How Long Should I Make My Pitch or Press Release?
John Coulman /
March 15, 2024 12:09 EDT
Shorter is always better.
We have mentioned in posts and over the phone, time and time again, that the shorter a press release, the better.
In fact, during a hunt for travel media & journalists, we came across a page on Code Nast Traveler about pitching a journalist. For example, they advise keeping pitches no longer than a paragraph or two.
They also mention including a suggested headline, your angle, sources, and why the story should be covered now.
From the media we have spoken with, they prefer stories under 375 words. Once you press past 375 words, you begin to run into something called ‘text-shock’. This phenomenon occurs when a journalist or media member clicks on a press release and is met with a wall of text.
Most of the time, the journalist will close the window as it is too overwhelming.
They don’t want a novel; they want the meat of the story in layperson’s terms. The facts, just the facts. Stop adding fluff. They will contact you for more information if you have piqued their interest. We are in a different time and age where journalists don’t have the time to read a 1,200-word story.