Press Release Writing Tips From a Former Local News Editor

Editors don't read press releases the way founders imagine. We don't sit down, read top to bottom, and evaluate the writing. We scan the subject line, then the first sentence, and we've already decided whether to keep reading before we hit the second paragraph. That's the entire game. Here's what actually moved a release from "delete" to "worth a callback" during my time on the desk.

The Subject Line Is the Whole Pitch

I opened my inbox to hundreds of press releases a week. The subject line is doing 90% of the work — if it doesn't tell me what happened and why it matters to my readers, I never open the email at all.

Notice the first one is specific and answers "so what?" before I even click. The second gives me nothing to act on.

Local Relevance Beats Polish, Every Time

A perfectly formatted release about a business milestone with no local hook gets skipped in favor of a rougher release that clearly matters to my readers. If your announcement affects local jobs, local addresses, or a well-known local landmark, say so in the first sentence — that's the hook that gets it assigned to a reporter instead of filed away.

Give Me a Quote I Can Actually Use

Nine years in, I can tell you the single most-cut sentence from small business releases is the quote. Owners write quotes like ad copy — "We are beyond thrilled to embark on this exciting new journey" — and it gets cut every time because it says nothing. A usable quote sounds like a person talking, gives a specific reason, and is short enough to run as-is.

Send It on the Right Day, Not the Convenient Day

Small businesses tend to send releases whenever they finish writing them — often Friday afternoon, right before the news cycle goes quiet for the weekend. Tuesday through Thursday mornings got the most attention from our desk. If your announcement is time-sensitive, plan the writing backward from the send date, not the other way around.

Make the Follow-Up Easy, Not Awkward

Every release should include a direct phone number and email for follow-up questions — not a generic "info@" inbox that takes two days to reply. If a reporter has a two-line follow-up question and can't get a fast answer, the story often just doesn't run at all. Responsiveness in the first hour after sending matters more than almost anything else in the release itself.

Frequently Asked Questions

What's the biggest mistake small businesses make in press releases?

Writing a subject line and opening sentence that sound like marketing instead of news. Editors skim fast — if the first sentence doesn't read like a factual news lead, it doesn't get a second look.

Does it matter if I use a distribution service?

For local coverage, a direct, personal email to a specific editor or reporter usually beats a mass distribution service — it reads as deliberate outreach instead of a form blast. Distribution services are more useful for broader, non-local visibility.

How long should the quote be?

One to two sentences, written the way the person actually talks. Anything longer gets trimmed by an editor anyway, so trim it yourself first.

If you want a press release built to this exact structure — headline, lead, quote, and local hook — without staring at a blank page, Milestone Letters generates one from a short form, with a free preview before you pay. You can also run your existing draft through our free grader to see how it scores before you send it.

Already have a draft? Try our free press release grader →