Is there a way to send out press releases without being charged? There are plenty of websites (like gamerelease.net) which charge for sending press releases to various sites/publications. Is there any way of doing this myself without having to pay for a service? Also, how are press releases formatted (electronically)? In other words, are they received as emails, or some other way? Any information on this would be helpful. Thanks in advance.

I guess you could do this yourself, its a matter of how well connected you are, and sending the information to the correct person in the right company (a email address for somebody in sales/marketing for that person could probably be found on the website of the company in question).

Build yourself a nice webshot in html, get yourself a mass emailing program and off you go.

Quote:Original post by teoma
Is there a way to send out press releases without being charged?

Try Games Press. You can also shop your release out to individual outlets. That'll take some effort though, as well as time and experience to get results.

Quote:Original post by teoma
Also, how are press releases formatted (electronically)? In other words, are they received as emails, or some other way?

Are you inquiring about whether you should paste the content of the release in an e-mail, or what file formats are acceptable? Or are you asking about how to write a press release?

"Are you inquiring about whether you should paste the content of the release in an e-mail, or what file formats are acceptable? Or are you asking about how to write a press release?"

I was talking about email, not the contents of a press release ('format' is kind of a vague word). More specifically, how do people typically receive press releases? I don't want to annoy people by sending unsolicited emails.

"That'll take some effort though, as well as time and experience to get results."
"I guess you could do this yourself, its a matter of how well connected you"

I have no pr experience and no connections. (i don't even know how to quote posts in forums! :) I've been developing games as a hobby for the past seventeen years and I now I'm finally trying to start an independent development company. The project I'm working on is still in alpha, and I want to start marketing as soon as I can. (no marketing = no sales)

I don't mind doing extra work to save money, but considering my lack of experience and connections, would it be advisable just to use a paid press release service, or should I try doing things on my own?

[Edited by - teoma on February 20, 2008 8:44:29 PM]

Quote:Original post by teoma
More specifically, how do people typically receive press releases? I don't want to annoy people by sending unsolicited emails.

Unsolicited is typical. Send your release and follow up with the editor by phone a day or two later. You could register as a member of the Games Press forum and ask your question there, too. Responses will vary, but just remember that media outlets want press releases.

Quote:Original post by teoma
...would it be advisable just to use a paid press release service, or should I try doing things on my own?

One of my clients, an award-winning studio publishing through Microsoft, contracted me to write a press release for a new product. I wasn't involved with distribution. I believe one wire service they used was Games Press, which is free. That particular PR effort was their most successful ever, surpassing even the support they received from Microsft with past products. The release was, by my initial count, picked up by at least 40-50 media outlets, including fan blogs and forums.

You can definitely distribute the release yourself, but if the information in the press release isn't presented effectively or if the subject of the release isn't noteworthy, you're not guaranteed results. In other words, you could be wasting your time.

Quote:Original post by Morgan Ramsay
You can definitely distribute the release yourself, but if the information in the press release isn't presented effectively or if the subject of the release isn't noteworthy, you're not guaranteed results.

That's great, creative problem solving is what I do best. :)


You've mostly answered my question, there's just one thing I still don't understand yet:

Quote:Original post by Morgan Ramsay
I believe one wire service they used was Games Press

Forgive my ignorance, but what exactly does the wire service do? On the front page of the site they have the 'latest press releases'. Are these just displayed on the site, or are they automatically forwarded to subscribing media outlets? In the latter case, do the media outlets receive these as emails or some sort of rss feed? This is what I meant by 'format' in my original post.

Quote:Original post by teoma
Are these just displayed on the site, or are they automatically forwarded to subscribing media outlets?

They explain. :)

Awesome! That's just what I needed to know. It's a pitiable thing that I'm better at designing user interfaces then I am at navigating web sites. Anyway, thanks again for all the help, I really appreciate it. By the way, my game is called Atomos, and it's the best cartoon nuclear physics-based puzzle game with dynamically animated disneyesque avatars ever! (at least until the sequel comes out :)