Most press releases are immediately filed — in the trash can. There are a number of reasons your "news" never makes it to print or broadcast. A few of the most common reasons for failure include:

• The "news" is not newsworthy.
  Press releases are not advertisements or an outlet for bragging; they are supposed to be announcements. Only mention your products or services as background information for "the story."
• It’s too long.
  Brevity is best. Keep your press release limited to one page and get right to the point.
• The headline is boring.
  It won’t grab the readers if it doesn’t grab the editor. Make it punchy, big and irresistible. Example: "New Process Is Revolutionizing U.S. Manufacturing" is far superior to "ABC Inc. Spends 10 Years Developing New Manufacturing Process."
• The content fails "the test."
  Does your press release contain an angle that pulls at readers’ heartstrings? Or does it offer a useful tidbit that readers can put to good use? Information must either elicit an emotional reaction in the reader or have a real-life application.
• It’s dated.
  If you can’t distribute the release in close conjunction with the event, don’t bother. There’s nothing more worthless than old news.
• It’s irrelevant.
  Get the right release to the right organizations. Distributing your release to an inappropriate editor will diminish that editor’s attention to your future releases.
• Missing contact data.
  Editors do not have time to look up phone numbers or wade through a voice-mail maze to find you. Make it easy for them to contact you.

Writer: LeAnn Zotta is a strategic-marketing consultant in Yarmouthport, Mass.