Grammar Geek

1he Crammar Ceek's Culde Lo WrlLlng ress 8eleases
! 2013 e8eleases - hLLp://www.ereleases.com

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1ab|e of Contents

Introduct|on
#1
1he 8lghL Way Lo lormaL ?our ress 8elease . 4
#2
Why Spelllng and Crammar MaLLer ln ress 8eleases . 6
#3
LllmlnaLlng 8edundancles from ?our WrlLlng . 8
#4
CeLLlng 8eLLer ress 8elease CuoLes . 10
#S
6 1lps for LdlLlng ?our 8eleases . 12
#6
WhaL ?ou need Lo know AbouL SenLence SLrucLure . 14
#7
AcLlve volce vs. asslve volce (SClLL8 ALL81: AcLlve Wlns) . 16
#8
4 Comma 8ules ?ou need Lo know . 18

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Youll Hear People (including me) Say Over and Over,
That your press release will never see the light of day if you dont really have a good
story. And theyre right. As with all types of writing, content really is king. However,
theres more to it than the actual content. Theres how you present the content.
The fact is that if you dont know how to properly write a press release, then your great
story idea will never even get read. Now, it doesnt take a rocket scientist to figure this
one out: an idea is useless if no one will do anything with it. And someone can only do
something with it if they read it or hear it.
That means you need to cut out as many variables as possible. See, by making sure
you know commonly held press release standards, you can increase the odds that
people will take the time to read it. And thats what this entire eBook is about. Im here
to help you understand not what sort of ideas to include in your press release, but how
to avoid silly mistakes such as grammar and formatting that will throw up red flags and
cause it to end up in the trash can before anyone reads past the title.
So if you want to increase the odds of being heard, read on. Youll see how to:
Properly format your release
Write to impress
Properly edit
Avoid silly mistakes
No worries, its not complicated.

Lets Get Started,

Mickie E Kennedy
Founder and President
eReleases Press Release Distribution
http://www.ereleses.com
$800 of PR Service FREE

eReleases can help. Try one month of Personal Publicist
Service FREE*

We formulaLe a 8 sLraLegy, wrlLe your press release, and dlsLrlbuLe lL
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4
#1
1he k|ght Way to Iormat our ke|ease
When it comes to the various types of writing youll do for your business, youll find that
press releases are by far the most regimented. Unlike blog posts and marketing pieces,
press releases have a specific format that people expect them to follow. That means
that in respect to formatting, this isnt the time for you to get creative. Instead, carefully
follow the formatting steps to make sure yours doesnt get tossed out simply because it
doesnt look right.
1. FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASEAt the very top, this should begin the release to
let everyone know its news they can use NOW. Of course, if you are dealing with
sensitive information that should not be released until a certain date, you can
include that here.

2. HeadlineThe headline should be direct and to the point. Remember, its really
the first thing theyll read, so grab their attention. How can you grab attention?
Well, make sure they get a good idea of what your release is about from the title.
Whats in it for them? Make them want to read.

3. SummaryThis is basically a brief extension of the above headline. Just give a
quick, one sentence summary of your news.

4. Line oneBegin with your location and the date. Then go into the first line,
which needs to offer something new. In other words, why is this news? Why is it
relevant? Dont make them dig for it. Spell it out right then and there.

5. The bodyNow its time to expound on your story. Use quotes from company
representatives and if you have any statistics, include them here as well. Make
sure you answer all those Ws: who, what, when, where, why.

6. Additional infoWhere can the reader obtain more information about your
news? Schedule an interview? Maybe find facts online? Tell them.

7. ###--This traditionally signifies the end of a release.

8. Info about your companyIts common form to include general information
about your company with your release. Usually its a short paragraph just letting
people know who you are and what youre about.
Think of it like a resume. When a potential employer checks out your resume, they
expect to see certain things. They expect a section with job history. They want to see
evidence of your education. And of course they need your contact information. If you
leave something out, or riddle your resume with misspellings or anything else that
3
makes you seem unprofessional, they will simply toss it in the garbage. Same goes for
your press release.

