PressRelay

Editorial Guidelines

All press releases submitted to PressRelay must meet the following editorial standards. Submissions that do not comply will be returned for revision or rejected.

Content Requirements

  • Word count: Minimum 400 words, maximum 1,500 words.
  • Newsworthy content only. Releases must contain genuine news — a product launch, partnership, hire, milestone, event, or similar. Advertisements, how-to guides, blog posts, and promotional content are not accepted.
  • No duplicate content. Releases must be original and not published verbatim elsewhere.
  • No defamation, slander, or inflammatory content. Releases must be factual and professional.

Voice & Style

  • Third person only. First-person pronouns (I, we, us) and second-person (you, your) may only appear inside direct quotes. The narrative body must be written in third person.
  • AP Style formatting. Follow Associated Press style for numbers (spell out one through nine, numerals for 10 and above), dates (March 24, 2026), capitalisation (title case for headlines), and abbreviations.
  • Entity consistency. Organisation names, executive names, and product names must be used identically throughout the release. Do not alternate between variations (e.g. "PressRelay" and "Press Relay").

Structure

Every press release must follow this structure:

  1. Dateline — Required. Format: CITY, COUNTRY — Date. Example: "LONDON, United Kingdom — March 24, 2026."
  2. Lead paragraph — The most important information: who, what, when, where, and why.
  3. Context — Background information that supports the lead.
  4. Quote — At least one attributed quote from a named spokesperson or executive.
  5. Detail — Supporting facts, figures, and additional information.
  6. Boilerplate — Organisation description including website URL and links to social profiles or directory listings.
  7. Media contact — A named contact with email and/or phone number for journalist follow-up.

Media & Images

  • Main image required. Every release must include at least one image in .jpg or .png format.
  • No logos as main image. The primary image must be a photograph or substantive visual, not a company logo. Logos may be included as secondary images.
  • Alt text required. All images must include descriptive alt text for accessibility.

Links & References

  • Value-adding links only. All hyperlinks within the release body must add genuine informational value. Promotional or affiliate links are not permitted.
  • Organisation boilerplate links. The boilerplate section must include the organisation's website URL and should include links to social media profiles, directory listings, or Knowledge Graph entries where available.

Review & Compliance

All submissions are reviewed by the PressRelay editorial team before publication. AI tools may assist with drafting and formatting, but human editorial judgement determines what is published.

PressRelay reserves the right to reject any submission that does not meet these guidelines, or to request revisions before publication.

Questions about these guidelines? Contact us at press@pressrelay.co.uk.