The last piece of the puzzle in creating your press release is something called a direction sheet: it’s, as the name implies, a sheet of paper that you can use as a guideline to answer questions about your proposed release. A basic direction sheet might include the following information:

• Subject of the piece. Is it going to be a new product publicity piece, an announcement of employee promotions, or news about a special event such as a fund-raiser or grand opening?
• Format. What form will the information take? Will it be a news release, a magazine article, a television PSA, or a brochure?

See Thomas H. Bivins’ Public Relations Writing page 9.

Formatting your press release

Here are some guidelines:

1. Write your press release on plain, white bond paper with no decorative border.
2. Margins are one to one and half inches on all sides.
3. The address of the sender is placed in the upper left-hand corner of the first page.
4. The release date appears on the right margin, slightly lower than the bottom of the address block.
5. The body of the release begins about one-third of the way down the page, allowing some white space for comments or notes from the editor.
6. Double -space the body of the press release.
7. If the release runs more than a page, place the word “more” in brackets or within dashes at the bottom of the page.
8. The following pages are identified by a “slug line” followed by several dashes and the page number at the top of the page, usually either flush left or flush right.
9. The end of the release is designated in one of the several ways. Use the word “end” or the number “30” either in quotation marks or within dashes or the symbol # # # #.

See Thomas H. Bivins’ Public Relations Writing pages 83-84.

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Contact: Bob Smith

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You can find a sample press release on the next page.