Online PR writing training

Polish writing skills, Aug. 31 – Sept. 4

Some 55% to 97% of all press releases sent to media outlets are never used, according to Dennis L. Wilcox and Lawrence W. Nolte’s Public Relations Writing and Media Techniques.

PR writing training: NOT Your Father’s News Release — **From headline to boilerplate** You’re not still using PR writing styles you learned when you were 19, right? If it’s time to up your writing skills, join us for this PR writing workshop.

Learn to put your PR pieces among the 3% to 45% that actually get the word out at NOT Your Father’s News Release, our online PR writing course from Aug. 31 – Sept. 4.

New! Travel ban got you down? Attend NOT Your Father’s News Release online.

“The release I worked on in Ann’s Master Class got 68.5% more page views and 19% more coverage vs. our top competitors than average. It got picked up by two targeted industry publications and resulted in a follow-up interview with our metro daily.”

— Loren LeVasseur, public relations supervisor, Coverys
Read more rave reviews

What you’ll learn

In this workshop, you’ll join other public relations industry experts to learn how to:

**Polish your skills and gain new inspiration for your work** with Ann Wylie’s proven-in-the-lab best practices.

Create two types of stories media outlets want more of (and avoid one they wish they’d never see again!)
Go beyond “new and improved” to information readers really want to know about your product or service.
Avoid PR 101 leads. Still stuffing all those W’s and the H into the first paragraph? Still writing “XYZ Company today announces that …”? It’s time to move on to a more effective approach.
Beat the boilerplate blues. What’s really supposed to go into these things?
Pass the Goldilocks test. Write a headline that’s not too long or too short, but just right. (Google News ignores one in five releases because the headline is too long!)

**Get feedback from Ann and your peers** in our writing critiques.

Stop using the most overused PR buzzwords. Journalists and bloggers — not to mention readers — will love you for it.
Write quotes that sound human — not like a computer spit them out.
Steal techniques from Silver Anvil winners. Make your sound bites sound better.
Reach the 67% of “readers” who skim the news, according to a Harris Interactive Poll. (Just 19% read news word-by-word.)
Make the most of the hot spot in your headline. Otherwise, potential readers might skip instead of click.
Avoid Google’s wrath. Avoid best practices from last year that Google now treats as gaming the system. The penalty: lower rankings.

Get a PR-writing workout with Wylie.

In the crunch of writing headlines and meeting deadlines, it sometimes seems as if there’s not enough time to pause and consider how you’re doing. But in our case studies and practice sessions, you’ll get a great opportunity for reflection and improvement.

**Find out what Ann would do** in one-minute, over-the-shoulder feedback sessions.

Bring your laptop and a story to work on. You’ll get a chance to write and rewrite, get and give feedback, and leave with a totally rewritten piece. In these practice sessions, you’ll:

Master the techniques you learn in the workshop by applying them immediately. (That’s how we put the “Master” in the Master Class!)
Gain valuable insights on your work from your peers and from Ann.
Learn to analyze and improve others’ writing — the best skill you can develop for editing others or improving your own work.

Your writing coach: Ann Wylie, the Public Relations Society of America’s “national writing coach” and author of PRSA’s Strategies/Tactics “Writing With Wylie” column. Come learn the techniques Ann’s used to earn more than 60 communication awards, including two IABC Gold Quills.

Learn more

New! Travel ban got you down?

Attend NOT Your Father’s News Release online

You’ll cover the same content. Get the same amount of critique time. Have the same chance for feedback from your peers. Get all of your questions answered, just like in the on-site class.

But no travel (or travel expenses), no social-distancing issues, no Purell or face masks.

We’ll meet via WebEx and LinkedIn:

Aug. 31: 10 a.m. to 11:30 a.m. Pacific. Think Like a Reporter; online class orientation
Sept. 1: 10 a.m. to noon Pacific. Master the Anatomy of a News Release; live coaching call
Sept. 2: 10 a.m. to noon Pacific. Rev Up Release Readability; live coaching call
Sept. 3 (Tuesday): 10 a.m. to noon Pacific. Write Killer Bites; live coaching call
Sept. 4: 10 a.m. to 11:30 a.m. Pacific. Reach nonreaders with releases; Live coaching call

Can’t make a date? You’ll have on-demand access to the online workshop until June 30.

Fees: