I’m a dance writer. I love writing about dance. You have a show coming up. You want me to write about your show. It’s a match made in heaven… right?
It sounds like a no-brainer but it’s not always that simple. As news editor for the Dance Australia website, my inbox is always jam-packed with requests for publicity… sometimes I am overjoyed at how much dance is happening around Australia, other times I am overwhelmed. I only have room for 7-9 new stories each week, so the list of potential stories must be mercilessly culled.
So how do you ensure that your event is one that makes the cut?
I present to you Nina’s 4 Golden Rules*
1. Send your news in early
I am constantly amazed, both as an editor and as a freelance writer, at the number of artists and companies who get in touch with me the week before (or even the week of!) the event they hope to have publicised. Seriously. You’re dreaming.
Even though a website can be updated at any time, with so many press releases coming in and a limit to how many can be posted each week, I don’t just post whatever lands in my inbox that week – quite the opposite. I have a planning system into which press releases are filed as they arrive . I try to post preview stories about two weeks in advance of the show… but if you send me your press release two weeks before your show, chances are there won’t be any spots left.
So even though a website can be updated at any time, if you want your news to get online, it’s best to send it in about 4-6 weeks in advance.
As a freelance writer for The West Australian, a daily newspaper, I’d suggest a similar time-line for that kind of publication too. Don’t let the word “daily” fool you – with diminishing budgets and pages, arts sections are planned well in advance.
This advice goes for reviews as well – if you are hoping to get your show reviewed make sure you send in your request at least 4-6 weeks in advance.
2. Make you approach the right person (ie the editor)
I’ve lost count of the number of times I’ve been asked, “Nina, will you review my show?”
The answer is always, “Ask my editor.” I’m a freelance critic – that means that I get commissioned to write reviews. I don’t get to choose which shows get reviewed. Even as news editor of the Dance Australia website, I don’t commission reviews – that gets done by the print magazine’s editor.
So if you want a review of your work (or a preview for that matter), make sure you find out who the person is making editorial decisions and send your request and press release to that person.
That said, it’s worth letting freelancers know your work is on. If they are excited by your work they may request to cover it… but you still need to approach the editor yourself. Don’t leave that to the freelancer – they may not follow up and, in any case, even if they do, you are more likely to get coverage if the editor hears about your work from more than one source.
3. Tell me stuff… but not too much stuff
Part A: What’s the story, morning glory?
In my current roles, press releases have two different functions, depending on whether I am writing a piece for the Dance Australia website or a preview for The West.
If I’m writing a news item about an upcoming show for the Dance Australia website, I don't have time to do much research. Press releases that include enough information to enable me to write a brief article about the event are my favourites.
If I’m writing a preview for The West, the press release needs to provide me with enough information to choose an angle for my piece and formulate interview questions or choose an alternative research path.
Either way, the press release needs to include some level of detail about the work/s and the choreographer/s. Adjectives are better than superlatives – I want to know what the show is about, what it looks like, what it says. Telling me that a work is “wonderful”, “brilliant”, “ground-breaking” is all very well but it doesn’t provide me with useful content… that is, a sense of what the audience will see. Quotes from artists about the work and the creative process are helpful – for my Dance Australia articles in particular, which tend to be short and information-based, quotes help to lend colour and character.
Part B: Keep it simple...
So detail about the show and the choreographer is good. Too much detail, though, is not so good.
When I am choosing which press releases to follow up, I generally scan the first page only… so all key info needs to be clearly presented on that first page. Don’t be tempted to squash in more using a small font – remember I’m only scanning initially, so you want key points to be immediately visible.
Put the date and venue of the show on the first page – one of the first things I look for is when and where the event is happening.
Things like artist biographies, company history, any background info? All fine to go on page 2.
4. Photos are good
- For the Dance Australia website I can’t publish a story unless I have an image to accompany. If I’m under time pressure and I have to choose something to post quickly, the event that has attached or included a link to ready-to-use photos is in with a better chance of being selected than one that says, “Contact the publicist for images.”
- For a print publication photos must be high res (and so sending a link to photos using a service such as Dropbox is better than attaching super large files)
- For online publications, low res photos are generally fine but keep them a decent size. Remember I can make your photo smaller but I cannot make it bigger. It’s better to err on the side of too large than too small. Thumbnails are of NO USE AT ALL.
- Include the photo credit (the name of the photographer) and the caption in the photograph file name.
- Dance Australia’s readers love dance photos so send me photos of people dancing! Less abstract is better – I want to see bodies moving rather than headshots. Rehearsal shots are great. Don’t just send me the promotional shot – it may be good for your poster but it’s not always good for an article.
- Send me lots of photos, or at least more than one. Options, people. I need options.
- If you’re sending photos for a review, send production shots, not publicity shots.
That’s it.
Chookas.
Nina
* This is an opinion piece and the opinions expressed are mine. No research was conducted in the creation of these rules… but if you follow them you will make me happy. Thank you.