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How long should a press release be?
A press release is usually 300 to 500 words, about one single-spaced page. Journalists skim: if the news is not clear in the first two sentences, the rest is rarely read.
Work it out
Line spacing
pages, single-spaced, Arial 12 pt, about 500 words a page
- Handwritten pages
- 2
- Reading time
- 2 min 6 sec
- Speaking time
- 3 min 20 sec–3 min 51 sec
- Typing time
- 13 min
- Paragraphs
- 3–5
- Sentences
- 25–33
- Characters with spaces
- about 3,000
Write it in the word counter with a limit of 500 words.
Open the word counterPress release in pages and minutes
| Length | Single-spaced | Double-spaced | Reading time | Speaking time |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 300 words | 0.6 | 1.2 | 1 min 16 sec | 2 min–2 min 18 sec |
| 500 words | 1 | 2 | 2 min 6 sec | 3 min 20 sec–3 min 51 sec |
Estimates for US Letter or A4 with 1-inch (2.54 cm) margins and ordinary paragraphs; reading at 238 words a minute, speaking at 130 to 150.
The standard shape
- Headline and an optional subheadline.
- Dateline (city and date) and a first paragraph with who, what, when, where and why.
- Two or three paragraphs of detail, most important first.
- A quote from a named person that adds a view, not a repeat of the facts.
- A short “About” paragraph on the organisation (the boilerplate) and press contact details.
Releases traditionally end with ### or -30- centred under the text, to show nothing follows.
Cutting to length
- Lose the adjectives. “Innovative”, “leading” and “exciting” are cut first by every editor.
- One quote, not three.
- Link to the detail (a fact sheet, images) instead of including it.
Questions and answers
How many words is a press release?
Usually 300 to 500; under 400 is often better.
Can a press release be two pages?
It can, but most journalists prefer one page with links to more.