Free press release template.
Announce a launch, a hire, a funding round or a milestone the way journalists expect to read it: twelve parts, a note in each on what to write, and a filled-in example. Free, no sign-up.
What is inside
- 01
Release line
An embargo time, "For immediate release", or nothing.
- 02
Headline
Who did what, in one line of around 10 to 20 words.
- 03
Subheadline
The result, the number or the angle that makes it matter.
- 04
Opening paragraph
City and date, then who, what, when, where and why.
- 05
Detail
Context, how it works, who it is for, numbers you can back up.
- 06
Quote
A named spokesperson adding opinion, not repeating facts.
- 07
Second quote
Optional: a customer or partner, with permission.
- 08
Availability
Price, date and where to get it.
- 09
Links
Images, product page and media kit. Links, not attachments.
- 10
End mark
Three hash marks: the news ends here.
- 11
About the company
The boilerplate: 50 to 100 words, the same every time.
- 12
Media contact
A named person who answers the same day.
Free download
Download the press release template
No sign-up and no email: the files download straight away.
Send it with a media kit so journalists have the facts, photos and bios in one place. Artists: use the music press release template.
How to use the template
Replace everything in brackets, then delete the grey notes and the section headings. Keep the finished release to one page: PR.co suggests 400 to 500 words. Write in the third person except for the quotes, and use short sentences with numbers you can back up rather than adjectives.
Write the headline and opening paragraph last. They carry the release: the opening paragraph should answer who, what, where, when and why on its own, so an editor who stops there still has the story. The filled-in example shows a finished release for a fictional company.
How to send it
Paste the release into the body of your email under two or three lines written for that journalist, and link to your media kit for photos, bios and facts. If you send it before the news can run, put an embargo time in the release line; PR.co suggests a reminder the day before it lifts.
Send it to the few journalists who cover your subject, not a list of thousands. A release sent to the right ten people does more than one sent to everyone.
A press release is not coverage
A release asks a journalist to write about you; it does not publish anything. Paying a newswire to distribute it buys syndication, partner sites reposting it word for word, rather than an article. Our comparison of press release distribution and a guaranteed feature sets out what each costs and gets you, and our guide to getting featured in a magazine covers the free routes.
Our PR & Media Placements service writes an editorial feature about you or your company from a short brief, with your name in the headline, and you approve every word before it goes live. It costs $249 for one publication, $499 for three and $999 for eight, with no retainer, and on the four core titles the approved feature is live within 24 hours of your approval (business days) or you get a full refund. Features are sponsored content, labelled as such, as our disclaimer states.
Frequently asked.
What is a press release?
A short, factual announcement written for journalists, usually one page, that gives them the news, the context, a quote and a contact so they can write a story.
How long should a press release be?
One page. PR.co suggests 400 to 500 words. Put the who, what, when, where and why in the first paragraph.
What does ### mean at the end of a press release?
It marks the end of the news. Anything after it, such as the boilerplate and media contact, is background.
What is a boilerplate in a press release?
A standard paragraph about the company, usually 50 to 100 words, used unchanged at the end of every release: what you do, for whom, since when and where.
Will sending a press release get me published?
Not by itself. A release asks journalists to cover you; whether they do is their decision. A sponsored feature is the route that guarantees publication, and it is labelled as paid.
Is the template really free?
Yes. The Word file, the PDF guide and the example download straight away, with no sign-up and no email.
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Get your story published.
An editorial feature about you or your company, from $249. Live within 24 hours of your approval on the four core titles, or your money back.