FAQ | Writing a Successful Release | Submit News
Q-When should I submit news? As soon as possible. If you wait until two days before your event, you are missing out on free visibility on our online calendar, press release opportunities, and being able to schedule someone to cover your event.
Q~How do I submit news? You can use our online submission form. Or, send your release as a Word attachment, body copy of email, or link to online story to news@princewilliamliving.com. We can not accept stories sent in PDF, JPG, or other uneditable formats. Please include a picture or logo which you have rights to publish.
Q~What type of news can I post to PWLiving.com? We want to hear about accomplishments and activities of the people, places, and organizations of greater Prince William. Tell us about new hires, students winning awards, company milestones, summer camp openings…community news that our readers would want to know. To get maximum exposure, include a photo that you have rights to publish (ie, no copying and pasting from Pinterest or Google image). Please note that all submissions should be written in an informative, news style (vs. marketing or advertising). We follow AP guidelines in our publications.
Q~Where’s my news? I submitted, but do not see it on your site. Our staff tries to approve all submitted posts that meet our guidelines within 2 business days. Occasionally, this process will take longer, such as when we are working to get the print edition on newsstands. There may also be times where a submitted release is not accepted for publication.
Q~Why was my release not accepted for publication? While we strive to publish as much community news as possible, we must also filter posts based on a number of reasons, including:
- Inappropriate content. Keep it G-rated and informative, not argumentative or “advertise-y.”
- Repeat information–sometimes we receive multiple releases on the same event or news. When this happens, we generally only post one version.
- Style or grammar issues. We will do light editing so that your news meets site standards and style. However, if a piece needs substantial work, it will not get posted.
- Full contact information not submitted– If we cannot verify the writer, we will not accept the submission.
- Doesn’t speak to our audience. This could mean topics that don’t relate to our region, topics with overt partisan overtones, or any subject we have found does not resonate with our readers. A look at our department categories gives a good idea of the types of topics we generally cover.
Q~I can’t get your site to display properly on my computer. WordPress is designed to work with the latest browsers, allowing it to have maximum functionality. If you are operating an older version of Explorer, Firefox, etc, you may need to update. Which will also give you the latest security features for those sites; everybody wins!
If you have a question not covered in our FAQ, please contact us at editor@princewilliamliving.com. Thank you for sharing your Prince William news with us; we look forward to sharing it with PWLiving.com readers. Also, look for your news on facebook.com/PrinceWilliamLiving, where we often share story links.