Try a bikini lead instead
Some folks write “suitcase leads”: They try to cram all of the story elements into the top. Instead, make yours a bikini lead, and cover just the most interesting essentials.… Read the full article
Writing and editing
What’s the maximum length of a paragraph for PR pieces?
Take a tip from the Times and keep paragraphs short
Quick! Which of these paragraphs would you rather read? This 11-word paragraph, from The New York Times?… Read the full article
Paragraph length: Shorter is better
Hit return more often
Believe it or not, this is an actual paragraph that appeared in an actual publication:
It weighs in at 465 words. It’s the first paragraph in the story.… Read the full article
Avoid announcements in feature writing leads
Don’t announce that you’re announcing
When I was editor of an executive magazine, I received dozens of press releases every day.
This was back in the day when releases moved on paper, so I read them over the trash can, giving myself just a few seconds from the time I picked the release up off the stack to the time it hit the circular file.… Read the full article
Avoid abstraction in feature ledes
Concrete leads are the price of entry for feature articles
I was training a group of magazine writers recently, when one brave soul, Marty, shared this lead:
As someone who’s built build models in some exotic places, I know it’s easier when you have a special modeling studio.
… Read the full articleHow to write a good feature lead with statistics
Prove it with a data point
Research shows … that nearly half of commuters text and drive … that one in three patients enters the hospital malnourished … and that 66% of women won’t kiss men with moustaches.… Read the full article
Why should you write feature article leads?
The New York Times runs 33% feature leads
New York’s Grey Lady isn’t so gray any more. Topping one-third of its stories with feature leads, The New York Times covers the world in living color.… Read the full article
Anecdotes make good feature leads
To draw readers in, tell them a story
Here’s how Korbel Champagne Cellars topped a PRSA Silver Anvil Award-winning pitch:
Have you heard about the guy who mowed “Will You Marry Me?” into his lawn?
… Read the full articleApproval Process Management 101: Stop running a newsroom
Your job is to change behavior, not to report news
Might I rant for a moment?
Right this minute, all over the world, communicators are knocking themselves out to deliver organizational news that nobody wants or needs.… Read the full article
Engage readers by writing in the second person
Lead with you in media relations pieces
It’s counterintuitive, but true: The product is never the topic. The program is never the topic. The plan is never the topic.… Read the full article