Here is a list of common mistakes that new release writers make. It is based on suggestions from Molly Wright of Burson-Marsteller and others:

• Too long—The release should not be so long that reporters have to spend time digging through it for a news angle.
• Disorganized—The release should be written in linear form, the body of the release amplifying and buttressing the lead.
• Headline—Too many words.
• Lead—Too long. Not on the newsworthy point of the release.
• Poorly researched—Inadequate background.
• Misplaced contacts—Contact information is buried in the release. Put on first page, clearly visible.

      Wright says: "Remember, it's your job to make the reporter's life easier."