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Why this document? Whenever groups of people with a common interest get together, the conversation turns to the subjects they have in common. Among the many ongoing conversation themes among the members of the Internet Press Guild (editors, writers, and freelancers on Internet topics) are the frustrations of dealing with "PR people." That's what we call you when we're feeling kind. The language is often much more colorful. Like it or not, we need each other. You need us to cover the products you're responsible for, whether they're your own creations or you work for a public relations firm responsible for getting coverage for your company's products. We need information from you in order to get our stories done. In order to save our sanity--and to enhance our ability to work together -- we have put together this short guide, explaining the journalists' side of the story. We encourage you to share this information with your clients so that they can start thinking about the wisdom of current metrics (number of people called, etc.) of PR success. After all, in the end, it's not how many contacts you make that count, it's how many contacts lead to a press release actually getting coverage. Getting our attention First, when contacting writers and editors, your job is to write a press release that makes us want to read it--and use it. Remember: Less is more. If you must write a press release that is longer than a page and a half, do so as if you will lose one article for every paragraph that goes over that limit. Write as if you're working for Joe Friday: "Just the facts." Tell us who you are, what you're announcing, and why we should care. If you must include a quote from an executive, make it more substantive than, "We're going to revolutionize the field." Be specific. What is so revolutionary about your product that makes it worthwhile? Cut the buzzwords. Do you think Joe Friday would finish reading something that started: "HYPERSOFT, INC. announces its all-new, interactive, interoperable, cross-platform, new multimedia solution"? Well, neither will we. Include a quick, bulleted fact sheet: What the product is Don't bother including a trinket with your press kit. It won't convince me of the worthiness of your software, so in most cases it's a waste of money. True, some journalists find them useful as memory kickers. ("Oh, yeah, Xware . . . they were the ones who sent us the x-shaped kitchen magnets. Look, the URL's written on the side, where it says, "The URL is out there.") In general, however, you're probably better off using the money to make your product the best it can be. Sure, I'll use your corkscrew. I won't throw it out. But it doesn't buy you anything, in any sense of the word. A competent journalist won't depend on knickknacks to get his information; he'll head to the search engines and the databases. Above all, GET TO THE POINT. Here's one incredibly incompetent e-mail interaction that a member of the Internet Press Guild had with a PR person: Subject: Re: [Our Client] Announces [Something] A press kit should contain a short written explanation about what the product is, who it's aimed at, and what features or capabilities make it worth my time. Don't waste words telling me that it's great, unique, or awesome -- I'll make my own decision about that, and ignore yours. A remarkable number of vendors forget the "basics," such as name, address, and e-mail, on the disks that are there to make it easier for us to track them back to the company if questions come up. (Strangely enough, many vendors forget to put this information on their Web sites as well.) If the technology is new (this means you have either invented the first firewall, the first proxy server, or the first streaming audio -- not just a better one -- or an extension to something we already understand), by all means, include a white paper or something that explains the basic whats and wherefores with little diagrams. Even more important, you should have the developer or inventor ready to explain what I don't understand. Please don't tell me `you think that sounds right' if you don't have absolute knowledge, or tell me that you'll check, then play a game of "telephone" that leads to my getting an answer that doesn't address my question because you, or the PR person-in-the-middle, lack the technical expertise to properly communicate my question. If you don't know, put me in touch with the person who does and get out of the way. Furthermore, we don't need you on a conference call while we discuss the issue, especially if the details are too arcane for you to follow. Your presence is frankly more likely to cause communication errors; because it makes it harder for us to hear, and it sometimes makes the technoids too nervous to talk. They aren't conference call people, and neither am I. Honestly, they all want to keep their jobs; so I sincerely doubt that they'll destroy your company if you let them have a conversation all by themselves. Corresponding with the press Most journalists prefer that you send press releases via e-mail. You will find some die-hard snail mail folks, and a few who like faxes. If you're about to start working with a new journalist, and you're not sure how they prefer to receive their press information, ask. That's especially true if you intend to send a fax, since faxes cost us time and money to receive. You'd better be sure I want to get that fax before you tie up my phone lines. E-mail should be sent as a plain text file: The simpler, the better. We don't have a lot of time to spend reading press releases; so the quicker you can get the message through to us, the quicker we can respond. If you have a full press kit with screen shots and four-part harmony, mention in your e-mail message that a full press kit is available; but only send it to those who ask. (Doing so will save you money, anyway.) Never, never send an unsolicited binary file (picture). You may not realize it, but this really is an imposition. You don't know where I am when I receive your message. I could be calling in long distance on my laptop, with barely enough room left on the hard disk to read my text messages. This is one of the major annoyances we journalists complain about among ourselves. In fact, most of us will delete unsolicited binary files without even reading them. Above all, do not send us large graphical files which may take forever to download. With an average daily e-mail load of several hundred messages, we don't have time to waste with graphic downloads, no matter how cool they look. If you can convince us that your product is worth our time, we'll get in touch with you, and then you can send us all the pretty pictures and information files we need. Generally, you should not call us to find out if we received your press release. This is often intended as courtesy, but in reality it's simply a nuisance. If we're interested, you'll hear from us. If we've already established an ongoing relationship because I've covered your products earlier, it's okay to send a followup e-mail a few days later to ask if I have any questions; but that's it. Now, I know this next point goes against a lot of your training; but take my word for it: Nothing sets a writer or editor's teeth on edge more than an eager young voice saying, "I'm calling to see if you got the press release we sent." (It is, alas, common practice to have followup calls made by the most junior [read: clueless] members of an agency.) When we're in the middle of a tight deadline, the last thing we want is a phone call that contains no new or useful information whatsoever. Thus, by making such calls, you're actually harming both your clients' and your own reputations. If you actually have something substantive to add, such as pointing out an error in a press release, that's another story; but you're still better off sending us an e-mail about it than calling us. Making the right connections Because many of us work at home, the "don't call" rule can be especially important. For example, some writers who collect, review, or judge Web sites sleep days and surf nights. (Otherwise, it would take us three times as long to do our jobs). These writers leave the phone plugged in because children are out of town or in school, or they want to be available to a spouse. Getting a call from a PR person in the daytime would be like you getting a call from a writer at your home in the middle of the night. If you really want to find the "right people," your best course of action is to look at the magazines and write down who's on the masthead. Get the e-mail addresses for staffers from the masthead or the magazine's Web site. Take down the names of contributors and contributing editors (freelancers) and look up their e-mail addresses on the Web. This won't cost much, and it's the easiest way to be accurate. Once we're in touch Here's one example of how not to do it. I asked a vendor for a copy of their program at a trade show, as I was positive I could sell an article about the topic. It never arrived. When I finally wrote to them to nag for a copy, they responded by giving me an ftp site and a password. I hate that. If a company wants me to look at a product, why the hell should I have to go out of my way to look at it? It's their job to make it as convenient as humanly possible to examine the software. It should show up at my doorstep preferably within two business days. (I honestly do forget that I asked for something; and then it arrives weeks later and I say, "What was this about?") Because you sent the product, an e-mail, or a press release to one person at a publication, don't think that it reaches everyone at, or associated with, the publication. As mentioned earlier, "contributing editor" means "a freelancer we like a lot." ("Senior contributing editor" generally means "a freelancer we like a heck of a lot, and the editor-in-chief will buy her dinner when they happen to be in the same city.") So if you send a press release or a box of software to the magazine I write for, don't imagine for a moment that I know about it. Even within the on-site staff of big magazines, don't rely on the theory that people talk to one another. In the biggest magazines, people barely have time to wave at each other in the hallways. Besides, even among journalists who are friends, we actively compete with one another and tend to hoard certain information. On the other side of things, though, note that writers, freelancers, and editors do talk with (and about!) each other. And yes, we talk about you vendors, both positively and negatively. That's our version of "shop talk." "Gee, you wouldn't believe what happened when I reviewed one of XYZ's products a couple of years ago. They spent twenty minutes on the phone yelling at me for giving them a bad review, when the stupid product didn't even install! They even threatened to sue the magazine." No freelancer who hears such a story will go out of her way to write about XYZ's products; and if they do work with the company, they won't do it with a trusting heart. The lesson here is: Don't screw us. We remember. And there's an old saying about not going to battle with anyone who buys ink by the barrel. Also note that I get new software dropped on my doorstep every single day. I might tell you, "Sure, send me a copy!" However, especially with freelancers, that