An op-ed is an opinion piece, often published in newspapers, and more recently in online publications. The term “op-ed” means opposite the editorial. In newspapers, it describes the common placement of an op-ed piece being on the page opposite an editorial. Op-eds are most often published by the author’s local newspaper, and can be regarding everything from major national (or international) news stories, to smaller local town issues.

Purposes of Op-eds

Op-eds are designed to offer an alternate position, generally from an expert in the industry or subject area (or occasionally a more general reader in the case of local news angles). In a general sense, op-eds are offered to educate members of the public about an issue, beyond what the media outlet may have been covering independently.

From a PR perspective, op-eds are about exposure, awareness, and image-building. Exposure comes by the simple act of having someone’s name and thoughts shared publicly through the media. Op-eds can be used to raise awareness by bringing attention to political, social, or other issues of particular importance to both the writer of the op-ed and the public they’re trying to reach. Op-eds help as an image-building tool as well, by helping to brand the author of the piece as an authority source on the particular issue at hand. (more…)

Pitch letters are letters personally written to individual journalists, writers, or editors (and more recently website owners and bloggers) that pitch a specific story idea to them for coverage.

Differences Between Pitch Letters and Press Releases

Pitch letters and press releases both pitch a potential story to members of the media. However, there are a few key differences:

1. Pitch letters aren’t mass-distributed like press releases. They’re personally addressing individual editors or writers.

2. Pitch letters can be used in cases not newsworthy enough to warrant a press release (such as trying to solicit reviews for a book or product that’s no longer brand new).

3. Pitch letters are generally shorter than press releases, because it’s just a pitch saying why something should be covered, as opposed a press release which has to give more background details.

4. Pitch letters are less likely to get lost in the huge pile of press releases that some journalists receive daily.

5. Pitch letters are more tailored to the needs of certain publications, from their target audience to their editorial calendars.

6. Pitch letters can be more promotional in nature than a press release can be. For example, if a company unveils a new product and sends a review copy to a journalist, the accompanying pitch letter would detail features and specs, rather than simply promoting the news angle of it being new. (more…)

If someone is self employed in the United States, they’re subject to a tax called the US Self Employment Tax. Here are some details about what the self employment tax is, why it exists, and how it is paid:

Why Does the US Self Employment Tax Exist?

The Self Employment Tax is a social security and Medicare tax on the net earnings of self employed individuals in the United States. Wage earners (people who work for someone else and have taxes automatically withheld from their paychecks) also pay social security and Medicate taxes. However, those taxes are generally paid in part by the wage earner and in part by their employer. The self employed are responsible for paying the entire tax, as they essentially serve as both employer and employee. (more…)

In its most basic sense, self employment simply means that someone works for themselves. People often refer to the self employed as either entrepreneurs or business owners. However, there are several types of self employment that can be pursued by anyone wanting to work for themselves. Here are some of the various types of self employment opportunities available:

Entrepreneurs / Small Business Owners – Generally the term “entrepreneur” is used when talking about small business owners of traditional businesses, although the term does have broader connotations, and is used to describe other types of self employed individuals more now than in the past.

Online Business Owners – Also known sometimes as Webpreneurs, these online entrepreneurs work for themselves earning all of their income online, through online advertising, online retailing, online services, or in other ways. (more…)

Many people dream of eventually becoming self employed, whether their dreams revolve around starting their own business or launching a freelance career. Some people have what it takes to be self employed, and other simply don’t. But when deciding if entrepreneurship is the right option, it’s a good idea to turn to some of the most common qualities of successful entrepreneurs to see if the odds are in your favor. Here are several common qualities of the successfully self employed:

Hard-working – Entrepreneurs can’t afford to be lazy. They need to be go-getters, and willing to put in more hours, not less, than they would if they were working for someone else.

Confident – The chances of entrepreneurial success are slim if the business owner or freelancer constantly doubts their ability to succeed or lacks confidence. (more…)

Despite the many benefits of working for one’s self, self employment isn’t all fun and games. Just like working for someone else, there are downsides or drawbacks of self employment or entrepreneurship. Here are some problems or stress factors faced by the self employed, and sometimes overlooked when deciding whether or not to jump into entrepreneurship or freelancing:

1. Being self employed often involves a heavy workload, and it can be time consuming. Many entrepreneurs find themselves working more hours when self employed, than they were working under a full-time employer.

2. Entrepreneurship and freelance careers put a lot of responsibility and general stress on someone who’s self employed, so they have to have the ability to prioritize, delegate, and cope. (more…)

People dream of working for themselves for good reason. There are a lot of perks associated with being self employed, whether it’s through a freelance career or starting a business. Here are some of the benefits of self employment:

1. To at least some degree, the self employed can set their own hours.

2. There’s often more freedom in taking vacation time or sick time, as long as arrangements are made (depending on the type of business and client needs).

3. The self employed can often avoid getting stuck in rush hour traffic, by either working at home, or adapting their commute time to a different schedule. (more…)

Press releases are often lumped together as one single tool in PR writing or publicity. However, there are many different types of press releases, all with their own rules, formats, and other subtle differences in how they convey a message to members of the media. Some examples of types of press releases include general news releases, launch releases, product press releases, executive / staff announcement news releases, expert positioning press releases, and event releases. Here’s more on those six types of press releases:

General News Releases – General press releases are what most people think of when they think of press releases. A general press release simply includes news that needs to be disseminated to members of the media in the hopes of media coverage and exposure. For example, a general news release might be used if a company runs a contest, wins an award, or has some other general news about the company, organization, person, or website. (more…)

Many press releases look the same. Journalists, and even bloggers, can receive dozens (or hundreds or more) of press releases daily. Because press release writing can be simplified with press release templates, and because press releases can be distributed inexpensively online, it’s become harder to have a press release really stand out among the crowd. Here are five tips for better press release writing, to help a press release avoid being ignored.

1. Keep it short! Three hundred to four hundred words are generally enough for effective press release writing. When distributing a print copy of a press release (or via fax), stick to the “one page rule.” (more…)

There are plenty of tips available about how to write a press release. Instead, let’s look at some press release “sins,” with these five easy ways to have a press release ignored by the media.

1. Forget to include media contact information. If a news angle catches the attention of a journalist, they need to be able to know where they can contact someone for additional information or interviews. If there’s no way for them to contact the sender of the press release (generally through either email or a phone number), the press release can be discarded no matter how strong the news angle is.

2. Don’t make the news angle clear in the headline of the press release. Headlines should be “catchy,” and not “cutesy.” While they have to be able to grab a reader’s attention, it’s just as important that the press release headline makes the basic news value of the story clear immediately. (more…)