question for freelance journalists...

[bettythebuilder]

... I'm wondering if you mind a company sending you an unsolicited Press Release email using, for example, contact details found on the web.

The information would be relevant ie sent to journalists with an interest in the field- it won't be a case of a release about steam trains to a fashion journalist

I'd like to get a press release 'out there' but don't want to spam/annoy anyone and was wondering what the etiquette is!

DH is a freelance journo and says it would depend which email address you used... he has a work address on his professional website, which would be fine, but if you'd harvested his personal email address from another website or Twitter etc he wouldn't be happy.

He says the best option is to use a professional press release distribution service, but then you'd have to pay for that!

I do get them (I think) due to having registered with a website that was allegedly a place to find freelance work.
They are always vaguely appropriate but useless to me, so I can't say I give a toss either way.

However, if you go through relevant websites/publications (eg, if what you are flogging is lipstick, you trawl the relevant mags/sites for the beauty eds' emails) then no one is likely to mind. They might not take any notice, but they won't mind.

ooh, thanks for the speedy replies.

MegBusset, good point about the work/personal emails, they should be work emails as I've found some from websites/ media posts on forums etc. I would love to use a professional distribution service, but don't have the necessary k-ching!

SolidGhoul, I suspect my email may fit the 'vaguely appropriate but useless' category but yes, I was hoping that it may be picked up by someone, but if not they'd just delete without taking offence!

I get a few a week - I'm freelance and mostly work from home, so my personal email is also my work email.

Doesn't bother me at all.

thank you Nancy, good to hear as the RM strike has scuppered the press release post-outs I had planned!

I'm a freelancer, but was working as an editor until recently & can see no problem sending them to a work address. It used to happen to me all day every day! It's best to make sure they are relevant to make sure you don't cheese off the people you are trying to win over!

thanks, bendigedig, I must say I thought I'd check with the all-knowing mumsnet because I really don't want to cheese anyone off

I've written a press release and my original plan was to send to relevant mags, journos etc with a product sample, but the uncertainty over post due to the RM strikes made me think emails would be a better bet!

No, I wouldn't. I get releases from PRs and even try to reply to them but at worst you just don't get a reply.

thanks goldenpeach, it's worth a try then!