To review:
Much llke a resume, how your press release ls formaLLed maLLers
almosL as much as lLs conLenLs. uon'L leL your release wlnd up ln Lhe
Lrash - send lL Lhrough a leglLlmaLe 8 Servlce, and remember:

lC8 lMMLulA1L 8LLLASL
A headllne
Summary
LocaLlon/uaLe
### (slgnlfles Lhe end of Lhe release)
lnformaLlon abouL you/your company

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#2
Why Spe|||ng and Grammar Matter |n ress ke|eases
When it comes to spelling and grammar, youll usually find that people fall into two
different schools of thought. One side will argue that mechanics are unimportant as long
as you get your message across effectively. Then theres the other side that insists that
sloppy mechanics will get your press release tossed out the window.
So who is right?
Well, I will say this: when it comes to getting your press release noticed, you probably
already know that youre facing some steep competition. Your release is probably
fighting for a breath of air among a stack of hundreds of others. So every little thing you
can do to gain an advantage is crucial.
So my question is: why wouldnt you shoot for good grammar and proper spelling? Am I
saying you need to write as if you were putting together a Masters Thesis? No. But
making silly grammar and spelling mistakes will:
Make you seem unprofessional. First and foremost, you want the people
reading your release to see you as a professional. If you sprinkle silly mistakes
all through your release, no one is going to take you seriously. Face itwhether
its true or notspelling and grammatical errors make you look unintelligent. No
one wants to cover news from an unintelligent source.

Get you booted from the directories. In this day and age of the internet, press
releases arent for the sole purpose of sending out to reporters. You can also
post them to directories to get noticed and get links back to your site. But if you
try and post something full of errors, its going to come off as spam. And with
Google on the warpath to root out such spam, you can count on the directories to
give your release the boot.

Cause your releases to lose meaning. Sometimes a simple misspelling or
deletion of a comma can completely change the tone and meaning of what youre
trying to say. So unless you want people to read your release and get the wrong
idea, pay extra careful attention to detail.
In the end, the more attention you pay to your mechanics, the more effective your news
release will be. Dont let this attention dominate your thinking to the point that it
constrains you during the writing process, but take time to read your release over and
run it through a spelling check.

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To review:
Spelllng and grammar - yes, Lhey maLLer A LC1.

Why? MlsLakes:

Make you seem unprofesslonal
Can acLually geL your release flagged as spam
Can obscure Lhe meanlng of your conLenL

"A man's grammar, ||ke Caesar's w|fe, shou|d not on|y be pure, but
above susp|c|on of |mpur|ty."
- Ldgar A||an oe
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#3
L||m|nat|ng kedundanc|es from our Wr|t|ng
In a writing world dominated by word count, its not uncommon to read something online
only to feel like youve read the same sentence over and over. Writers have become
masters of fluff because so many places have required them to hit certain word counts
in the past. However, when it comes to press releases, you want to get to the point as
quickly as possible. That means you need to give up wasting words and eliminate as
many redundancies as you can.
Here is a quick list of words and phrases to avoid so you can get right to the point:
Advance previewThink about it!any preview is in advance.

Present timeWhen you use the term present, you are talking about time. No
need to notify the reader.

In close proximityDo you know what proximity means? Close is already in
its definition.

Completely unanimous decisionIf a decision is unanimous, that means
every single person agrees. You cant be partially unanimous.

The end result isWhere do you obtain the results? In the end, of course. So
any result you get is the end.

Major breakthroughIf you make a breakthrough, its going to be major.

Final outcomeJust like the end result.

Free giftArent all gifts supposed to be free? Granted, people like to see the
word free in marketing materials. But your press release isnt marketing, right?

Collaborate togetherCollaborate is one of those business buzzwords people
love to throw outand thats fine. But if you are going to use it then you need to
use it correctly. The prefix co means together. So no need to throw that in.

Unexpected surpriseHave you ever expected a surprise? If you did, then it
wasnt really a surprise, was it?

New beginningWhile heres to new beginnings is a classic toast, thats about
all its good for. Any beginning is new, so leave this phrase in the bar.

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Pretty uniqueAny adjective preceding unique is useless. Unique means it is
like nothing else. So you cant be pretty unique, totally unique, or kind of unique.
Youre either unique or you arent. Period.
Failing to get rid of the fluff will only serve to bog down your writing. In the process you
can count on readers getting lost and disinterested as they trudge through all the
extraneous phrases and meaningless words.

