That’s how much time you have to catch the interest of an editor or reporter. 10 seconds. Sometimes less. That’s why you need to give reporters and editors what they want -- fast!

The key tool for promoting your business to the media is a press release, also known as news release.

Most news releases get thrown in the trash. Here’s how to make sure yours gets read, and more importantly, gets your small business the free publicity you deserve.

Use Press Release Format -- because reporters and other media decision makers are bombarded by releases and other written requests for a story (some on scraps of paper, others in illegible handwriting) your release must follow some general guidelines to make it easy to learn what the story is about.

If you are sending hard copy (not an email) your name or company name with all contact info should be at the top of the page. Usually, your letterhead will do the trick. If you are sending an email release, letterhead is not necessary, but it can be helpful.

Include Release Info -- this goes on four separate lines (double-spaced) below the letterhead.

First line is the date you send the release.

The second line is simply the words NEWS RELEASE (in caps).

The third line should be when you want the press to publish any information from the release. If you want to get publicity as soon as possible, write FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE (in caps). Sometimes you may want the info published at a later date, perhaps to coincide with a new product release or event. In this case, write FOR RELEASE January 1, 2006, etc.

The fourth line should say CONTACT: John Smith, etc., followed by the phone number and email address. This is the person you want all calls and emails directed to.

Write A Great Headline -- it goes one to two inches below the contact info. THE HEADLINE IS THE MOST IMPORTANT PART OF THE NEWS RELEASE!!!

A good headline will make the reporter want to learn more and continue reading. IT SHOULD BE WRITTEN IN CAPS.

Write the text (also known as “copy") -- this first paragraph is crucial to the success of your release. It should be just a few sentences that explain or backup the headline. This paragraph is the main idea you are trying to communicate.

The second and succeeding paragraphs should elaborate on the headline and first paragraph, in descending order of importance.

Use quotes -- the second or third paragraph is a good place to put a strong, RELEVANT quote from you or an official of your company. You may use quotes later in the release, as well. Quotes liven up copy so be sure to use them if you can. Many releases wrap up with a good quote.

Include Your Contact Info again. End the release with something like, “for more info call or e-mail …" etc. If your release is well-written and useful to the publication, they may publish it as an article, so you want to be sure that readers know how to find you.

Write in Newspaper Style -- even if you are sending the release to a radio or TV station. Study “hard news" stories such as politics, crime, business, etc to see how this is done. “Soft News" stories, also known as features, follow different rules. Features are generally human interest stories, entertainment or profiles of famous and not-so-famous people who have an interesting story to tell. Your story may make a good feature, but pitch it with a hard news style press release.

Keep it short -- 400 to 600 words is the norm. If reporters want to know more, they’ll ask you. You may want to add supporting material such as a short bio or company history, a fact sheet or FAQ as separate documents. The purpose of the press release is to sell the story so that reporters will want to do an interview with you.

Don’t Use Jargon -- reporters hate this, especially if they don’t know what the jargon means.

Use Everyday Language -- don’t try to impress anyone with your vocabulary. Your purpose is communicate, not confuse.

Use Short Sentences -- long-winded sentences that start in New York and finally end up somewhere near San Francisco are boring and confusing. Don’t make the reporter hunt through tons of words to try to discover what you mean.

Keep Paragraphs Short -- forget what your English teacher taught you. This is the real world.

Double Space -- it makes your copy easy on the eyes of reporters who must read thousands of words a day. Single spaced email releases are OK.

Be Accurate -- check for typos. If you use statistics or other facts, make sure they are correct.