*Always remember, that getting published takes commitment and hard work. PERSISTENCE and PATIENCE too are vital ingredients in mix.

* Treat your writing as a career, as you would a "normal" job. Throw yourself into it with "gay" abandon and reckless enthusiasm.

* Be open-minded and be open to criticism. As in...

Doesn't it amaze you that media continues to report on every move Elizabeth Taylor makes? She hasn't made a movie in what, 25 years? And yet, every time she sneezes, its news.

Here, in India, Priyanka Gandhi-Vadra hogs headlines. What has she ever done, apart from marrying a non-entity and producing babies? And yet, press follows her around on a daily basis.

The point is -- if media can make space for someone who hasn't really done anything interesting, they sure can give you a plug or two.

Almost any event can be turned into news if you craft a compelling press release. That means your press release must be "newsworthy", not promotional material. Editors do not like promotion; they like news. You have a good chance of getting a plug if your press release can convince editor that:

· You are offering timely and newsworthy information · Your company is new and different · You are doing something unique or are specialized in nature

Editors want news, a "different angle". They want to publish something that their readers will like to read. Always remember this and you will never go wrong with your release.

Here are a few tips to get you going.....

Develop a News Hook Not every event is earth shaking. But even ordinary happenings can be turned into a "newsworthy" affair. All you need to do is create a "hook" - something unusual, maybe even bizarre that hooks reader's attention and keeps it. Often such hooks are a simple stunt; e.g. day "Turok 2: The Evolution" was launched, gaming company released large ads with a proposition for public. Parents of a child born on that day would get a $10,000 savings certificate as a gift if they named their baby Turok. The ad had its intended effect as numerous newspapers devoted thousands of column inches to debating ethics of this offer.

The Big Picture Tie in your activities with a larger concern. When a considerable number of people are affected by something, it automatically becomes news. A veterinary pharmaceutical company needed publicity for its mastitis care product. It sent out a press release that stated, "Mastitis costs dairy sector Rs. 6053 crores ($1.26 billion) every year" Having grabbed editor's attention with sheer magnitude of this problem, it then offered its product as a solution. You can be pretty sure all editors carried this news.