Press Release Package: Price, Process and What to Check

A press release package is a one-time way to turn a real business event into an approved announcement, send it through a chosen route, and keep a record of what published. For a local business opening a second office, launching a service, or announcing a partnership, the right package gives the story one clear job instead of copying the same message across every marketing asset.

Start with the event, not the wire. A distribution service can manage formatting, submission, publisher communication, and a publication record. It cannot control publisher acceptance, downstream pickup, search ranking, traffic, leads, or sales.

Disclosure: Marketing By Kevin offers the press release services described on this page.

What makes a press release package worth buying?

Buy a package when you have a real, specific change that a customer, partner, local reporter, or trade audience can understand quickly. Examples include a new Chicago location, a verified award, an executive appointment, a partnership, an original report, or a measurable company milestone.

A good release has three qualities:

1. It is newsworthy. The headline names the actual change, not a broad claim that you are the best.
2. It is specific. It gives dates, place, scope, and approved facts a reader can check.
3. It has a useful destination. One page on your site helps the reader understand the announcement or take the next step.

Cision’s press release structure guide lists the practical building blocks: headline, subheadline, dateline, opening facts, body, boilerplate, and media contact. Keep a final approved copy before anyone submits it. Our guide to quote approval helps you decide who needs to sign off.

How does a press release package work?

1. Describe what changed. Write one plain sentence: “ABC Plumbing opens a second service location in Naperville on November 1.” If that sentence is only a discount or a slogan, use your normal marketing channels instead.
2. Gather the facts. Confirm names, dates, customer impact, approved quote, company description, media contact, rights to any images, and the one page readers should visit. Use this pre-order information checklist before you pay.
3. Choose the route. A wire route distributes a publisher-reviewed announcement. A personal journalist pitch is a separate job that asks a specific reporter to consider covering your story. Our comparison of distribution and pitching explains the difference.
4. Approve the exact release. Check every quote, link, number, and claim. Track changes rather than circulating several almost-identical versions.
5. Save the proof. Keep the accepted copy, primary URL, publication date, available pickup links, and any report. A list of syndicated URLs is useful distribution proof; it is not the same as reporter-written coverage. See what a distribution report proves.

What are the 5 W’s in a press release?

Put the five W’s near the top: who is involved, what happened, when it happened, where it happened, and why it matters to the reader. The first two sentences should answer most of them.

Another name for a press release is a news release. Both names describe the same basic format.

What should you leave out?

Leave out vague superlatives, unsupported performance claims, invented customer reactions, unapproved quotes, hidden commercial intent, and a pile of unrelated keywords. Do not turn an announcement into a sales page.

Health and research announcements need extra discipline. A 2021 review in The Journal of Antimicrobial Chemotherapy, indexed by the U.S. National Library of Medicine, explains why clinical findings shared before peer review need careful interpretation. If your story reports research, keep the headline aligned with the actual study and link readers to the underlying work where appropriate.

Can ChatGPT write a press release?

Yes. ChatGPT can help you turn a fact sheet into a first draft, shorten a headline, organize the 5 W’s, or spot missing details. It is a writing tool, not the source of the facts. Give it only verified information, then have the owner of the facts and every quoted person approve the final copy.

Use a simple prompt: “Turn these approved facts into a 500–700 word press release. Do not add facts, quotes, dates, customer results, or claims. Put the who, what, when, where, and why in the opening.” Then compare the result with our press release template before submission.

What does “30” mean at the end of a press release?

“###” or “-30-” has traditionally marked the end of release copy. It is optional. A clear boilerplate and media contact matter more than an end mark.

What does a press release example look like?

Headline: Lakeview Dental Announces Second Evanston Office Opening November 1

Opening: EVANSTON, Ill., October 10, 2026 — Lakeview Dental will open a second Evanston office on November 1, expanding appointment availability for local families. The new office will provide [verified services] at [verified location].

Details: Add the confirmed opening details, what changes for customers, one approved quote, a short factual company description, and a contact method. Keep the release about that one event. For a fuller model, use our press release example guide.

Where should you publish a press release?

Choose the route based on who needs the information. Your own site is the place you control and should hold the page that explains the news. A local opening may also fit selected local newsrooms, community calendars, trade groups, partners, and a direct pitch to reporters who cover that beat. A paid wire can be a fit when you need a publisher-reviewed public announcement and a documented distribution route.

Presspage distinguishes between traditional wire services and all-in-one PR platforms that combine media databases, pitching tools, monitoring, and reporting in its distribution-service overview. Choose a wire for one announcement. Consider a platform only if your team will actually use ongoing contact management and monitoring.

What do press release packages cost?

Prices below are shown as of October 10, 2026. Packages and add-ons change, so get a written quote and confirm today’s checkout terms before ordering.

Our general-business release production option adds $395 and includes a search-intent brief, a 500–700 word release, headline, subhead, boilerplate, one authorized quote, route preparation, and reasonable same-scope revisions during the active production window. See the current press release distribution services page when you are ready to compare route fit.

For broader context, Presspage reported non-subscription ACCESS pricing from $415 to $1,095 per release in its 2025 comparison. That is a useful historical ballpark, not a current quote from any provider.

PR Newswire, Cision, and other distribution tools: what should you compare?

Cision describes PR Newswire as a distribution network and says its broader services include targeting, distribution, and reporting. Its PR Newswire service page is a useful reminder to compare the actual route, reporting, and current terms instead of buying a logo list.

When comparing Cision, PR Newswire, GlobeNewswire, ACCESS Newswire, or another tool, ask these questions:

• Does this package accept my type of announcement?
• Is the price per release, per month, or tied to a subscription?
• What geography, industry, multimedia, translation, or targeting add-ons cost extra?
• What proof will I receive after publication?
• Does the package include writing, or only distribution?
• Who controls acceptance, downstream pickup, and retention?

Do not buy a package because it promises a specific outlet, ranking, backlink, traffic number, lead count, or sales result. Those are outside a distribution manager’s control.

How do you avoid repeating the same story across assets?

Give one release one job. A new location announcement can point to the location page. A later original survey can point to the survey page. A partnership announcement can explain the partnership. They may support the same business, but each needs a different verified event, reader question, destination, and publication window.

If you have several real stories, a multi-release campaign can make sense. It should not be the same announcement rewritten with different headlines. Before choosing a date, use this release timing checklist to check approvals, launch readiness, competing news, and the destination page.

Before you buy a press release package

• Write the single sentence that states the real event and date.
• Choose one reader and one page they should visit next.
• Confirm every fact, quote, image right, name, and number.
• Ask for the current package scope, add-on costs, publisher rules, refund terms, and delivery record in writing.
• Decide whether you need a wire submission, personal outreach, your own-site announcement, or a combination.
• Keep your final approved version and the publication record.

By the Marketing By Kevin Team