To review:
uon'L make Lhlngs more compllcaLed Lhan Lhey have Lo be. We have
all been ln slLuaLlons where we have had Lo meeL cerLaln word-counLs
or cerLaln page-counLs. 1hls has earned us Lhe bad hablL of over-
sLufflng our senLences.

hrases llke free glfL" and flnal ouLcome" are greaL examples. Lvery
glfL ls free, and every ouLcome Lyplcally arrlves, well, aL Lhe end, Lhe
flnal" sLep.
"So the wr|ter who breeds more words than he needs, |s mak|ng a
chore for the reader who reads."
- Dr. Seuss

10
#4
Gett|ng 8etter ress ke|ease uotes
For news to be worth reporting on, it must be reliable. And how can you make sure a
story is reliable? Well, you have to get the information straight from the horses mouth.
What does that have to do with your release? Well, if a blogger or reporter is going to
take you seriously, they need to see quotes in your release!quotes from people
connected to your story.
Who might this include?
Your CEO.
A customer connected to your story.
A spokesperson for the company.
An expert in an associated field.
If you cant find a quote to include from someone who is directly connected to the story,
then your release will lack the legitimacy it needs to get taken seriously.
Not All Quotes Are Created Equally
Of course, just like simply publishing a release wont get you coverage, simply adding a
quote wont necessarily make your story believable!or make your release any more
readable. The truth is that most press release quotes are obviously placed there simply
to meet the requirement. The writer typically spends very little time trying to find a quote
that knocks it out of the park.
Rule of thumb: a quote is meaningful if removing it will cause the reader to miss out on
something. However, if you take out the quote and the reader misses nothing, well then
your quote was nothing but fluff.
Manufactured Words
I have a secret for you!most business press release writers manufacture quotes for
their clients. No, not all of them!but most. And its funny because youd think that if a
professional writer made up the quotes themselves that they would understand how to
make the most of them. But it just isnt normally the case. That said:
Do everything you can to get a real quote. Odds are the person most closely
connected to the issue knows more than you about it and can say something
more relevant. Whatever they really say will come off more human and sincere
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than any words you can manufacture.

Keep it short. Your press release shouldnt be one long quote. The quote is
simply to accent and highlight important points of the story. It should also add a
human perspective.

Inject an opinion. While press releases are factual writing, the quote is a good
place to inject an opinion or idea you want to convey.

Dont use the jargon. If the quotes are from higher level business execs, you
can rest assured that theyll be crammed full of those business buzzwords that
we all love to hate. Newsflash!they dont really mean anything! Pull them out
and reword if necessary. Make sure that the average person reading will
understand what is being said.

Peek into conversation. The quote should sound like it came from an actual
conversation. Yeah, it should stand alone on its own merit, but the reader should
get the sense that theres more to the story (because there should be).
Good quotes will make your press release more trustworthy and easier to read. So do
the legwork and get quotes that stick!

To review:
Much llke a resume, how your press release ls formaLLed maLLers
almosL as much as lLs conLenLs. uon'L leL your release wlnd up ln Lhe
Lrash - send lL Lhrough a leglLlmaLe 8 Servlce, and remember:

lC8 lMMLulA1L 8LLLASL
A headllne
Summary
LocaLlon/uaLe
### (slgnlfles Lhe end of Lhe release)
lnformaLlon abouL you/your company

12

#S
6 1|ps for Ld|t|ng our ke|eases
You cant talk about formatting and avoiding mistakes without discussing how to
become a better editor. You see, everyone makes mistakes. Gasp!
Thats right. Even the best writers in the businessthe press release writers who get
paid the big bucksdont write a perfect draft the first time. Every single person needs
to go back through their work with a fine-toothed comb and pull out the mess-ups.
Your first draft should be all about getting your ideas out of your head and onto the
paper. Once youve accomplished that, you can go back through them, properly format
them, fix grammar mistakes, and get rid of the fluff. The problem is that most people
dont want to reread their writings after they have completed that first draft. And its
understandablesometimes after you struggle to get the ideas out, youre ready to
wash your hands and be done with the release.
But remember this: failing to put the time in to edit your work can cause your ideas to
get lost in a poorly written release full of errors and inconsistencies. So with that in
mind, here are 6 pointers to help you edit your work:
1. Have someone else do itNot everyone has the luxury of a second set of eyes.
But if you do, let them have a look. This could be a secretary, an intern!or if you
are self-employed, maybe a spouse or your teenage son. Whoever you can find,
just remember that two sets of eyes are better than one. And someone else is
more likely to catch your mistakes than you are.

2. Let some time passIf you must edit your own work, you should always walk
away from it first. In other words, dont write a draft and immediately dive back in
looking for mistakes. Since you are the author, you will be so familiar with what
you meant to say that you are likely to miss any mistakes. Your brain will
automatically fill in the blanks. Instead, put the draft away and read it the next
day. You will feel refreshed and your brain will be more likely to see the errors.

