Last updated · reviewed by the Essentras editorial team
Press release guide
How to email a press release to journalists (templates)
To email a press release, send 1 short personal email per journalist: the news as the subject line, 2 or 3 sentences on why it matters to their readers, the release pasted below, a newsroom link instead of attachments, and 1 follow-up with something new. Journalists in Muck Rack's 2026 survey prefer pitches under 200 words, sent before noon.
Survey figures read at the source or a dated summary; Gmail rules read on Google's own pages
What you will do
- Write the subject line and the short pitch that sits above your release.
- Paste the release, link your images, and know when an attachment is the right call.
- Add an embargo or exclusive note a reporter can accept in 1 reply.
- Send at the right time, follow up 1 time, and keep the email out of spam.
- Copy 10 ready-made emails and check your own before you send it.
Start here in 1 click
Free tools first. The paid card shows its price and label before you click.
Check your pitch email
Paste your subject line and email. The checker flags length, attachments, vague dates, unfilled brackets, embargo gaps and missing contact details. Nothing is sent or stored.
Need a page that will run?
A pitch cannot promise a story. The free placement cost calculator prices a page on real outlets for your budget and authority target, from live catalog prices.
An AP News press release
$317
- Turnaround
- 3 to 5 business days
- Link
- Nofollow
- Label, as the listing states it
- Published with a sponsored or partner label.
- If it does not publish
- Refunded if not published, or if the turnaround is missed.
A paid placement. It is not earned coverage, and it runs with the label the listing states.
Step by step
How do you email a press release, step by step?
This is the earned route: it costs nothing and only a reporter decides whether to cover you. Each step links to the section with the detail.
1. Post the release in your newsroom
Put the release, images and a fact sheet on 1 page of your site. Keep it private if you will offer an embargo. Every email links here.
2. List the reporters who covered your topic recently
Search the outlet and Google News, open the bylines and note the article and date you will mention. A short list of the right reporters beats a long list of the wrong ones.
3. Write the subject line
The news or the angle for that reporter, in plain words, under about 50 characters. Use a formula from the subject line table.
4. Write a pitch under 200 words
Why them, the news, 1 proof point, what you offer, the newsroom link. Then paste the release below a clear line.
5. Send a test to yourself
Read it on a phone: subject not cut off, no [brackets] left, links working, no attachment. Run it through the pitch checker on this page.
6. Send 1 email per reporter, before noon their time
From your own address at your company domain. No group sends for news, no visible recipient list.
7. Follow up 1 time, then log the reply
A few days later, in the same thread, with something new. Note who replied to which angle, and reuse what worked.
Anatomy
What goes in a press release email?
2 parts: a pitch under 200 words, written for 1 reporter, and the full release pasted below it. The pitch earns the read; the release is the reference the reporter copies facts from.
Subject line
The news in plain words, or the angle that fits this reporter. Not "Press release".
Greeting
The reporter's first name, spelled as on their byline.
Why them
1 sentence that shows you read their work: the article, the date, the angle it follows.
The news
What changed, for whom and why now, in 2 or 3 sentences with 1 number and its source.
Proof
A figure, a customer who will talk, a result, or a named expert.
The offer
An interview slot, data, images, an exclusive or an embargo, stated plainly with times.
Newsroom link
The page with the release, images and fact sheet, so nothing needs attaching.
Signature, then the release
Name, title, phone and email. Then a line such as ---- and the full release pasted below.
Body or attachment
Should you paste the press release or attach it?
Paste it. Put the release in the body under your pitch and link images and files from your newsroom page. Newswire and Build Book Buzz advise against attachments; ContentGrip says to attach only what the journalist needs right now. Send a file when a reporter asks for it.
| Item | What to do | Why |
|---|---|---|
| The release | Paste it below the pitch, after a clear line | Reads on a phone in seconds and stays searchable in the reporter's inbox |
| Photos | Link the newsroom gallery; offer high resolution on request | Reporters often do not open attachments from senders they do not know (Build Book Buzz) |
| Video | Link it | Too large to attach; Gmail swaps files over 25 MB for a Drive link |
| Data or report | Link the page; attach the file only if asked | Size limits, and 1 current version instead of copies in inboxes |
| Logo and fact sheet | Link them | 1 click for the reporter, nothing to download |
- Newswire's guide (7 Mar 2019) advises a text-only email with no attachments or HTML. Build Book Buzz (updated 3 Jun 2026) says not to attach the release or photos. ContentGrip (18 Sep 2026) says to attach only files the journalist needs at that moment.
