Distribution guide
Where to Send and Submit a Press Release
You can send a press release three ways: pitch journalists directly by email, pay a distribution service, or upload it to free submission sites. Here is what each buys.
Last updated July 4, 2026
Your three options compared
This guide assumes your release is already written and approved. If it is not, start with our press release templates and press release examples, then come back here for distribution.
| Route | Cost | What you get | Best when |
|---|---|---|---|
| Pitch journalists yourself | Free, but slow | A shot at earned coverage; no guarantee anyone replies or publishes | Your story is genuinely newsworthy and you have time to research contacts |
| Paid distribution service | Competitive one-time pricing (MediaBoost), public on the media page | Guaranteed placements on named outlets, live within 48 hours, with a proof report | You need certain coverage on a deadline |
| Free submission sites | $0 | Unverified syndication on low-visibility aggregator pages | You only need a citable link and expect no readership |
MediaBoost packages are one-time purchases with editorial review included. See what a proof report looks like.
How to send a press release via email
Pitching by email is free, and it is how most earned coverage starts. Five steps keep your release from disappearing into the pile.
- 1
Find the right journalist, not a generic inbox
Search the outlet for reporters who covered your topic in the last three months and email that person by name; generic newsroom inboxes are flooded and rarely read.
- 2
Send it at the right time
The window most PR guides converge on is Tuesday to Thursday, 8 to 10 am in the journalist's own time zone, a few days ahead of your announcement date.
- 3
Write a subject line that states the news
Lead with the news itself, skip the words press release, and stay under roughly 60 characters: names, numbers and outcomes beat adjectives.
Real subject lines, from releases we distributed
Weebit Nano raises $15 million via strongly supported SPP
trimmed from the published release
AmpCast AI Games: $7 marketing event, June 5-7
trimmed from the published release
Autonomize AI appoints Dr. Sandhya Gardner as CMO
trimmed from the published release
- 4
Keep the body short and paste the release below
Open with two or three sentences on why this story fits their beat, then paste the full release below your sign-off, never as an attachment.
- 5
Follow up once, then stop
If you hear nothing after two or three business days, send one short reply in the same thread; anything more reads as spam.
Where to publish a press release if you skip the pitching
A distribution service exists for teams that do not want to build press lists and chase replies: you pay once, the service places your release, and you get live links to verify.
At MediaBoost that means a set number of placements on named outlets from a 500+ catalog (DR 70-92, average DR 82), one-time packages at a competitive rate, editorial review included, live within 48 hours, and a shareable PDF proof report. You can see current pricing on the media page. If you are weighing the traditional wires instead, our guide to PR Newswire alternatives compares them, and crypto projects should start with the best crypto press release distribution ranking, since crypto outlets are a separate ecosystem.
See packages and outletsPress release submission FAQ
Where do I send a press release?
Send it to individual journalists who cover your topic, using their direct email address rather than a generic newsroom inbox. If you want guaranteed publication instead of a pitch, submit it through a distribution service such as MediaBoost, which places releases on named outlets at a competitive one-time rate, with current prices public on the media page. Free submission sites are a third option when unverified syndication is enough.
Can I submit a press release for free?
Yes, in two ways: pitch journalists directly by email, which costs nothing but carries no guarantee anyone publishes, or upload the release to free submission sites. Free sites provide unverified syndication: copies of your release on low-visibility aggregator pages, with no named outlets and no proof of publication.
How much does it cost to submit a press release?
Emailing journalists yourself is free apart from your time. Paid distribution with guaranteed placements on named outlets is a one-time purchase at MediaBoost, with strong pricing for the quality of outlets you get, editorial review included and placements live within 48 hours. Traditional newswires such as PR Newswire and Business Wire are quote-based through sales, while MediaBoost publishes its prices online, including a la carte rates for premium outlets like Forbes; see current pricing on the media page.
When should I send a press release?
Most PR guides converge on Tuesday to Thursday, between 8 and 10 am in the recipient's time zone, and journalists appreciate a few days of lead time before your announcement date. If you are on a deadline, paid distribution through MediaBoost publishes within 48 hours. If the news must not appear before a set moment, write "Embargoed until [date, time]" at the top; an embargo is a convention most journalists honor, not a legal guarantee.
How do press releases get picked up?
Two routes: a journalist chooses to cover your story after a direct pitch, or a distribution service places the release on outlets in its network. Pickup from pitching is never guaranteed; paid distribution such as MediaBoost guarantees a set number of placements on named outlets, live within 48 hours.
Should a press release be Word or PDF?
For pitching, neither: paste the text in the email body, never as an attachment. Keep your working file in Word or Google Docs for edits, and use PDF only to share a final, uneditable copy. The free templates on this site download in both formats.
Do submitted press releases help SEO?
Most media links are nofollow as per industry standard, so press releases do not pass link equity and no honest service promises rankings. The value is indexed coverage on trusted sites, brand signals, referral traffic and AI visibility, since AI assistants cite crawlable articles on named outlets when answering questions about your company.
Skip the pitching grind
and get guaranteed coverage
One-time packages at competitive rates, editorial review included, live within 48 hours, with a shareable proof report listing every placement. Check live pricing.