3. Read it out loud. Sometimes your eyes just refuse to see the problem areas.
But maybe your ears wont be so stubborn. Read the release aloud and listen to
how it sounds. Some mistakes you will catch just from your voice. For example, if
a sentence doesnt make sense or needs punctuation, you will be more likely to
hear it aloud. You can also copy and paste your release in Microsoft Excel and
use the speak function to have it read the release to you.

4. Use spelling and grammar check. This may seem like a gimmee, but youd
be surprised how many people forget to use this first line of defense. Yes, its not
13
always perfect, but this function is a good place to get the editing ball rolling.

5. Think remove first. Usually you want to add detail, descriptions, and
explanation. But remember, unless adding content is absolutely necessary, your
editing should focus on the extraneous info that you can get rid of. Remember
that press releases should be concise and preciseget rid of the fluff.

6. Try to lose the passive verbs. Helping verbs like am and are make for weak
writing. Focus on action verbs that let the subject of the sentence perform the
action rather than receive it.

To review:
All greaL press releases are born ln Lhe edlLlng. Cnce you've puL all of
your ldeas, quoLes and lmporLanL lnformaLlon down on paper - walL.
uon'L hlL send. lnsLead:
Clve lL a second palr of eyes. Pave a coworker, frlend or
relaLlve edlL your work.
Walk away from your work and come back. 1hen edlL.
8ead lL ouL loud.
use LhaL spelllng and grammar check!
Look for unnecessary lnformaLlon. uon'L be afrald Lo cuL.
Make sure you're engaglng your reader by uslng Lhe acLlve
volce." (see page 13)
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#6
What ou Need to know About Sentence Structure
In college we were all taught to write these elaborately complex sentences that went on
for what seemed like miles. We became masters of conjunctions and semicolons. We
learned how to take two or three perfectly good sentences and merge them together
into beautiful monstrosities. And you know what? It sure did make us sound smarter.
But press releases are not the same as academic writings.
As mentioned over and over, the idea is brevity. We want to write powerful releases that
drive home the point as quickly as possible. After all, every single person that reads
your release will be in a rush. Whether its a news reporter struggling to beat a deadline,
a blogger looking for the topic of his next morning post, or an average Joe doing
research online who falls across a press release directoryeveryone is short on time.
So I ask you!does it make sense to weave wonderful compound and complex
sentences in our releases or does it only serve to flex our writing muscles? Plain and
simple, its nothing but a vain exercise to show that we can be good writers.
Use Your Story to Impress
Heres the harsh realitywhoever might use your press release to craft a news story
theyre a better writer than you are. Yes, it hurts to think that way, but its true. Theyre a
professional getting paid to turn your words into something the public will want to read.
So why are you going to try and prove to them how good of a writer you are?
All they want from you is quick powerful information. That means short sentences
packed full of useful information that punch them in the gut as soon as they read them.
These are the type of sentences that will get read. These are the kind of sentences that
will get your story out there for all to read.
Tips to Shorten Sentences
1. Use the active voiceAs mentioned before, you want to try to stay away from
words like was and were, instead opting for active voice. Not only will these
sentences sound stronger, but they are often more concise. For example, rather
than saying The boy was scared by the bat you could say The bat scared the
boy. The second sentence has the subject performing the action and cuts out 2
words. For more information, see the next section on active and passive voice
writing.
2. Chop them in halfIn school we were taught to combine sentences using
conjunctions. However, if we get in that habit too much, we end up with
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sentences that are too wordy. Shorter sentences are punchier and easier on the
eyes. So consider losing the conjunction and choosing the period instead.
3. Combine ideasThe right time to combine sentences is when you can combine
ideas. In other words, you can use fewer words to say both at once. Doing so will
eliminate the fluff.
Remember, short and sweet. Those are the best releases.

To review:
8emember Lo klSS (keep lL shorL & sweeL).
1he people who wlll be readlng your releases are noL [udglng your
release on how long and compllcaLed your senLences are - Lhey're
looklng aL Lhe conLenL, Lhe ldeas. !ournallsLs read Lhrough hundreds, lf
noL Lhousands of press releases a day. uon'L make lL harder for Lhem.
keep lL shorL, sweeL, slmple and Lo Lhe polnL. use your ldeas Lo
lmpress.