- Gmail Help, read 19 Oct 2026: personal Gmail accounts can send up to 25 MB of attachments; work accounts follow their administrator's limit.
Subject lines
What subject line gets a press release email opened?
Write the news, not the format. A subject that says what changed, for whom, in under about 50 characters gives the reporter a reason to open it. "Press release" alone tells them nothing, as Newswire and Build Book Buzz both warn. Use "Embargoed" or "Exclusive" only when the email delivers it.
- Lead with the news or the angle for that reporter; add the company name if it helps.
- Keep it under about 50 characters or 10 words, Prezly's own guidance (updated 17 Jun 2026), so it is not cut off.
- Prezly asked 100 journalists, bloggers and influencers; of the 42 who replied, it found no clear difference in opens with or without "press release" in the subject. The label is not the problem; an empty subject is.
- No hype, no exclamation marks and no whole words in capitals. Newswire advises normal upper and lower case.
- Never fake a reply or a forward with "Re:" or "Fwd:" on a thread that does not exist.
- Keep the subject and the email in step: the same angle, the same embargo time.
12 subject line formulas
| Situation | Formula |
|---|---|
| Launch | [Company] launches [product] for [audience] |
| Funding | [Company] raises [$ amount] to [specific use] |
| Data or survey | New data: [finding] ([sample], [month year]) |
| Partnership | [Company] and [Partner] [do what] for [audience] |
| Appointment | [Company] names [person] [title] |
| Milestone | [Company] reaches [number] [customers or units] in [period] |
| Local news | [Town]: [what changes for residents] on [date] |
| Expert comment | Source for your [topic] story: [expert], [credential] |
| Embargo | Embargoed until [time, time zone, date]: [topic] |
| Exclusive | Exclusive for [Outlet]: [topic] |
| Event | Media advisory: [event], [place], [date] |
| Follow-up | Your original subject, sent as a reply in the same thread |
Relevance
How do you personalize a press release email?
Personalize on editorial fit, not on the name: name the reporter's recent article your news follows and the angle for their readers. Relevance is the gap: in Cision's 2026 survey 72% of journalists said fewer than a quarter of pitches are relevant, and Muck Rack reports that 88% delete pitches that miss their beat.
Their last article
Name it and its date, and say what your news adds: a number, a new case, a local angle.
Their readers
Muck Rack reports that 78% of journalists call a pitch relevant when it affects their audience or community, not just their beat.
Their format
A newsletter writer, a live blogger and a TV producer need different things: a line to quote, a chart, a guest.
Their calendar
Weekly columns and monthly issues close early. Ask about deadlines before you promise an embargo.
AI drafts, human pitch
Cision found 53% of journalists oppose AI-generated pitches. If you draft with AI, rewrite the opening yourself and check every fact.
Personalization that is not
A first name in a mass email is not personal. ContentGrip quotes a practitioner: personalization should come from editorial fit.
Embargo and exclusive
How do you write an embargo or exclusive note in the email?
Ask before you share. Offer the news under embargo or as an exclusive, wait for a yes, then send the release with the terms in the first line: a date, a time and a time zone. Cision's 2026 survey lists embargoed information among what journalists value most in a pitch.
| Aspect | Embargo | Exclusive | Neither |
|---|---|---|---|
| The reporter gets | The news early, to publish at a set time | The only story, first, for a set period | The news when it is public |
| You give up | Control, if anyone breaks it early | Every other outlet until it runs | Nothing |
| Use it for | Data, launches that need interviews | The 1 outlet you most want first | Routine news |
| First line of the email | "Embargoed until [time, time zone, date]" | "Exclusive to [Outlet] until [time, date]" | "For immediate release" |
- An embargo is an agreement. Confirm it in writing before you send the details (ContentGrip, 18 Sep 2026).
