For community leaders, event organizers, entrepreneurs, music producers, business owners, and organizations of all sizes, reaching the press can be a major challenge. Many struggle to gain media attention simply because they don’t know how to write a press release or how to present their story in a way journalists consider newsworthy. This challenge is even greater in highly competitive cities like New York, where thousands of stories compete for limited media space. What many people need is a guide that is easy to understand, practical, and immediately usable.
In a market crowded with academic-style guides on public relations and media communications, finding a practical and engaging book on press releases can feel overwhelming. Many titles available on Amazon and other online bookstores lean heavily on communication theories and rigid frameworks, often written by scholars, senior journalists, or PR executives. While these books are rich in knowledge and available in formats such as paperback, Kindle, and audiobook, their instructional tone can feel dense and difficult to apply in real-life situations.
That is where Your Press Release Is Breaking My Heart – A Totally Unconventional Guide to Selling Your Story in the Media stands apart. With its playful title and conversational style, the book offers a refreshing alternative for anyone who wants to understand how press releases actually work in practice.
Written by British journalist and PR coach Janet Murray, the book draws on her extensive experience writing for major publications including The Guardian, Huffington Post, The Daily Telegraph, and Entrepreneur. Murray is also a blogger, speaker, and podcaster, and her writing style reflects the way she speaks—direct, clear, and engaging—making complex ideas easy to grasp.
Rather than relying on theory, Murray explains how journalists think, how they choose stories, and why most press releases never make it past an inbox. One standout chapter, “How to Newsjack,” reveals how journalists build stories around current events such as political developments, court cases, and awareness campaigns. Through real-life examples, the book demonstrates how timing and relevance can turn an ordinary idea into a compelling media story.
The book also includes a practical, step-by-step guide to writing email pitches that journalists will actually open and read. It answers common questions such as how long a press release should be, what information should be included, whether photos should be attached, and how a press release can stand out among hundreds sent each day.
Independently published in 2016, the 138-page book spans 17 chapters. Despite its publication date, its advice remains highly relevant, as the core principles of storytelling and media relations apply across industries, countries, and time.
Your Press Release Is Breaking My Heart is a valuable read for professionals working in media, public relations, advertising, communications, social media, digital content creation, fashion, music, entertainment, event management, and public services. More than just a guide, it encourages readers to think like journalists and focus on telling the right stories to the right people at the right time.
As Murray writes, “Master the art of telling the right stories to the right people at the right time, and you’ll have no trouble getting media coverage for your business and brand.” The book delivers on that promise with clarity, honesty, and inspiration.
