How to Get a Press Pass, Media Pass Credentials

A publicist wants her artist to get as much successful coverage as possible, and an event planner wants to make sure to get the word out about an upcoming celebration. One of the best ways to do that is to contact journalists or bloggers with a steady reader following. However, sometimes a writer may slip through the cracks and not be contacted. If you aren't contacted for something or someone you're interested in writing about, take the initiative to contact the company or publicist yourself. Before you do, you need a few things.

Tip One: Write about similar topics and include writing samples.

If you have never written about an event or another person similar to this, the publicist may wonder how successful your coverage will be. There's no point in doing an interview if no one reads it. What's the point of inviting you to an event if no one knows about it after you write about it? Try to build a body of work to prove you're the go-to person for coverage.

Tip Two: Do not immediately click the "Contact Us" link on the company website.

There's usually a separate link for the media to contact. If you click the "Contact Us" link, you're more likely to run into the Customer Service department. Check for a specific e-mail address or phone number for the event planner or publicist. Or, look for the media contact link, which may link to another website or e-mail address.

Tip Three: Network at other events and collect business cards.

If you regularly visit related events, get in touch with as many publicists and event planners as you can. Introduce yourself and explain what you do. That way when you already have their information, and if you made a good impression, they will remember you and may be more likely to add your name to the guest list or distribute a media pass.

Tip Four: Send an introduction letter to publicists and other media contacts.

Even if you don't currently have anyone in mind, make your name, e-mail address, business phone number and website available. Publicists keep track of writers and publications that they're interested in speaking with. Make sure they have your information so they can contact you about events that may not be immediately available to the public.

Tip Five: Subscribe to e-blasts and watch website event dates.

How will you know an event is happening unless you take the time to watch for upcoming events? Try not to wait until the last minute to request a media pass. Sometimes it works. Sometimes it doesn't. The earlier you ask, the more time the publicist has to contact you. Keeping track of the events also means you stay knowledgeable about the company or person.

Tip Six: Keep your writing reputation positive, accurate, and avoid insulting labelmates or excessive gossip.

The publicist is the representative for the artist or company. While some publicists believe in the motto "Bad publicity is still publicity" or "Bad publicity is good possibility," if the artist is irate about something you've written, your chances of getting that interview may be slim to none. Fact check your work. Talk to reasonable sources. Have your work proofread. Make the artist or company want your name attached to their product(s).

Tip Seven: Introduce your company and explain why the publicist or company should care.

This is especially important if you've never written about the topic before and have unrelated writing samples. If the artist or company's representation doesn't see why they should care about your publication or your writing, make it obvious. Point out perks companies or artists received after an interview with you. Inform the company about your high reading audience. Without being arrogant, it's okay to mention an award or other publications you've written for previously to show your credibility and passion for writing.

Tip Eight: Send links and thank-you notes to interviewees.

You may have gotten a media pass once and wonder why you can't get it again or why the contact is slow to respond. Interviewees and company representatives often complain about not receiving feedback after the events. They gave you the media pass. The least you could do is send a "thank you" note or a link to your entry. Let them know how the interview turned out and how much you appreciate covering that event. Getting the interview and ignoring them until they can help you again later won't leave a lasting impression.

Tip Nine: Check social media networking bios for publicists and websites.

Sending a Tweet to a celebrity asking for an interview has worked for me a couple of times. However, that was more luck than the regular way to get an interview. It's usually a better idea to check the celeb bios for a contact address, website or the publicist's name and e-mail address. There are people hired to take care of their day-to-day activities. Don't ignore them trying to get directly to the artist. For artists who take care of their own events, you can send a Tweet or a Facebook message, but you may be wasting your time depending on a celeb's reply.

Tip Ten: Contact your publication editor.

If you work for a publication that has thousands or millions of writers, this may be more difficult because the editor has to keep track of all of these writers' requests. You're better off trying to get a media pass independently. But if you work for a company that has a select few journalists who regularly cover certain news or entertainment categories, your editor may already have contact information for the publicist. Ask your editor if he (or she) already has contact information for press credentials or if your editor can get that information for you.