Interview With Kelle Campbell
Interview by Jenna Glatzer

Kelle Campbell has been a newspaper features writer, Editor-in-Chief of a collegiate magazine, and co-producer of three community television programs. She works as public relations writer in Baltimore, Maryland and edits the free e-zine The Public Relations Writer. 

What does a public relations writer do?

Public relations writers basically produce PR copy, e.g. press releases, press kits, public service announcements, annual reports, speeches and presentations, broadcast media scripts, and the list goes on. This field lies pretty much between editorial work and copywriting, and sometimes it spills over into both: articles, newsletters (on the editorial side) or direct response letters and brochures (on the copywriting side).

Do you need special training or a degree to do this? 

Several universities are now offering majors in PR but you can also enter the field based on your experience. A very traditional route has been moving from journalism to PR. No matter how you enter, it's probably a good idea to do *at least* an internship with an agency or PR department before moving into the field on your own.

What resources would you recommend to writers who'd like to get into this field?

Other PR practitioners are a great help, so I'd recommend joining a forum like CompuServe's Media Professionals Forum or I-PR at www.Adventive.com so you can benefit from the advice and experience and share your own views. Another good investment is The Public Relations Writer's Handbook by Merry Aronson and Don Spetner. Oh yes, and the Associated Press (AP) Stylebook.

How did you find your first public relations job?

My first job was volunteering for the American Field Service. I wrote articles and gave speeches telling high school students how much fun it was to be a foreign exchange student. I was in high school myself and had just come back from the AFS summer program in Mexico, so I was very enthusiastic. It was so much fun that I figured it would be a great career.

My first paying job was a summer position as special events assistant for a bank. Every August, they participated in an enormous trade show and I was hired on as extra help. I was in art school at the time and I got the position through my mother who was an executive at another bank. Just goes to show that who you know matters.

How do you find work now?

Direct mail and networking are my best resources. My website has generated a few inquiries as well.

Compare this type of writing to freelancing for magazines. How does the pay compare? How about deadlines, effort required, potential for steady work, etc.?

It all depends. In terms of fees, you have to scout around and see what others in your neck of the woods are charging, but generally, you do get much better pay from businesses than from publications. The more you specialize, the higher your fees can be.

PR deadlines can be tougher because there are times when clients need a 24-hour (or less) turnaround. The good thing is you can charge a rush fee (which would be higher than your regular) for tight deadlines.

You have a good potential for steady work, either from bigger companies and agencies or from sub-contracting from other PR practitioners who've already made those contacts. However, you should keep an eye out for new clients while you're cultivating old ones. If your contact changes jobs or the company does some restructuring, you may find that the steady work from that client isn't as steady.

How do you pitch yourself to potential clients?

I emphasize two things: good writing skills and the easing of their workload. PR practitioners tend to be extremely busy and some of them don't like writing for a variety of reasons.

Have you ever had a client who wanted too much for too little money-- i.e., several rewrites, extensive research, etc.? If so, what did you do?

Oh, yes. I used to have a steady client that demanded a 10-hour work day practically every day. That's with no stops, even for lunch. Since they had promised regular business, I gave them a discount on the regular hourly fee, and after just two months, I was burnt out. I helped that client hire a staff person to cover my duties and ran.

What are some common mistakes inexperienced public relations writers make? 

I can think of two:
The first is not insisting on a letter of agreement. Most clients are reasonable people who pay on time, but you should have a safety net just in case there are misunderstandings.

The second is not understanding the concept of work-for-hire. Some writers are shocked when they find out that all the work they did now belongs exclusively to the client. Clients are supposed to state that the projects are work-for-hire but some just take it for granted.

Anything else you'd like to add?

Like any other field, PR writing works best when you love doing it. Weigh the pros and cons before you decide to commit yourself to it. On the con side, you won't get many bylines and your work often has to be approved by several executives who'll make changes you think are unwise. Your workload will swing from hectic to slow, and sometimes you'll struggle to find something really interesting about Widget Inc.'s latest product release.

On the pro side, you'll have a rich and varied experience: one day, you're interviewing someone for an article, the next you're writing public service announcements. You might even be able to expand your business into a consultancy or a full-fledged agency. And those paychecks will make you very, very happy!

For more information, visit Kelle's website at http://www.kcwriter.com.

Sponsored links

Ring binders

 

Make a Real Living as a Freelance Writer!

How to find a book publisher

Home

Text on this site Copyright © 1998-2007 Absolute Write, all rights reserved.
Please contact the authors if you'd like to reprint articles on this site.  All copyrights are retained by original authors.  And plagiarizers will be rounded up, handcuffed, and stuck into a very small and humid room wherein they must listen to Barney sing the "I Love You, You Love Me" song over and over again.

writers writing software