Sample Press Releases
You read in the publicity chapters about how critical it is to catch the eye of a newspaper editor or radio producer with a catchy press release. Here are two real press releases for the same book, Wear More Cashmere, spun two different ways for two different book-buying holidays, Mother’s Day and Christmas. Same book, some of the same ideas, but notice how the publicity folks adjust the approach to fit the occasion!
May 2, 2005
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact: Liz @ Fair Winds Press, 978-282-3511
5 Affordable Indulgences for Mother’s Day
Another Mother’s Day is upon us, and the scramble for a thoughtful gift has begun. Beyond breakfast in bed, new gardening tools or yet another bottle of scented bath oil, why not try something else this year? Jennifer “Gin” Sander, America’s Affordable Indulgence Expert and the author of the just-released gift book Wear More Cashmere:151 Luxurious Ways to Pamper Your Inner Princess (Fair Winds Press, April 2005) can help.
Here are five fresh and unique ways to make a mother feel indulged and pampered without overwhelming the family budget. “Indulgence doesn’t have to mean expensive,” Gin says. “Instead it can be a way of engaging the senses and tapping into the beauty around us, if only for one short afternoon once a year!”
1.Fields of lavender: Ordinary slippers are a mundane gift, but lavender spa booties are sure to be a welcome sight on Mother’s Day. Pop these lavender-filled fleece booties into the microwave and pull them on your feet for a scent-sational treat. $24.95 at
2.Wrapped in a dream: Treat Mom to a DreamSack, a small silk sleeping bag she can use on airplane trips to stay comfy and warm, or slip between hotel sheets for a more luxurious experience. It even turns an evening at home on the couch watching Desperate Housewives into a more luxurious event. $65.00 at
3.A day at the Ritz: Instead of the price of a night at a swanky hotel, why not just send her to the spa and let her feel like a guest all day? Many resort hotels, like California’s Ritz-Carlton at HalfMoonBay, allow day spa guests to linger and soak up the complete atmosphere for a fraction of the actual room cost.
4.Her own private moon garden: Choose a small corner of the yard or balcony and plant flowers that release a scent at night, like night-blooming jasmine, tuberoses, or night phlox (also known as “midnight candy” for its sticky sweet scent). For another indulgent touch, place garden candles around the edges and add a comfy chair or two to create a perfect evening retreat.
5.Create a new drink and name it after her: Why not honor a mother by creating a new drink and naming it after her? No longer will she have to drink something as ordinary as a Cosmopolitan or a Manhattan, but she will have something no one else does. I invented my own drink—a dry martini with a sprig of fresh lavender and called it a GinSander after myself! Use her favorite drink as a starting place and then adjust the ingredients to create something even better she can call her own!
Looking for a truly luxurious way to do something unique and memorable, without an eye toward the bottom line? Why not commission an original piece of classical music in honor of Mom? Composers can be hired for as little as a few thousand dollars to create a musical portrait that will be a lasting family heirloom. The New York–based organization, Meet the Composer, can help put commissioners together with composers.
About Jennifer “Gin” Sander: A longtime fan of self-indulgence and the busy mother of two young boys, Gin posted a note on her computer years ago to remind herself to “wear more cashmere” and take better care of herself, and since then has put her ideas on indulgence together in several books. Jennifer and her affordable indulgence suggestions have been featured in the pages in Glamour, Cosmopolitan, Woman’s Day, and OrganicStyle, and on the airwaves on Fox & Friends,Soap Talk, and Living It Up with Ali and Jack.
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
December 2, 2003
Granite Bay, California
Top 10 Affordable Luxuries and Holiday Indulgences
What is the best way to pamper yourself in the midst of the holiday frenzy? “Don’t forget to put yourself near the top of your own gift list,” says affordable luxury expert Jennifer Basye Sander, the author of the gift book Wear More Cashmere: 151 Luxurious Ways to Pamper Your Inner Princess (Fair Winds Press, 2005). “Spending a little bit of time and money as a treat for yourself will give you the energy and good cheer to keep going all month long.”
Here are Jennifer’s top ten affordable luxuries for the holiday season:
1.A massage at a swank hotel spa—most top hotels don’t require you to be a guest, and chances are you’ll pay about the same for a massage there as the day spa in your neighborhood. You can get a $100 massage at the Ritz-Carlton Spa in Half Moon Bay outside San Francisco and avail yourself of their spa facilities all day long. Why not lounge around after a massage in their Roman mineral bath instead of fighting the crowds at the mall?
2.Dessert and coffee at a posh restaurant—after a long day of picking out presents for your in-laws, you deserve to plop into a booth at the fanciest place in town and treat yourself to an expensive dessert and a glass of something wonderful. Save the $200 or $300 you’d spend on dinner and just indulge in the dessert part of the menu.
3.Vintage designer clothing on eBay—Chanel and Dior are even more delicious when you buy them online for bargain prices. Reward yourself for hand-wrapping all your gifts by trolling online until you find the perfect vintage black dress for a bargain price. You’ll be the hit of the office party.
4.Slip between the sheets—high thread count Egyptian cotton sheets, that is. The secret to a long and happy life is in the sheets. For a guilt-free night’s sleep, you can pick up bargain-priced high-quality sheets at the national discounter Tuesday Morning and you’ll be well rested for another day of decorating the Christmas tree.
5.Rent a luxury car for the day—leave your humdrum car in the garage and rent a fantasy car for the day. Think how much easier it will be to enjoy a day at your relatives if you’ve arrived at their house in a Jaguar you rented from Hertz or a Cadillac from Avis. Or skip the relatives altogether and spend the day on the open road, enjoying a drive through the country in your temporary splendor.
6.A tiny bit of cashmere—yes, you should wear more cashmere. And you should start now by buying just a teeny pair of cashmere socks to keep your toes cozy and coddled. Even the most ordinary boots will feel glamorous when you are secretly wearing cashmere beneath them. Many large department stores like Nordstrom carry cashmere socks in the $35 range. Indulge.
7.Baubles and beads—bead shops don’t just sell plastic beads for little girls nowadays. Pearls, rubies, and sapphires, oh my! Why not stop in and spend an afternoon stringing together a little semi-precious party jewelry for yourself? Your newly adorned neck will be glad you did.
8.Fields of lavender—add a little something extra to those high thread count sheets and treat yourself to a spritz of lavender spray on your sheets just before you close your eyes after a hard day of office partying. Lavender, in addition to being a wonderful fragrance, is reputed to help you fall asleep at night. The Good Home Company sells a bottle of lavender spray for around $16. Check its website at
9.Champagne for all seasons—don’t wait until a fancy occasion to buy yourself a nice bottle of champagne. In fact, you can make your own occasion with nothing more than a bottle of champagne. How about enjoying a glass or two in a room lit only by the lights of your newly decorated Christmas tree? Veuve Clicquot, a famed French champagne, retails for around $38, which is a relative bargain for such an indulgence.
10.Rent a limo and view the holiday decorations with your friends—pitch in with another couple or two and rent yourselves a merry little limo with which to tour the Christmas lights and holiday decorations in your town. Slip in a CD of Vince Guaraldi playing the Charlie Brown Christmas theme and hey, because someone else is driving, why not bring along that nice champagne you just bought?
Jennifer Sander is available for interviews and media appearances at 916-791-2101. To request a review copy of Wear More Cashmere or a press kit, call Dalyn Miller at 978-282-3550.
Wear More Cashmere: 151 Luxurious Ways to Pamper Your Inner Princess (Fair Winds Press, 2005; ISBN 1-931412-34-0; $18.95 hardcover)