List your accomplishments. If you're a performing artist, write the dates and venues of notable performances and any broad exposure you've received (radio play, television performances, gallery showings). If you're marketing a product, list well-known clients, provided they're not confidential.
Solicit and collect favorable third-party reviews. Invite media representatives and bloggers to a performance or send them samples of your product for review.
Review the ads, publicity photos and marketing materials of artists or products you admire. Note the color schemes, logos and content of the photos. While you won't want to duplicate them, they can help you narrow your options and find some direction.
List the qualities and message you want your press kit to project.
Seek talent. Post online classified ads seeking a photographer, writer and graphic designer. Give an idea of your project, your budget and your aspirations.
Request resumes and work samples from all who respond.
Review the applications and choose a photographer, writer and graphic designer whose experience and work samples reflect your needs.
Meet with each person to outline her creative responsibilities. Tell each what you're looking for in terms of tone and content, and show each the examples of press kits or marketing materials you admire. For the graphic designer and photographer, discuss color schemes, photo concepts and logo ideas. For the writer, specify that you'll need a one-page biography and a press release.
Set deadlines with the photographer, biography writer and graphic designer. For the photographer and graphic designer, ask to see proofs and logo ideas as soon as possible, and reserve the right to select the final photos and logo. Ask to see a rough draft of the writer's work and agree upon a revision process. The biography summarizes your product's qualities and briefly discusses its creation. The press release announces your product's entry into the market.
Choose a time and place for the photo shoot. If you're being photographed, speak with the photographer in advance about what you'll wear, how you'll look and what you'll be doing. If it's the product being photographed, choose an appropriate setting and activity.
Select three or four photographs. If you're going for printed publicity, choose a combination of horizontal and vertical shots. This will make things easier for the layout designers.
Provide the writer with any third-party statements about your product. Using those comments in the biography and press release establishes your credibility.
Select a logo and revise the biography and press release as necessary.
Have the writer place the logo atop the biography and press release, and insert your contact information (telephone number and email address) in the upper left corner.
Have each specialist send you digital files of their work in a widely-used format. The biography should be a Microsoft Word document and the logo and photos should be jpeg files.
Print one press release, one biography and one main photo (preferably 8.5 inches by 11 inches) for each press kit.
Place the written materials in one side of the folder and the photograph in the other.
Save each document (press release, biography, photos and a separate file of the logo) to CD. Some media prefer hard copies of documents, while others want everything electronically.
Label the CD "Digital Press Kit" and enclose it in a jewel case. It is best to use CD-labeling software, if you have it. If not, write neatly on the CD in black permanent marker.
Place the jewel case in the folder.