- Write the date, the time and the time zone. "Embargoed until Tuesday" fails across time zones.
- Keep your newsroom page private until the embargo lifts; publishing early breaks your own embargo.
- Offer an exclusive to 1 outlet at a time, with a deadline to accept. If the answer is no, move on.
- Do not pair embargoed news with a paid placement: a listing goes live inside its stated turnaround, not at a set minute.
Timing
When should you send it, and when should you follow up?
Send before noon in the reporter's time zone, which journalists in Muck Rack's 2026 survey prefer, and work back from your news date. Follow up 1 time, a few days later and in the same thread, with something new: a data point, an interview slot or an image. Then stop.
Before noon, their time
The preference in Muck Rack's 2026 survey, as summarized by The PR Net. A Los Angeles reporter's morning is a London afternoon.
No universal best weekday
ContentGrip calls single-best-day advice false precision. Avoid the day a big story in your sector breaks.
Lead times
Build Book Buzz's author advises at least 3 months for print magazines, about 3 weeks for newspaper calendar listings and 1 to 2 weeks for date-specific news.
1 follow-up that adds something
Muck Rack's survey points to 1 timely follow-up. Never send "did you get my email?"
Be ready the day you send
A reporter who replies wants the spokesperson, the images and the data within hours, not days.
Breaking news moves faster
For expert comment on a moving story, send within the news cycle and say when your expert is free.
Deliverability
How do you keep press release emails out of spam?
Send 1 email per reporter from your own domain, in plain text, with no attachments and 1 or 2 links. Gmail requires every sender to set up SPF or DKIM and keep its spam rate under 0.3%; senders of 5,000 or more messages a day also need DMARC and, for marketing mail, 1-click unsubscribe.
| Rule | Applies to | Source |
|---|---|---|
| SPF or DKIM on your sending domain | Every sender to Gmail | Email sender guidelines |
| Valid forward and reverse DNS (PTR) records | Every sender to Gmail | Email sender guidelines |
| TLS connection for sending | Every sender to Gmail | Email sender guidelines |
| Spam rate under 0.3% in Postmaster Tools; Google advises staying under 0.10% | Every sender to Gmail | Email sender guidelines |
| SPF and DKIM and DMARC, with the From domain aligned | Senders of 5,000 or more messages a day to Gmail | Email sender guidelines |
| 1-click unsubscribe and a visible unsubscribe link | Marketing and subscribed messages from those senders | Email sender guidelines |
| 2,000 messages a day per user; 1,500 by mail merge | Google Workspace accounts | Gmail sending limits (updated 13 Oct 2026) |
| At most 500 external recipients per message | Google Workspace accounts | Gmail sending limits (updated 13 Oct 2026) |
In practice
- Send from an address at your company domain (Newswire suggests a media address) and make it match the media contact in the release.
- Ask whoever runs your email to confirm SPF and DKIM before a launch. It is a DNS setting, not a writing problem.
- Send 1-to-1. For a media advisory to many people, put the addresses in Bcc and send it to yourself, as Build Book Buzz advises.
- Never buy or scrape a list. Unwanted email gets reported, and the spam rate is the number Gmail watches.
- Keep links few and real: your newsroom page, maybe 1 data page. No link shorteners.
- If you use a mail merge, personalize the opening for real and stay well inside your provider's daily limits.
Copy-ready
10 copy-ready press release emails
Replace everything in [brackets]. Each pitch stays under 200 words above the pasted release. The pitch checker below counts yours.
1. Announcement pitch, release pasted
Most news: a launch, a partnership, a milestone.
Subject: [Company] [does the new thing] for [audience] Hi [First name], Your [date] piece on [topic] covered [the problem]. [Company] is announcing [the news] on [date]: [why it matters to their readers, in 1 sentence]. [1 proof point: a number with its source, a customer, a result.] [Spokesperson, title] can talk [days and times, time zone]. Images and a fact sheet: [newsroom link]. The full release is below. [Your name] [Title, company] [Phone] | [Email] ---- [Paste the release here]
2. Short pitch, link only
A reporter who prefers short emails, or a long release.
