your advice, personality, opinions, philosophy, style, and standards. If you have compiled just a list of how to do something (ho-hum), your clients could go to your competitor for the same skinny. Link your advice directly to your audience's needs using your unmistakable style and they'll pound a path to your door.