16

#7
Act|ve Vo|ce vs. ass|ve Vo|ce
(SCILLk ALLk1: Act|ve W|ns)
You know what the biggest problem is with the average press release? Its not the
grammar mistakes. Its not the spelling errors. Its not the format.
Its just that most press releases are downright boring.
Thats right. They suck. They put you to sleep.
Now, imagine trying to get the attention of an overworked, coffee-fueled journalist.
Theyre flipping through endless pages of these bland, boring press releases that are
obvious pleas for free advertisement. What can you do to stand out? What can you do
to reach out and grab them by the shirt and scream READ ME!?
Well, one way is to write in the active voice.
Active Voice Defined
If you are writing in the active voice then you are using action verbs. These verbs make
the subject of the sentence do the action. For example: The dog bit the boys leg. This
subject is dog. The verb is bit. The dog does the action and the boy receives it at the
end. Its a simple yet effective sentence.
Passive Voice Defined
But when you write in the passive voice, you tend to muddle things up a bit. Lets use
the example above but rewrite it in the passive voice: The boys leg was bitten by the
dog. Here the subject is leg. More specifically, the boys leg. Instead of doing the
action, the subject receives the action from the end of the sentence. This flips things
around, adds words, and makes it harder to understand. Not to mention, it just doesnt
sound as good.
Most People Use Passive
So if one obviously sounds better than the other, why do people opt for the clunkier
one? Good questionand Ill tell you thistheres not an easy answer. My best guess
is that, first of all, we tend to write how we speak. And for whatever reason, we tend to
speak in the passive voice. Instead of shouting, That rock hurt my leg! we say things
like, My leg got hurt by the rock! So that naturally transfers into our writing.
17
And then theres the idea that writing passive sentences adds more words. And since
we have been trained to write set amounts (e.g. write a two-page paper, write a 500
word article) we teach ourselves little tricks to meet requirements.
Activate Your Press Release
Whatever the reason most people choose passive, the fact remains that they do. So if
you are looking to stand out, pack your release with short, strong, active sentences from
the get go. A reporter is more likely to read it and get excited as opposed to all the other
wordy drivel he receives.

To review:
uon'L be passlve + borlng, be acLlve + engaglng!
Wln:
1he gunman opened flre on Lhe crowd."
Lose:
1he crowd was flred upon by Lhe gunman."
Why does Lose" lose? noL only ls Lhe senLence all ln Langles, buL Lhe
sub[ecL of Lhe senLence (Lhe crowd) ls recelvlng Lhe acLlon - noL
performlng Lhe acLlon. 8or-lng!
18
#8
4 Comma ku|es ou Need to know
The comma is one of the most misunderstood tools in punctuation. Fact is, the average
person doesnt know how to use a comma correctly. So they just sprinkle them in
wherever they seem to fit. The results are lost meaning and barely readable press
releases. With that in mind, here are 4 comma rules to live by.
When to Use a Comma in Your Release:
1. If the sentence starts with a phrase. Introductory phrases are signified by
words like after and although.
Example: Although the sale of the house is pending, the realtor continues to
show to prospective buyers.

2. If you use a conjunction to combine full sentences. Sometimes its useful to
combine two sentences together. But dont think a conjunction can do the job on
its own. It needs help.
Example: The boy hit the ground, and the ball popped out of his glove.

3. In a series of nouns. Any time you list out a series of nouns, you need commas
to help divide them from one another.
Example: The boy had ice cream with chocolate, sprinkles, and a cherry on top.
Note: The last comma is not mandatory.

4. When you have a quote. Regardless of where you include the quote in your
sentence, chances are you need a comma.
Example: I love you, the girl said.
Example: The girl said, I love you.
Note: If the quote comes at the beginning of the sentence and uses a question
mark or exclamation point, you wont need a comma.
Of course, there are other comma rules you may need to know, but the 4 above will get
you started on the right track.

19

To review:
Commas - can'L llve wlLh 'em, can'L llve wlLhouL 'em.
Whlle Lhere are many rules assoclaLed wlLh proper comma usage, Lhe
followlng four are Lhe mosL cruclal, need-Lo-know of Lhe all.
use a comma when:
1he senLence sLarLs wlLh a phrase
Comblnlng Lwo senLences wlLh a con[uncLlon
CreaLlng a llsL of nouns
CuoLlng. See Lhe above example.
"1he ru|e |s: don't use commas ||ke a stup|d person. I mean |t."
- Lynne 1russ, !"#$% '())#$% "*+ ,-".-$
20
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1he Crammar Ceek's Culde Lo WrlLlng ress 8eleases

! 2013 e8eleases - hLLp://www.ereleases.com

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