Subject: [The news in under 50 characters] Hi [First name], [1 sentence: the news and why it matters to their readers.] [1 proof point.] The release, images and a fact sheet are here: [newsroom link]. [Spokesperson] is free for a call [days and times, time zone]. [Your name] [Title, company, phone]
3. Exclusive offer
You want 1 outlet to break the story first.
Subject: Exclusive for [Outlet]: [topic, without the full news] Hi [First name], I would like to offer you an exclusive on [general topic] before anyone else, because [1 line on why it fits their beat]. The terms: you would have it first, until [time, time zone, date], and nobody else gets the details before then. If it is not for you, a quick no by [deadline] lets me offer it elsewhere. As soon as you confirm, I will send the data, images and a time with [spokesperson]. [Your name] [Title, company, phone]
4. Embargo request
Before you share news that must not run early.
Subject: Embargoed until [time, time zone, date]: [topic, not the news] Hi [First name], We are announcing [general topic] on [date] at [time, time zone]. Would you like the details, the data and an interview under embargo until then? If yes, reply to confirm you will hold publication until that time, and I will send everything within the hour. [Your name] [Title, company, phone]
5. Embargoed release, after a yes
The reporter confirmed the embargo in writing.
Subject: Embargoed until [time, time zone, date]: [Headline] Hi [First name], Thank you for confirming. As agreed, this is embargoed until [time, time zone, date]. [2 sentences: the news and the angle you discussed.] [Spokesperson] is booked for you at [time, time zone]. Embargoed images and data: [private link]. [Your name] [Title, company, phone] ---- EMBARGOED UNTIL [TIME, TIME ZONE, DATE] [Paste the release here]
6. Data or survey story
You have original numbers a reporter can cite.
Subject: New data: [finding] ([sample], [month year]) Hi [First name], You often cover [topic], so this may help a story: [the finding in 1 sentence, with the number]. We [method in 1 line: surveyed how many people, or analyzed which records] between [dates]. The method and the full tables are here: [link]. You are free to use the charts with credit. [Expert, title] can explain what is behind the numbers. [Your name] [Title, company, phone]
7. Expert comment on breaking news
A story is moving and your expert can add something new.
Subject: Source for your [topic] story: [expert], [credential] Hi [First name], On [the news event]: [expert name], [title at company], can explain [the specific angle] and is free [time window, time zone]. A line you can quote: "[1 or 2 sentences that add something new, not a sales line]." [Expert] has [credential: years in the field, a past role, published research]. [Your name] [Phone, for a quick call]
8. Local angle
A local reporter or news desk.
Subject: [Town]: [what changes for residents] on [date] Hello [First name, or News desk], [Company], based in [town], is [the news] on [date] at [place]. It affects [who locally] because [reason]. [A local person who can be photographed or interviewed: name and role.] Photos: [link]. The release is below. If you prefer another format for submissions, I will follow it. [Your name] [Phone, email] ---- [Paste the release here]
9. Broadcast or podcast booking
A producer who books guests.
Subject: Guest idea for [Show]: [topic] with [guest] Hi [First name], [Guest, title] can talk about [topic] for your [segment or episode type], starting from [the question your audience would want answered]. Why now: [the news hook or date]. [Guest] has [past interviews or talks, with links], is free [days and times, time zone] and can come to the studio or join remotely. [Your name] [Phone, email]
10. Follow-up with something new
A few days after the pitch, as a reply in the same thread, only if you have something to add.
Subject: Re: [your original subject] Hi [First name], A quick addition to my note on [topic]: [the new thing: a data point, a customer who will talk, a local angle or a confirmed interview slot]. It is on the newsroom page here: [link]. No need to reply if it is not a fit. [Your name]
Free tool
Check your email before you send it
Paste your subject line and your email, with the release below a line such as ----. Every check runs in your browser: nothing is sent or stored.
Checks
Paste a subject line or an email to see the checks. Nothing leaves your browser.
