Editorial/Press Release - What are some points to consider while writing?

[Geoff Hart <ghart -at- videotron -dot- ca>]

Jennifer Bennett wondered: <<I will be writing an editorial/press 
release for a software application.  I have not written one before, and 
I am interested in finding out what points need to be considered before 
and while writing.  I have written the help system and user manual for 
this application, so I am very familiar with the application.>>

The first thing you need to do is forget your familiarity with the 
application and place yourself firmly in the sticky shoes of the 
reader, who probably doesn't know much (if anything) about your 
application and probably could care less. Why should they want to read 
this? What points will catch their interest and get them to read beyond 
the first sentence?

Start with those points. Answer the "why should I read this?" question 
first, then go into more detail once you've got them hooked--most 
important details first, and specifically what makes your product 
different from all the other "me too" products. People who receive 
press releases receive _many_ of them, and may not bother to read right 
through to the end. Keep it short and sweet; that focuses you on what 
is truly important. And to the extent possible, avoid marketing 
buzzwords. Say clearly what you mean; don't rely on jargon to carry the 
weight of what you're saying. Be refreshingly different!

Also note that most press releases I've seen look like they were typed 
in Courier Obsolete <g> using an ancient and rather distressed manual 
typewriter, then photocopied repeatedly onto flimsy telegraph paper 
that holds toner poorly. The authors have clearly never heard of modern 
typography, white space, and headings. If you want to stand out from 
the crowd, use some of your skills to make the press release really 
readable: a good serif font for the body text, appropriate line lengths 
and spacing, appropriate use of headings, and so on. Make it stand out 
from the rest of the <ahem> crap, but without tarting up the 
presentation so much it provokes the skeptical response: think clean, 
clear, readable.

<<I think a couple of important questions to ask would be "How familiar 
are the readers with the product or similar products?"  and "What 
method/software do the typical potential customers currently use?">>

Audience is always important, and if you think you may have multiple 
audiences, you may need to consider different press releases. For 
example, the uber-geek subject area expert on this type of product 
working for PC Magazine will clearly want different information than 
the clueless purchasing manager at a small company (but possibly the 
same information as the cluefull purchasing manager at that company 
<g>).

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Geoff Hart   ghart -at- videotron -dot- ca
(try geoffhart -at- mac -dot- com if you don't get a reply)
www.geoff-hart.com
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