Magazine editors receive hundreds of press releases per week.  Most of these are inappropriate, incomplete or illegible.

John W. Elliott, the founder of Power PR, a California public relations firm, recently developed 10 simple tips to streamline PR press releases and make a magazine editor's job easier.  Following these guidelines can keep your press releases out of the trash and maximize your publicity efforts.

1) Use a media directory, such as Bacon's Media Source or Writer's Market Media Directory, to study the editorial profiles of publications in your industry.  Then, make a list of the publications you think are most likely to accept an article about your product or subject material.

2) Call for a media kit (or download one) from each of your target publications and study their readership information thoroughly.

3) Get three recent back issues of the publications you feel are most appropriate, and study them as well.  Note repeating sections, columns and subjects.  Try to imagine how the editor will put the next issue together.

4) Think up a story that suits one or more of the publications you've been studying.

5) Do your homework.  Study your story's subject until you become an expert, then write the story.  Be sure to stay on the subject and use only the words needed to tell the story.

6) Be specific.  Editors hate generalities.  Make sure you answer who, what, when, where, why and how in the first two paragraphs.  Keep these paragraphs concise and to the point, since editors will stop reading if they have to dig out information.

7) Prove all your claims.  If you can't prove a claim, don't include it in the story.

8) Quote at least one opinion leader or industry expert to lend credibility to your story.

9) Edit following the guidelines of "Elements of Style," a small book by Strunk and White, and "The Associated Press Stylebook."  Read them and refer to them often.

10) After spell checking, send the story to the editors of the publications you've targeted.  In a short note, address each editor by name, mentioning that you studied the publication's profile and read three recent back issues before writing the story.  If the story suits a certain section of the publication, specify which one along with the benefits readers will enjoy if your story is published.

Although these tips may seem like a lot of work, following them will pay big dividends for your business or endeavor.  As you get comfortable with the process, you'll soon find yourself maximizing your print publicity – as well as the number and quality of your sales prospects.

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