What the checker looks for
| Check | Why | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Subject under about 50 characters | Long subjects are cut off | Prezly's guidance (updated 17 Jun 2026) |
| Subject says the news, not just "Press release" | A label tells the reporter nothing | Newswire (2019); Build Book Buzz (2026) |
| No whole words in capitals in the subject | Reads as shouting or spam | Newswire (2019) |
| Pitch under 200 words above the release | The length journalists say they prefer | Muck Rack 2026, via The PR Net |
| No attachment mentioned | Attachments go unopened or get filtered | Build Book Buzz; Newswire; ContentGrip |
| No [brackets] left from a template | The most common copy-paste slip | Essentras editorial check |
| Opens with a name | "Dear Sir or Madam" signals a mass email | Build Book Buzz (personal opening); Newswire (individual emails) |
| No "today" or "this week" | Emails are read later and forwarded | Essentras editorial check |
| Embargo line has a date, time and time zone | An embargo without them cannot be honored | ContentGrip (18 Sep 2026) |
| No hype words or exclamation marks | Facts persuade; adjectives do not | Prezly; Essentras editorial check |
| Includes a link | The newsroom link replaces attachments | Newswire (2019); ContentGrip (2026) |
| Includes a phone number or email | A reporter on deadline needs to reach you | Essentras editorial check |
If nobody replies
What if no journalist replies?
Pitching is free and promises nothing: only a reporter decides. When a page must exist by a date, the paid route is a named outlet at a price you see first. On Essentras an AP News press release costs $317 and a Yahoo News/Finance press release $667, each published with the label its listing states.
| Outlet | Price | Time to go live | What the reader sees | Link |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| AP News; Press Release | $317 | 3 to 5 business days | Published with a sponsored or partner label. | Nofollow |
| Yahoo News/Finance; Press Release | $667 | 3 to 5 business days | Published with a discreet disclosure. | Nofollow |
| Business Insider / Yahoo / AP News; Press Release | $833 | 3 to 5 business days | Published with a discreet disclosure. | Nofollow |
| Reuters; Press Release | $3,000 | 1 to 2 weeks | Published with a sponsored or partner label. | Dofollow |
| Medium | $97 | 1 business day | Published as a standard editorial article, with no sponsored label. | Nofollow |
- Paid placements are paid. They are not earned coverage, and they run with the label the listing states.
- Each listing includes writing on request, a draft you approve, a dated screenshot and the live URL; the listing refunds if it does not publish or misses its turnaround (listing terms, 19 Oct 2026).
- Turnaround is counted in business days, paused while we wait on you, with a 3 business day grace period.
Prefer a distribution wire? Compare every wire's published price.
Proof: placements you can open
We have published client press releases on AP News. The listing page shows live examples you can open on AP News itself, with the client names left out.
Our Get Featured page lists 31 client placements across 11 outlets at DA 87 to 99 (read 19 Oct 2026). See the track record
Optional add-ons, and cheaper starts
Optional. You can do everything on this page without any of these.
Often added
Business Insider, Yahoo and AP News in 1 order
$833 instead of $1,404
The 3 outlets bought separately cost $1,404; the bundle saves $571 (41%). The listing states: "Published with a discreet disclosure."
See the bundleThe Guaranteed 7
$999
7 placements on named outlets in 1 order. Your story publishes on all 7 outlets, or you get your money back.
See the 7 outletsA Knowledge Panel, once coverage exists
$650 or $1,200
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See the Knowledge Panel serviceTrack what AI assistants say afterwards
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A page on Medium
$97, 1 business day
A feature article on Medium, a publishing platform, not a news outlet. Nofollow. The listing states: "Published as a standard editorial article, with no sponsored label."
Publish on MediumPress Monthly
$97 a month
1 press placement every month. We match the outlet to your niche and show it to you before we write. Cancel any time; plan months carry no turnaround guarantee.
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FAQ
Frequently asked questions
How do I email a press release to a journalist?▾
Send 1 personal email per reporter: the news as the subject, 2 or 3 sentences on why it matters to their readers, 1 proof point, an offer such as an interview, your newsroom link, then the release pasted below. Follow up 1 time with something new.
