When soccer moms in army-grade Hummers would double-park on New Canaan’s already-narrow Elm Street, my mother would always mutter, or sometimes shout, “Some people think the rules don’t apply to them.” She would declare a similar sentiment when we’d be in line for the movies and would hear a parent tell his or her child “just say you’re 7” to get a cheaper movie ticket. Some people think the rules don’t apply to them…and by all means teach your child to lie.
I sent out a press release last night with extremely specific instructions on how to access, download, and burn a review copy of an album, stating very clearly that physical review copies would only be available at a promotional rate. Of the 20 people who e mailed me back asking to be mailed physical review copies, only one asked what the promotional rate was and how he could order a copy. Lewis Lanese from Stereo Times, you are the reason there’s a patch of hair still left on my head, and I thank you for that.
Sure, there was an entire paragraph explaining that physical copies would only be mailed at cost, but she can just send me a copy, right? Mailing one isn’t a big deal. My favorite response to my calm and polite reply e mail asking if someone saw the download instructions was, “Yeah, I just didn’t want to have to look for my password.” SOCCER MOM IN THE HUMMER! Elm Street. New Canaan Playhouse. Amanda spins into Fembot self-destruct mode and blows up.
Beyond this strange sense of entitlement, I suspect a lot of people just don’t read press releases. My favorite response last night was “Please send for review — John.” I think he just saw the artist’s name and hit reply. This could have been such-and-such artist recites the Gettysburg Address backwards and in Pig Latin and he would have responded the same way. But what of the content? What of my prose?
Last week, F. Paul Driscoll, editor-in-chief of Opera News, offered the following advice to publicists on this very blog:
The most effective way for any publicist to secure a story or profile
in ANY magazine is to present a pitch that reflects a working knowledge
of the magazine. That starts with the magazine’s readership. Who are
they? Why do they buy the magazine? Clearly, our readers buy a
magazine called OPERA NEWS expecting its editors to present opera as
topic one, but that doesn’t mean that every “opera story” is right for
us…And — last but not least — it helps a pitch if the publicist has
read at least one issue of the magazine and can identify just where in
OPERA NEWS a potential story might fit best.
Those same words of wisdom, I think, can be/should be applied to journalists. Not reading the press release I wrote, revised, sent to a copy editor, revised again, formatted and tested on three e mail accounts does not instill in me a great desire to bend over backwards for you. How about “Please send a copy for review…because I noticed in your release that only the deluxe edition of the album will be for sale in the US and would like to pitch a piece to my editor about the different ways classical music is being packaged and presented differently in the US vs. Europe.”
Perhaps this is asking too much, and I’m not being sarcastic. Journalists are inundated, I realize, with press releases, so the e mail subject really may be all they have time to read. In that case, however, we need to think of a more efficient and effective ways to communicate with them. Everyone might win that way; I don’t think any publicist would breast-beat over the demise of the 800-word press release.
I did receive an e mail from a journalist in response to a different press release last week that simply read, “can’t wait!”. And that just made my whole day.
Can’t agree with you on this one. If I read all my press releases I would not have time to do anything else. Most press releases are way, way too long and don’t contain a lot of useful information.
My dream is a press release that actually contains everything I need to know in a few punchy sentences (“World-famous artist X releases new album! Promotional copies available by download ONLY. Instructions below”). But PR convention requires me to wade through a paragraph or two identifying the artist as one of the greatest/most distinctive/most amazing of his/her time – even if it’s a world-famous artist I have written about a dozen times.
Frankly, when I see these releases, I assume (on some tacit level) that they’re not written for me, because I’m an insider and these releases don’t appear to be written for insiders. Therefore, I could easily be someone who approaches you wanting special handling (though in this case, I should make clear, I didn’t). But I bet every one of those journalists who contacted you didn’t bother to read the release carefully for just that reason: this is clearly written for people unfamiliar with artist X, not for us. And yet most of your target readers are “insiders” just like me.
There’s an adage in journalism that it’s bad form to blame the audience/reader. It’s our job as writers to get the message across. I think the same thing holds true for publicists; and I think you’re indulging in some audience-blaming here. It’s not our job to read what you send us; you have to make us want to.
Everyone probably assumes press releases aren’t written for them! While you’re thinking the release isn’t for you because you’re an insider, people who aren’t insiders are probably thinking, “Well, I don’t review CDs/ write for a classical publication, so I’ll just wait for a follow-up e mail to tell me why I should write about this.”
So, if no one’s actually reading press releases, why am I writing two right now?? Thanks for commenting! -AA
Maybe just the poet in me
but
I’m with Anne on
how it’s done
I always wondered why
in school
I had to say in 20 pages
what I could convey
in one
In a funny way, this posting confirms my confidence in you as a PR agent. I didn’t get the e-mail release you sent, and I assume that’s because you knew it was about something that I wouldn’t be interested in and so you didn’t include me on the distribution. The fact that I know you target your releases makes me much more likely to open something you send me than something another PR person sends me–and makes me feel more guilty when I decide I’ll “read it later” (we all know what that really means in practice.)
Also, I can only speak for myself but I would prefer to get a lot more download links in e-mailed releases even if it meant fewer physical CDs. If I get a CD in the mail I have to deal with the physical packaging, make time to listen to it, make sure I have it with me when I’m ready to listen to it, etc. But I’ll follow a link to an mp3 download (or download page) at the drop of a hat. Interacting with web stores and inputting promo codes is a different matter, but not too bad (just don’t make me set up an account and give you a mountain of information).
I love Anne’s honesty.
Amanda: I’m not in your field and never get your press releases, which I’m sure, judging from this blog, are shining. But complicated instructions get an ignore-this response from me. I like releases that hit me with the hot note: the info I need clearly and briefly. If that connects, I go further.
The only thing worse than getting lots of press releases is not getting press releases.
“It’s not our job to read what you send us; you have to make us want to.”
The elephant in the room here is that many press releases you receive come directly from artists who can’t afford publicists. And we artists tear our own hair out trying to create copy that hits that “hot note” that will inspire you (the press people) to give us a listing, review our music or performance, call us for an interview, etc. But at the same time, we have integrity, and a sincere desire for you to understand where we and our work sits in the context of contemporary culture. We also assume you are adults with some knowledge of the arts and history.
It is this spirit that may sometimes (although God knows we try to play the game…) result in a press release that includes information (copy?) that you think is extraneous. We want to share, to illuminate, to be honest.
Yes, you’re busy. But try being say a composer with a full time job. And consider being your own PR person on top of that. We’re all busy 🙂
All that said, I don’t expect or insist that press people read every word of every press release they get. Just offering a perspective from another angle. Thanks for reading (if indeed you made it this far…)
To Chris Becker:
Keep it short and honest and informative and I’ll read it no matter who you are. Heck, I’m honestly more likely to read an e-mail release from a composer who has something interesting to say than your average press release. (Sorry, Amanda.)
As for press releases coming directly from artists: it’s the exception, not the rule. I’ve gotten more than 60 press releases since Monday (it’s now noon on Wednesday), and not one comes from an artist.
“Heck, I’m honestly more likely to read an e-mail release from a composer who has something interesting to say than your average press release.”
I will pass that along 🙂
“I’ve gotten more than 60 press releases since Monday (it’s now noon on Wednesday), and not one comes from an artist.”
Are you sure? No creative euphemisms or anagrams among the manager or publicist names? Artists are sneaky…
Actually, I have received some personal responses from the press people I reach out to whenever I do a gig. So I’m not complaining. But I think creative people here in NYC – including those with management or working with a publicist – have to rely on the DIY approach more often than you might think.
Just for the record, I was not the aforementioned John 🙂