How to write a press release

Has your work won a district competition or been selected for the Loan Collection? Do you want to let your contacts know you’re now a certified professional photographer? PPA provides press release templates so you can share good news with your local community.

The downloadable templates include the facts about your achievement and allow space for you to customize them with information about you and your studio. Once you complete a release, just email it to your local media, preferably to the writers or reporters who cover photography, business, or the arts in your area. If you want to cast a wider net, there are several free and paid press release distribution services you can find online.

To gain the greatest attention for your news, make sure your announcement is written objectively and is free of opinion, editorializing, or hype words (like “awesome,” “great,” “on sale”). Follow this format to ensure your release is at least considered by the recipient:

Headline: Describe in one sentence what the news is.    

Summary: This is also a one-liner. It expounds on the headline and summarizes the body.

Dateline: City and date

Body: This is where you tell your story. Structure the body the way you structured papers in high school, with an introduction, facts and statistics to support your
information, and quotes from relevant parties, if possible.

Boilerplate: This goes at the end and is a description of your studio. Keep it short but interesting.

Press release templates are typically emailed to PPA members upon reaching a milestone. You can also go to ppa.com and search “press release” to see a list of available templates. Or call member services, (800) 786-6277 to request one.  

James Yates is a communications specialist at Professional Photographers of America.