does not by any stretch of the imagination imply that I will review it, or that I will even try to do so. I might not get a chance to look at it. I might look at it, but be unable to convince an editor that it deserves mention or that it fits their particular angle or is appropriate for their publication's audience. ("We don't review utilities here.") Requesting a product is not a promise that we will review it. It just means we think the product may be noteworthy; and if we do get to see it and we can convince an editor to agree with us, it might see print. Still, it is a good place to start! Okay, you're being reviewed: Now what? Get me the information I ask for, when I want it, in the manner that I want it. I promise you that I will want it immediately, with an unreasonable deadline. Cope with it. I have an unreasonable deadline, too. If I tell you that I'm reviewing your product, unless I tell you otherwise, that means "Send it FedEx overnight, to arrive by 10 a.m." Whatever you do, make it incredibly easy for me to do business with you. Don't tell me to
go to an ftp site. Even if your application is a tiny shareware program, send me a diskette -- with the registered
version, Many of us got into this business because we really love software. If you send a version that expires, you practically guarantee that we won't pitch your product to an editor again, because we've been deceived and robbed. Sure, you've successfully bamboozled the reviewer and prevented him from playing with your product once the review was in; but he'll be around next year, and the year after that. And he'll be pitching products from other vendors -- your competitors -- that don't play head games. Besides, we can almost always tell that a product is cheesy before even plugging it in, because a small-minded vendor will put more effort into ensuring that we don't "steal" it than in making a product anyone would want. Don't waste your time, folks. Remember, we talk to one another. Check my address first. Many PR people depend on a publication called "Media Map" (it costs them $1500/year, so they'd better do so) which lists all sorts of press people and media personalities, contact information, and a description of what they do. Unfortunately, the address Media Map has for me is wrong; so anything sent by a "thoughtful" PR person who didn't verify my address with me is sitting in front of an unoccupied office in a bad neighborhood. Always, when you send the package, enclose something that provides what I call the "About box" data. That's the information you'll find in the "at a glance" box alongside a review, citing the product's full name and version, the company's full official name, the product list price (yes, I KNOW that nobody pays list), company address, phone (both 800 number and toll), fax, e-mail and/or Web address. It's amazing how often I have to scurry for this information at the last minute, which is generally 11:00 p.m. on a Sunday night. Be available to answer any questions I might have, but don't be a pest. It's fine to send an e-mail the day after I should have received the package to verify that I got it. (Don't call. An e-mail is friendly; a call is intrusive.) It's also fine for you to give me your own contact information and schedule at that point, and to offer assistance: "I'll be around all week, but if you have any questions about the product you might want to note that I'll be offline all weekend." Don't be offended if I don't contact you. Ordinarily, if I need technical support, I will do it anonymously if at all possible. My readers won't be able to call the PR department and get personal attention from the marketing manager, after all. It's okay--and generally expected--that if I have a "long" lead time for a review (say, two or three weeks), you'll e-mail or call me about a week after you sent the product to say, "How's it going?" Some writers say they still don't want a call. I'd err on the side of e-mail. If the writer is having trouble, you'll get an answer. If they're not, you won't. Don't call to find out if they got the e-mail followup; that's certain to get you in hot water. Just be patient and let us do our jobs. If any minor questions have come up, this is the point at which I'd be likely to ask them. That one phone call is enough, unless I make it very obvious that you're welcome to call or that I need more information. If you promise me information, though, deliver it. And do so within the time constraints that I have to live with. Every time you fail to deliver, you make your company look bad, and that will affect how I regard your product. Service counts! Besides, such delays also make ME look bad to my editor. I don't like that. If it occurs with any regularity, I will refuse to write about your products henceforth. I want my editors to think well of me, because THEY are the ones who sign those pretty pieces of paper that say, "Pay to the order of." Never try to get more attention by saying that you advertise in the publication I write for, whether you do or not. To a writer, there is very little that is more of a turnoff. I don't know if you advertise. I don't want to know. I don't care. I'm not in marketing. If I do know, I ignore that knowledge. It has nothing whatsoever to do with my job, which is to examine the product from the viewpoint of my readers and to tell them: (a) what your company claims the product does; (b) how well it actually does it; and (c) whether my readers should fork over their hard-earned clams to get it. To mention anything about advertising is to imply, intentionally or otherwise, that the content of my review should be influenced by your advertising dollars. I don't deal well