A press release is the way to get your business noticed. But how do you get the media to look at yours among the hundreds they receive every day?

Here are some pointers on how to write an effective story pitch that won't get tossed in the editor's recycling bin and some basic tips on how to format a press release.

Press release writing guidelines

Before you even put your news down on paper, how do you go about crafting an effective release? Here are a few helpful hints.

Why are you writing this? Some releases ramble on about the who, what, where, when, and why of a business without a clear newsworthy angle. You have to have a hook for your story. Are you sending this release to promote a person, product, event, or idea? Be sure you have news to announce - or create it in the way you spin your story.

Who are you writing this for? If you're clear on the kind of media you are sending this release to, you can tailor your story to their needs and increase your chances of being noticed.

Keep it to one page. Editors and reporters don't have time to read all the releases they get. The first 10 words should grab the reader. Needless to say, check spelling, punctuation, and grammar.

Inform and tease. You can get more extensive coverage from a reporter who's intrigued by your story than from a reporter who runs your release as it is. Make your newsworthy point and provide details, but don't tell the whole story.

Send the release to the right person. Instead of sending your release to the editor, address it to the reporter who regularly covers a beat relevant to your story. You're more likely to spark some interest that way.

Send it at the right time. Give yourself and your audience enough time to follow up on your story. Newspapers and online daily publications usually work on stories 24 to 48 hours in advance, although feature stories may take weeks to complete. Monthly publications usually work at least a couple of months in advance.

Make it easy. Consider including a bio sheet - a one page summary of you are - with your printed press release so you can establish your credibility with a reporter without cluttering up your release copy with extra material. Some people even include a photograph or a list of possible questions they want to be asked to make the reporter's job as easy as possible.

Be prepared. You could be missing a valuable publicity opportunity by not making yourself immediately available when a reporter is on deadline.

Basic press release format

Most media outlets prefer to receive press releases in the following format.

"FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:" Capitalize every letter, and put these words in the upper left-hand margin of the page, right under your letterhead. If instead you want the media to hold off on releasing your information until a certain date, write "FOR RELEASE ON (insert date.)"

Contact information. Include as much contact information as you can. Skip a line or two after the release statement and put your name, title, telephone, fax, and e-mail address here.

Headline. Skip two lines after your contact information and use a bold font type to write your catchy headline. Don't use fancy fonts; stick with a business font like Times or Arial.

Dateline. This should provide the city you issue your press release from, and the date you're sending your release out. For example, "WATERTOWN, MASS. - April 10, 2001."

Lead paragraph. Make sure the first 10 words grab your reader, and that the first paragraph provides enough information about who, what, where, when, and why, to keep him reading.

Text. The body of your release goes here. Releases are written in block style, so you don't have to indent paragraphs. Double-space your lines or use a space and half. Leave a single space after a period.

Recap. The lower left-hand corner of the last page should restate your event or product specs and highlight any release dates. Include a "For additional information" line that points to your Web site, an annual report, or other materials.

"###." Skip two lines at the end of your release and center these symbols or a "-30-" to indicate there is no copy to follow.