Before you send a press release, check 10 things: the news, the headline and lead, names and numbers, quotes, links, the image, contact details, formatting, claims that need proof, and the package and send date.

PR Zen's press release distribution has more flexible editorial guidelines than most services, and most releases are approved as submitted. So treat this as a quality check. Once a release is live on 100+ sites, fixing a wrong date or a dead link in every copy may not be possible.

The news itself

Everything else depends on this part. A release needs an announcement, such as a launch, a partnership, a new hire, a report or an expansion.

  • You can state the news in one plain sentence: “[Bakery name] opens a second Denver location on October 17.”
  • That sentence, or something close to it, opens the release.
  • It's new. If the launch was months ago, lead with what has changed since, like first results or the next phase.
  • Someone outside your company can see why it matters to them.

If you can't write the one-sentence version, fix that before anything else on this list.

Headline and lead

  • The headline names the company or product and says what happened. Puns and teasers hide the news.
  • The subheadline adds a detail, like the price or the date, instead of repeating the headline.
  • The release opens with a dateline: city, state or country, and the date.
  • The first paragraph answers who, what, when and where. The second explains why it matters.

“A new chapter begins” tells a reader nothing, while the bakery sentence above works as a headline almost word for word. A lead built this way is also easier for AI assistants to quote, as covered in how to write a press release AI tools can cite.

The stranger test. Show the headline and first paragraph to someone who wasn't involved, then ask them what the news is. If their answer doesn't match yours, rewrite the top.

Names, numbers and dates

Check each one against the source, even the ones you're sure about.

  • The company name is spelled and capitalized the same way everywhere, boilerplate included.
  • Every person has a full name and an exact job title on first mention. Check spellings against their own email signature.
  • Every figure matches its source, and the number in the headline matches the one in the body.
  • Percentages say what they're compared with: “up 40% on the same quarter last year” instead of a bare “up 40%.”
  • Prices show the currency and times show the time zone.
  • Weekdays match their dates. A release promising an opening on “Friday, October 17” has a problem in 2026, because that day is a Saturday.

Pick one style for dates and numbers and keep it all the way through. If you don't have a house style, the AP Stylebook is a sensible default for anything written in news format.

Quotes

  • Each quote comes from a real, named person with an accurate title.
  • The person quoted approved the exact wording. Partner quotes need the partner's written sign-off.
  • Keep it to 1 or 2 quotes.
  • The quote adds a view or a reason. Facts and figures belong in the body.
  • It sounds like something a person would say. Read it out loud.

“We're thrilled to announce this exciting milestone” fails the last two checks. A line that explains a decision, such as why you picked that neighborhood or what customers kept asking for, passes both.

Links

  • You clicked every link in the final version, after the last round of edits.
  • None of them points to a staging site, a login page, a private document or an expired offer.
  • Each link has a job, like sending readers to the product page or a booking form.
  • The anchor text describes the page in plain words, like the product name or “read the full report.”
  • URLs are written in full. A link shortener hides where the reader is going.

Skip keyword anchors like “best bakery in Denver.” Google's spam policies for web search list links with optimized anchor text in press releases distributed on other sites as an example of link spam. Write links for the people reading the release, and don't count on them for rankings.

If you want to know how many visits the release sends, tag the links to your own site. Google Analytics explains how to build campaign URLs with UTM parameters: use utm_source, utm_medium and utm_campaign together, and the campaign appears in the Traffic acquisition report.

Image and media

  • You own the image or have a license or written permission for this use. A photo found online doesn't count.
  • You chose one strong image over several weak ones. The product in use or the new location beats a logo on a white background.
  • It's sharp at full size, with no text overlays or collages.
  • The file name describes the picture (denver-bakery-exterior.jpg beats IMG_4032.jpg).
  • A one-line caption and alt text are ready to paste.

The W3C's tips for writing alt text ask for the most concise description possible of the image's purpose, and note there's usually no need to include words like “image” or “picture.” For the bakery, “Front of the new [Bakery name] shop on opening day” does the job.

Contact details and boilerplate

  • The media contact is a named person with an email address someone checks daily.
  • Any phone number listed reaches a person or a named voicemail. Call it once to check.
  • The boilerplate, the short “About” paragraph at the end, says what the company does and where it's based.
  • It's current, with no old headcount or closed office, and it makes no claim the release can't back up.
  • For a joint announcement, both companies have a boilerplate and both have signed off.

Formatting

  • Paragraphs run 1 to 4 sentences.
  • Specs and prices sit in a short list instead of one long sentence.
  • Longer releases have a subhead or two.
  • No all-caps headline and no trademark symbol after every product mention.
  • You pasted the final text into the submission form and read it there once more. Tables and footnotes from a word processor don't always survive.
  • You read it on a phone. If the news isn't on the first screen, the top is too long.
  • If the release will also go out as audio, you read it aloud once. Long URLs and tables don't work spoken.

Claims that need proof

Some claims usually just get a question from the editor:

  • “Best,” “first,” “only” or “leading” with no source behind it.
  • An award or ranking without the year and the name of the group that gave it.
  • Direct comparisons with a named competitor.

Answer with a source or reword the claim. A “first” with a link to the evidence is fine.

Others have to be sourced, cleared or removed before the release can be approved:

  • Customer counts, revenue, growth or market size you can't back up.
  • Partner or client names and logos used without their permission.
  • Health promises or guaranteed returns. Take them out.

If something does need a fix, you get one clear note saying exactly what. The longer version is in what editorial review is really checking.

Package and send date

  • The reach fits the story: Quick Start ($15, 100+ outlets) for routine news and first releases, Wider Reach ($29, 300+ outlets plus 1 premium outlet) for news that crosses regions or industries, and Full Zen ($149) for all 7 premium outlets, an audio option and a white-label report you can hand to a client.
  • Any premium outlet you add fits the audience. Markets news suits TheStreet; business news with an Asia angle suits Nikkei.
  • The news is true on the day it goes out. If the release says the shop is open, it's open.
  • Partners have agreed to the date.
  • You left room for review. Approval usually takes a few hours, but if your date is fixed, submit a working day ahead.

If you're torn between two levels, read how to choose the right press release package.

When every box is ticked, send it. If this is your first release with PR Zen, the guide to submitting your first press release covers every step up to your live links, and new clients can request access on the get started page.