Press Release--Small town paper--A question

[Raymond Bleesz]

Your comments please. I regularly submit fine art photos to juried shows in my local (Denver-
Boulder). I have had regular success in having an image or more accepted to various shows. Upon acceptance to various shows, I typically write my own press release to the local paper announcing the show,, dates, the juror, what images were selected & some typical tech info. For the most part, our local paper has either edited the press release or published it more or less as submitted, however, of recent, the editor indicated that my latest press release may not be published because we "...Can't promise that we'll run every release from you...". This response may be as far as I get, & I have to accept it.

Naturally, I would be disappointed if they do not run the press release. I realize that the editor or art critic has the option not too. A gut feeling of "how dare you not publish a press release" overcame me initially. Am I wrong here?

However, in business, as in art business, press releases are the normal, are they not? No matter how frequent? I am not lucky enough to have acceptance every month for every show, hence I am not bombarding the editor with releases. What is the norm in the business of promoting onesself? I am awaiting not only this particular press release to be published (or not), but also I will be notified in the very near future of another exhibition which may accept my image/s. Hence another press release, possibly.

There are those who say that if one doesn't promote onesself, no one will. Perhaps I'm of this frame of mind.

And your experiences in this matter or opinion?

Thank you
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[John Flavell]

This is fairy typical. Not every press release we get at our newspaper is published in any form--it's a simple matter of space and judgement. Sometimes, repetition plays a part. Also, press releases these days from any sector of the community tend to be nothing more than free advertising.

While you see the releases you write as promotional tools, the editor of the newspaper may see the as frees adverts. He/She may also see them as redundant.

As you mentioned, the newspaper has published your releases in the past so it isn't as if they're avoiding you.

Wouldn't press releases written to publications where the shows are located be more important because people there could actually go see the prints you've entered?

[Robert Skeoch]

I would think that most press releases that come to our paper don't see the light of day.... if you get one out of three in the paper I would say that you're ahead of the pack.

So in a sense you are wrong to expect them to get in the paper, although it's always nice when they do.

-Rob