There is a specific format that press releases follow. The first line must identify itself as a press release, meaning that anyone who receives it may reprint the information contained within it without copyright infringement or fear of libel. It is a good practice to also state the organization’s name, or as in the example below, the exhibition title. The date also appears on the first line, but is right hand justified.

The second line gives the contact information. It’s the name, phone number, and email address of the person who will provide addition information, quotes, or photographs. Without a designated contact person, most press releases will not be printed.

These first two lines are single-spaced and in title case. Next comes the title of the press release. It must be in all upper case letters and center justified. Make a mental note to keep the title to one line and try to make it sound interesting. Your goal is to get the editor to want to publish it. And expect that she will change the wording and may even misquote you.

Now we’re ready to discuss the body of the press release. To make it easy for editors to read and mark it up with their favorite red pens, this portion of the release is double- spaced. Each paragraph is indented one tab length, i.e. five character spaces. The very first word of the first paragraph is the location of the organization or the event. The city is followed by two dashes and then your opening sentence.

The press release ends with a restating of all the what, where, when fact followed by three number signs without any spaces, center justified on a line by themselves. If there are multiple pages in the press release, then the center justified # MORE # appears at the bottom of each page until the last page.

“ArtQuilts at the Sedgwick 2004” Sedgwick Cultural Center 7137 Germantown Avenue Philadelphia, PA 19119 (215) 248-9229 info@aqats.com www.AQATS.com April 4-May 2, 2004 Hours: Thurs-Sun 1-5 pm, Fri ‘til 8 pm Gala Opening Reception, Saturday, April 3, 2004, 7-10 PM Artists’ Brunch & Lecture, Sunday, April 4 – call for tickets Education Day "The Art of the Quilt" Sat. April. 24 10:30AM-3PM – call for tickets ###

Okay, we’ve covered the mechanics of where to put what information, but you probably still feel uneasy about writing a promotional piece about your artwork or your exhibition. Keep in mind, a press release is not an essay, or an article, or even an art statement. It’s merely an orderly statement of facts with a few ‘sound bites’ thrown in to help the staff writers along after the editor assigns them your release.

To help you out with your first self-promotional piece, please use what you can out of the example. Many publications now accept press releases via email. Remember to always attach a high-resolution image of your artwork.

AQATS 2004 Artwork “Smashing Piece” 23”h x 49”w © Eliza Brewster

May your press releases always be published accurately - CLV

© 2004 Carolyn Lee Vehslage maintains an onboard studio on their Mariner Yacht “Fandango”. Several of her quilted wall hangings that were created while cruising, are viewable online at www.clvquilts.com. She is the volunteer publicist for ArtQuilts at the Sedgwick.
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