If you are interested in getting your local gig, exhibit, show or event in the Prospector (which comes out every Thursday), the process begins with these guidelines. Please be aware, however, that placement is not guaranteed but we’ll do our best. To be absolutely sure your event gets publicity, consider buying ad space by calling (530) 477-4254.

There are two ways to get into the Prospector: One is the calendar (with shorter deadline), the other is as a story (the longer deadline). Calendar requires only a Know & Go; story, a complete press release. Now for the details for both.

In subject line of e-mail, please put the date it takes place (3/14) followed by the name of the event, abbreviated (TCCA concert). No need to put year, just 5/4 will do--but THIS MUST BE THERE because that is the way I track things. Thus, the subject line would look like this: 3/14 TCCA concert.

What to say in the press release
1) At the top of the release included a “Know and Go” box in this precise format that’s required by our system:
WHAT: Name of the event
WHEN: Time, date, day
WHERE: Address; directions if needed
WHO: If this applies, the name of people involved and town they are from
ADMISSION: Price and where to purchase tickets, giving name of the establishment and the town in which it is located
INFORMATION: Phone number and e-mail or Web site for public to contact for information. Please also include a number for the editor to call if it is different from the public’s number.

2) In the body of release:
Tell us in 2 or 3 paragraphs some interesting background. We may use quotes from this.
Make bios brief and up to date
List such things as awards and releases
Avoid using bolding, italics, underlining, or solid caps (it all has to be converted to straight text by the editor)
Word limit is 300 words.
Send the release as an attachment (.doc or .html or .txt ONLY) or pasted into body of e-mail or both. No zip files. And NO PDF files.

What kind of picture do we want? A fresh new one. Not the one you use on your poster or have sent me three times before. Why? Because that photo is associated with “ad,” whereas a photo in the Prospector is accompanying a story (editorial). The two are very different.
We also love action shots (interesting) rather than people staring at the camera (boring).

How to do it:
E-mail them as an attached jpg ONLY (no .zip or .wmv; sometimes .tff will work), 150 dpi. It must open to 4x6 inches or larger. Include a caption that explains what/where/who/when.
- Attach the jpg to the main press release e-mail, and remember to cc: cguild@theunion.com (Carol Guild,our graphics person). Also remember to give attribution when a professional photographer is involved.
- We ask you to send only up to 4 of your best jpgs; more is not better.
- We prefer e-mailed jpgs over discs of photos, although we’ll take a disc if that is all you have; will also take hard copy with a sticky attached giving this information: a caption; your name and phone number; date of event and venue. If you want the photos/disc back, of course include a SASE.
- DO NOT send any image with words on it--we won’t use it.
- Please don’t send the same photo that you are using in your Union ad or poster. Send a fresh photo instead.
- We prefer action shots (exciting), not band members staring at the camera (boring).

Caveat: Please DO NOT send images from the Web, which in 99.9% of the cases are too small for use to use. Give us, instead, either a hard copy photo or e-mail it as an attached jpg.

o To whom to e-mail the release with attached jpgs:
Pam Jung: pjung@theunion.com
cc: to Carol Guild—cguild@theunion.com (if you don’t have jpgs attached, then you can omit Carol)

DEADLINE: We run the story the week of the event. So count back two to three Thursdays prior to the Prospector that it goes into. Earlier is better; even a month is fine.

Send everything (including jpgs) in just one press release, please.
It is better if you call with any questions before you send a press release.

Now for the calendar section of the Prospector.
Please send a Know & Go notice (see above for what Know & Go is) between 4 working days to 2 weeks (no farther out than that) before the event to readers@theunion.com. No jpgs with this notice, thanks. If you need help with this section, please contact 477-4203 at The Union. Note: The calendar section of the Prospector only runs events that cost $35 or less.

Thank you, and I look forward to running your story the week of the event.