with that sort of threat. If I permit myself to have ANY response to it, it will be a negative response towards your company, and possibly towards the product. Understand that YOU WILL NOT BE TOLD AHEAD OF TIME ABOUT THE CONTENTS OF ANY REVIEW. EVER. My editor is paying me to give my opinion of the product to my readers. While I understand fully that you want to know my response, I'm never going to tell you about it before it sees print. First, I'm writing for the readers, and not for your approval or disapproval. Second, if I said anything with which you disagreed, since my lead time from article submission to paper is usually measured in months, you would have the opportunity to complain to the publication (and to the world in general) before the readers even knew about the review. So much for objectivity! So I won't tell you what I said -- and neither will my editors. Don't even ask. You will see it when it reaches print, at the same time the readers see it. (The one slight exception to this is if you're a vendor on the other side of the world. If you're in Australia and the publication is in the US, if you ask the editorial staff if they could please fax you a copy of the article as soon as it goes to subscribers, they'll generally comply. But that's an editorial decision, not one I would make. Note that you'd arrange this with the EDITORS, not with me.) Don't try to tell me what to think. Similarly, while I'm thrilled that you provide copious information, don't be surprised if I don't use the greater part of it. For example, some vendors have offered me bit-mapped screen shots of their products. Learn about the nature of the publication and its purpose before you even offer such a thing; also, ask what format they'd need it in. I myself would never contemplate including a vendor's screen shot in any review I wrote (though I've been told of other publications that would). I consider taking screen shots about my user experience to be included in the "tell the reader how it really works" part of my job. Sometimes, publications do want a screen shot from you, because they'll use it in product announcements. These are very different from reviews in that they don't speak about the publication's opinion of the product, but only about what the company says the product is or does. (Therefore, they can also print a picture of what the company says the product is or does, i.e. your screen shot.) Readers are expected to be able to tell the difference. Whether or not they can, I'm not so sure; but we certainly can! Note, though, that these are usually very tiny pictures -- often 1" square. You can't fit anything complex in such a tiny space; so anything that doesn't precisely fit the publication's own style gets dumped. Don't waste my time. After the review prints As soon as you discover the error, send me an e-mail, with a "cc:" to my editor. Don't simmer. Don't wait three months before you lodge a complaint. (If nothing else, if you're right and the author is wrong, you'll want the error correction to appear in print as soon as possible.) As objectively as possible, point out the errors and omissions, and cite as many unbiased facts as you can manage. ("The reviewer said that our application won't print in color. This is incorrect, and I'd be happy to send you sample printouts to demonstrate this.") Don't mention that you're an advertiser; it's not relevant, and it reeks of powermongering. Don't accuse others of malice: That is extremely rare, especially among reputable writers. Don't let your anger get in the way; it may distract us from your perfectly valid facts. While writers do occasionally make mistakes, your best bet is to approach the situation with the attitude that surely there must have been some misunderstanding, and couldn't the editor help you unravel it? At this point, your real contact is with the editor, not the writer. Since it's fairly obvious that the editor will correspond with the writer about your complaint, you can save time by sending that cc:. If you're not sure which editor to contact, this is one of the few times you can feel safe in writing to the editor in chief. While she might not be the appropriate person to handle the situation, she'll definitely forward it accordingly -- and it doesn't hurt to have her cognizant of your presumably justified complaint. While all this is going on, HOLD YOUR TEMPER about the errors. If your customers write to say, "Hey, Mumble Magazine said that your application won't print in color!", then let them know you're talking with the magazine to find out what the problem was. Don't leave messages all over Internet newsgroups saying that the writer was an idiot and made factual errors -- especially if you don't bother to tell the writer or editor that you did so. (This has happened.) First of all, we're assuming that you're trying to work things out with the magazine; and if the magazine agrees that they were mistaken, you can be sure they'll take steps to correct the mistake. Do you really want to piss them off before they do so? Besides, whether or not your complaints are justified . . . well, remember that point I made earlier that "writers talk to each other?" The vendor who prematurely rants and raves all over the newsgroups is going to have a VERY hard time getting anyone to review his products ever again. During this process, politeness earns you a lot. While everyone concerned can understand why you're upset (especially if you're right!), anger gets in the way of finding a peaceful resolution. If you behave yourself well under fire, both editor and writer will notice; and you might win more in the long run.
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