How to get an article written about you or your business, and what each route costs
There are three routes to an article about you: pitch journalists yourself, pay a PR firm to pitch for you, or commission a labelled sponsored feature. They differ in cost, certainty and speed, and only one of them lets you set the date.
Want this done for you? See our guaranteed media placement service. Related reading: How to get featured in a magazine · What a sponsored article costs · Free journalist request platforms. Or browse all PR guides.
Key takeaways
- Pitching is free but uncertain: a summary of Muck Rack's 2026 survey says 86% of journalists get at least some stories from PR pitches, and 88% delete pitches that miss their beat.
- A retainer buys work, not coverage: everything-pr estimates boutique agencies at $3,500 to $10,000 a month, and says many buyers wait twelve months or more to judge results.
- A sponsored feature is the only route with a certain date, and it must be labelled as sponsored. At Blue Leopard Media it costs $249, $499 for three and $999 for eight.
- Whichever route you take, have a one-sentence angle, dated facts, a bio, photos and a media kit ready first.
The short answer
You can get an article written about you in three ways: pitch journalists yourself, pay a PR firm to pitch for you, or commission a sponsored feature that is written from your brief, labelled as sponsored and published on a date you know. Pitching costs only your time, but a summary of Muck Rack's 2026 State of Journalism report says 88% of journalists delete pitches that miss their beat.
Our PR and media placements service is the third route. One feature costs $249, three cost $499 and eight cost $999, with no retainer, and you approve the text before it goes live.
The three routes in practice
1. Earn it by pitching
Find reporters who cover your topic and send one short email about one story only you can tell: a number, a launch, a local angle. The same Muck Rack summary says journalists prefer one-to-one emails under 200 words, sent before noon, with one timely follow-up. Request services help too: Cision shut HARO in December 2024, and Wikipedia records its relaunch under Featured.com in April 2025.
2. Pay a firm to pitch for you
A retainer buys the work, not the article. everything-pr's 2026 pricing guide estimates boutique agencies at $3,500 to $10,000 a month and says many buyers allow twelve months or more before judging results.
3. Commission a sponsored feature
A publication runs an article about you because you paid for it. Publication is certain and you approve the text, but it is advertising, so it is labelled as sponsored. Ours are written by our editorial team from your brief and go live within 24 hours of your approval, or you get your money back.
What to have ready first
Muck Rack's summary says journalists most value relevance to their beat, credible sources, original data and strong visuals. Whoever writes about you will need the same things:
- One sentence on why you are worth an article now.
- Facts with dates and figures you can prove.
- A short bio: use the professional bio template.
- Photos and logos in a folder that needs no login, inside a media kit.
- A press release, if you have real news.
How the options compare
How the options compare:
| Pitch it yourself | Retainer PR agency | Blue Leopard Media | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Price | Free, apart from your time | $3,500 to $10,000 a month for a boutique agency (everything-pr) | $249 for one feature, $499 for three, $999 for eight |
| What is guaranteed | Nothing: the reporter decides | The team's work, not coverage | Publication of the feature you approve, or your money back |
| Time to go live | Weeks to months, if ever | Many buyers allow twelve months or more to judge results (everything-pr) | Within 24 hours of your approval |
| What you get | A story or quote written by someone else | Pitching and materials; earned articles if editors run them | A written feature with your name in the headline and your own cover, labelled as sponsored |
| Best for | Real news a reporter wants to cover | Ongoing earned coverage in top-tier outlets | A credible page about you on a date you know |
What a sponsored article can and cannot do
The FTC's native advertising guide says ads that look like a publisher's own articles usually need a clear disclosure, placed near the headline. Expect a plain "sponsored" label, and avoid anyone who offers to hide it.
Google says buying and selling links is acceptable for sponsorship if they are qualified with a sponsored or nofollow attribute, so treat a feature as a credible page about you, not a link-building trick. Also, Wikipedia's notability guideline lists advertising and press releases as not independent, so a paid feature will not earn you a Wikipedia page.
If you want a labelled article about you live this week, send us a short brief and we will confirm the right package.
Sources
- The PR Net: summary of Muck Rack's State of Journalism 2026 report
- everything-pr: How much does a PR firm cost in 2026? (updated 10 Oct 2026)
- Wikipedia: Help a Reporter Out
- FTC: Native Advertising: A Guide for Businesses (December 2015)
- Google Search Central: Qualify your outbound links
- Wikipedia: Notability
Frequently asked.
How do I get an article written about me for free?
Pitch reporters who cover your topic with one short, relevant story, or answer journalist requests. It costs only time and nothing is guaranteed: Muck Rack's 2026 survey summary says 88% of journalists delete pitches that miss their beat.
How much does it cost to get an article written about you?
Pitching yourself is free. A boutique PR agency is estimated at $3,500 to $10,000 a month by everything-pr. A sponsored feature at Blue Leopard Media costs $249 for one publication, $499 for three and $999 for eight.
Can I pay for an article about me?
Yes, as a sponsored feature. It has to be labelled as sponsored, and it is advertising, not independent journalism. The FTC's native advertising guide says disclosures must be clear and placed where people notice them.
Will an article about me get me a Wikipedia page?
Not a paid one. Wikipedia's notability guideline requires significant coverage in reliable sources independent of the subject, and it lists advertising and press releases as not independent.
Keep reading.
How to get featured in a magazine, publication or article
How to get featured in a magazine, publication or article: pitching, journalist requests, press releases, contributing and sponsored features compared.
Read the guide CostsWhat does a sponsored article cost?
What drives the price of a sponsored article, how it differs from a press release, how disclosure and links must work, and how to judge value for money.
Read the guide Free PRHARO alternatives in 2026: every free journalist request platform, checked
We opened all fourteen journalist request platforms on 12 September 2026: two are dead, two moved, one is a parked domain, and HARO itself is back and free.
Read the guideAn article about you, live in 24 hours.
A written feature about you or your business with your own cover, from $249. No retainer, and live within 24 hours of your approval, or your money back.