You want your film to receive media coverage, because publicity builds value in a number of ways.

I¹m assuming that you are already on Facebook and Twitter, but if not, check with my fellow Pavaline blogger James Latham and he¹ll get you started on how to maximize Social Media.

Today I¹m writing about getting your film covered in conventional media.  You¹ve read my earlier blog entry, you have written your press release, now how do you get it out to media?

Remember, the marketplace is in a constant state of high speed change, so journalists¹ preferences are also constantly changing. Most accept e-mail submissions, but a few still prefer fax and mail.

For the most part, journalists want to know about the substance of your story before they become interested in the details.

So you will begin with a cover letter, which you are either going to print on your letterhead and put into the mail with a copy of your press release, or you are going to send to the journalist in an e-mail.  Your cover letter will describe your film, in a few paragraphs, and what makes your film special, in your own words. Many journalists and media outlets don¹t allow attachments, so you will want to make your press release available for download from a page on your film¹s website, and send out the link.

Who should you contact?  Everyone who has an interest, and there are a lot of people to consider.

First, there is the primary entertainment / film media: The Hollywood Reporter (THR), Variety, IndieWIRE, and lots and lots of others.  Begin with THR, and check out the blogs.  You will find an amazing number of links to other blogs, this step alone may end up consuming an entire day, but keep at it, because once you have a list, you can use it as many times as you¹d like.

Second, it is very likely that the subject of your film is served by an entire segment of media outlets:  Sports films are covered by sports media outlets, etc.  Some search engines like Yahoo! even maintain some specialized media lists.

Third, you can submit your press release to the major news services: United Press International (UPI), Associated Press (AP), and Reuters all provide instructions on their sites for press release submission. (At writing, Reuters accepts story ideas through their site. News organizations definitely check their site submissions, I've obtained television coverage for clients resulting from website submissions.)

Fourth, there are many press release distribution services, some of the free ones can generate some pretty good internet coverage.  

The larger paid press release distribution services are PR Newswire and PRWeb.  PR Newswire is the more expensive, but can potentially provide the greatest return.  PR Newswire even has a program in which you can provide them with promo art, and they will put your promo art up on a Times Square display, and provide you with a photograph. PRWeb has been a good resource for me for films with recognizable names in the cast.

What about paid media contact lists and services?  I use Mondo Times.  The cost of their subscription is relatively low, and they have worked well for me to locate regional media outlets when I¹m promoting festival and promotional screenings.

Remember journalists and media outlets receive thousands of press release submissions every day, so your response rate can be low, but if you stick with it, you can generate some responses that will result in media coverage for your film.

When you receive a media response, avoid the temptation to go beyond their information request.  You made it past the biggest obstacle, you got your submission read and you generated a response, so give the journalist exactly what they ask for, and you should receive some good coverage.

Building and maintaining a media list is an ongoing process.  Keep your eyes open, read all that you can, and when you see a journalist¹s e-mail address provided, add them to your list if you feel your story has some relevance to the media outlet¹s readers / viewers / followers / listeners . . .

Media outlets generally prefer stories about well known movie stars, but don¹t let that keep you from contacting them.  You never know when your story might hit a chord with them, after all, something about your story compelled you to make a film about it, which in my opinion is a major accomplishment!