In typical 37signals fashion, the wisdom in these pages is edgy yet

Press releases are spam
What do you call a generic pitch sent out to hundreds of strangers hoping
that one will bite? Spam. That's what press releases are too: generic pitches
for coverage sent out to hundreds of journalists you don't know, hoping that
one will write about you.
Let's dissect the purpose of a press release for a moment: It's something
you send out because you want to be noticed. You want the press to pick up
on your new company, product, service, announcement, or whatever. You
want them to be excited enough to write a story about you.
But press releases are a terrible way to accomplish that. They're tired and
formulaic. There's nothing exciting about them. Journalists sift through
dozens a day. They wind up buried under an avalanche of hyperbolic
headlines and fake quotes from CEOs. Everything is labeled sensational,
revolutionary, groundbreaking, and amazing. It's numbing.
If you want to get someone's attention, it's silly to do exactly the same
thing as everyone else. You need to stand out. So why issue press releases
like everyone else does? Why spam journalists when their inbox is already
filled with other people's spam?
Furthermore, a press release is generic. You write it once and then send it
to tons of reporters--people whom you don't know and who don't know you.
And your first introduction is this vague, generic note you also send to
everyone else? Is that the impression you want to make? Is that really going
to get you the story?
Instead, call someone. Write a personal note. If you read a story about a
similar company or product, contact the journalist who wrote it. Pitch her
with some passion, some interest, some life. Do something meaningful. Be
remarkable. Stand out. Be unforgettable. That's how you'll get the best
coverage.

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