Should I attach a press release or paste it in the email?▾
Paste it in the body below your pitch and link images and files from your newsroom page. Newswire and Build Book Buzz advise against attachments, and ContentGrip says to attach only what the journalist needs. Send a file when a reporter asks for it.
What should the subject line of a press release email say?▾
The news or the angle for that reporter, in plain words and under about 50 characters, for example "[Company] raises [$ amount] to [specific use]". Avoid a bare "Press release" and use "Embargoed" or "Exclusive" only when the email delivers it.
Can I send a press release to many journalists at once?▾
For news, send 1 email per reporter. For a media advisory to a group, use Bcc and send it to yourself. Gmail's stricter bulk rules start at 5,000 messages a day to Gmail accounts, and Google Workspace allows at most 500 external recipients per message.
What is the best time to email a press release?▾
Before noon in the reporter's time zone, the preference journalists gave in Muck Rack's 2026 survey. There is no proven best weekday; work back from your news date and the outlet's lead time.
How many times should I follow up on a press release email?▾
1 time, a few days later and in the same thread, with something new such as data, an interview slot or an image. Muck Rack's 2026 survey points to 1 timely follow-up. Do not ask whether the reporter received your email.
How do I write an embargo in an email?▾
Ask first and send details only after the reporter agrees. Then put "Embargoed until [time, time zone, date]" in the subject and at the top of the release, keep your newsroom page private, and publish nothing before that time.
What is the difference between an exclusive and an embargo?▾
An embargo gives several reporters the news early, all publishing at the same set time. An exclusive gives 1 outlet the story first, and other outlets get it only after that outlet publishes or passes.
Can I use AI to write my press release email?▾
You can draft with it, but rewrite the opening yourself and check every fact. In Cision's 2026 survey, 53% of journalists said they oppose AI-generated pitches, citing accuracy and personalization.
What if no journalist replies?▾
Rework the angle and pitch other reporters, or pay for a page on a named outlet. On Essentras an AP News press release costs $317 and runs 3 to 5 business days, with the label its listing states. A paid page is not earned coverage.
Next steps
- 01
Post the release in your newsroom
That page is the source every email links to.
- 02
Write the subject and the pitch
Start from a template above and keep the pitch under 200 words.
- 03
Check it
Run it through the pitch checker and send a test to yourself.
- 04
Send 1-to-1 before noon, follow up 1 time
Then log who replied to which angle.
- 05
Book a paid page only if a date demands it
A named outlet at a price you see first, labeled as its listing states.
Need a page that runs by a date?
AP News $317 or Yahoo News/Finance $667, 3 to 5 business days, live URL or a full refund.
Publish on AP News Open the calculatorChecked on . Every Essentras price, turnaround, link policy and label on this page comes from the public catalog API, read on this date. Every outside figure carries its source and the date we read it, in the list below.
Sources
- ContentGrip, How to send a press release via email (18 Sep 2026), read 19 Oct 2026
- Newswire, Your Guide to Sending Press Releases Via Email (7 Mar 2019), read 19 Oct 2026
- Build Book Buzz, How to email a press release to journalists (updated 3 Jun 2026), read 19 Oct 2026
- Prezly, Press release subject lines (updated 17 Jun 2026), read 19 Oct 2026
- Cision, 2026 State of the Media press release (13 May 2026), read 19 Oct 2026
- The PR Net, summary of Muck Rack's State of Journalism 2026, read 19 Oct 2026
- Muck Rack, State of Journalism 2026 (the connection reset for our reader on 19 Oct 2026; verify figures here)
- Google, Email sender guidelines (Gmail Help), read 19 Oct 2026
- Google Workspace, Gmail sending limits (updated 13 Oct 2026), read 19 Oct 2026
- Gmail Help, Send attachments with your Gmail message, read 19 Oct 2026
- Essentras public catalog API: AP News, Yahoo News/Finance, the 3-outlet bundle, Reuters and Medium listings, read 19 Oct 2026
- Essentras Get Featured page (track record line), read 19 Oct 2026
- Essentras refund policy (turnaround, removal within 90 days)
Essentras sells paid placements on named outlets, including the press release listings on this page. Paid placements are not earned coverage. Survey figures are the publishers' own, as dated.
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