FAQ

Posted

1. What’s NAPS? 
North American Precis Syndicate (NAPS) is a service that writes, produces and distributes publicity in a variety of formats to 10,000+ newspapers, thousands of online publications, 6,500+ radio stations and 1,000+ TV stations nationwide. Formats include CDs, camera-ready repro proofs, postings on www.mynewstouse.com as downloadable files for editors with RSS and XML feeds by subject, e-mails, Twitter feeds @NAPSnews,
Facebook postsInstagram and Pinterest, social media, blogs, tapes, the NAPS YouTube Channel, podcasting via iTunes and more. Expected results are 100 to 400 placements in print, 1000+ placements in online publications with each print release, 300+ on-air placements for each Radio Feature Release and 100+ on-air placements for each Video Feature Release. NAPS guarantees complete satisfaction with each release or another one free! For information or a free proposal, e-mail info@napsnet.com, call (800) 222-5551.

2. What’s new at NAPS?

3. Who are your clients?
We work for most Fortune 500 companies, the top 20 PR firms, over 100 associations and many U.S. government agencies.

4. Why buy a NAPS feature distribution?
Extend your reach to millions of additional readers, listeners and viewers primarily in community news outlets in the wealthy suburbs nationwide. 

5. How does it work?
Send us background material, such as press releases, Web information, brochures, fact sheets, etc. and we will propose at no cost or obligation, a story or series of stories that will get fabulous pickup all over America. Our experienced writers are experts at what formats will get the best coverage. We have artists (the most widely published in America) who will provide eye-catching line drawings or photos if needed. 

6. Do you distribute electronically?
We e-mail stories to editors daily, weekly or monthly, as they request, on various topics such as health, food, auto and home or every story if they choose. We mail CD-ROM’s to editors and post stories on and use RSS and XML feeds that thousands of editors subscribe to and from which they receive our direct computer feeds daily. Many of our stories are on Google News. NAPS has several social media channels where our stories are posted for fans and followers including Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, Instagram, iTunes, YouTube, and our blogs. Learn More.

7. How soon will I see pickup?
Pickup can occur within hours of when it’s posted on our Web site. Please allow at least one to two weeks for the first clips to come back to you. Most usage will be within the first four to six months, though some stories run for a year or more. Online reports will be updated weekly for every period that you receive clips for up to a year after distribution.

8. How do you know each story will get results?
After 60+ years of being in this business, we know what to expect. We have worked for most Fortune 500 companies, the top 20 PR firms, over 100 associations and many government agencies. We are confident that if you take our advice on which formats to use for your story, you will get the maximum number of placements you were promised. NAPS releases save newspaper editors time and money. Many of the suburban papers are low on staff, time and budget. The editors of these papers need something that is ready to run. They are hungry for good feature releases in camera-ready or computer-ready copy form. After nearly 50 years of being the industry leader in national feature news distribution, NAPS is used by thousands of editors as a reliable source of quality feature stories. Our top-notch, veteran writers use our unique formats and industry standard (AP)-style writing to produce maximum results.

9. What does the guarantee mean?
If for any reason you are not completely satisfied with the results of your releases, we will develop and distribute another release - even on a different subject - FREE!

10. What is the timing?
We post stories to our  Web site within one hour after approval. We mail CD’s and camera-ready repro proofs to editors every two to three days within five days of approval. Ideally, you should give us approval for release about three months in advance of a deadline for maximum pickup. For example, a holiday season release should be approved for distribution in the latter part of September (even a bit sooner, if possible).

11. What are the results?
Each feature article will get 100 to 400 in print placements and 1000+ online placements. Each RFR will get 300 to 400 placements. Each VFR will get 100 to 150 placements. Some of the best stories get 2,000+ multimedia placements with over 75 million in readership, 1,000 radio placements with over 76 million in listenership or 250 TV placements with over 64 million in viewership. 

12. Will I get coverage in the large markets? 
Nearly all of your placements will be in top 100 markets. Most of the suburban, community papers are in large, wealthy media markets. We cover America’s 10,000 newspapers with over 225 million in cumulative circulation, about 167 million of which are in weekly community newspapers in the wealthy suburbs. Our media list includes 1,600 dailies, 8,400 weeklies and thousands of Web sites. We also cover 6,500 radio stations and 1,000 TV stations.

13. How many words are in a release?
One column is about 200 to 300 words, two columns are about 400 to 600 words and three columns are about 800 to 1,000 words, plus a photo or graphic.

14. Do we save any money by writing the release ourselves? 
We offer proposals at no cost or obligation. The writing is free! Our writers are paid a salary, not per project. They are really the experts at what will get the best results. They have been writing for our clients, which include most Fortune 500 companies, the top 20 PR firms, over 100 associations and many U.S. government agencies, for many years and they are happy to offer their suggestions. The cost is the same whether you write it or we do.

15. Why are images so important to the story? 
Art includes our clipping symbol, which helps our clipping bureau track our stories. Editors prefer having stories with art because it’s eye-catching, so it will help improve readership.

16. Will a photo or a drawing get more pickup?
For recipe, travel, fashion and beauty releases, beautiful color photos can work better than line drawings. If beautiful photos are not available, our artists can prepare a line drawing to enhance the story.

17. Can we use the feature story for our own distribution purposes? 
Please feel free to use your approved story to your best advantage. Many of our clients post our stories to their Web sites.

18. Can you check to see if our contacts are on your mailing list?
If you send us your list, we will include your contacts in our mailing list at no additional charge. Chances are they are already on our list, but we can add new names if you have any.

19. Do you have regional distribution capabilities?
We have the capability to do regional distribution. However, unless your story is not able to be distributed nationally, the best use of your budget would be to do a national distribution because your cost per placement is much more cost efficient. You can expect about 100 placements with a national release but with a regional you don’t know what to expect. It actually costs more to do a regional than a national release.

EDITORS Q&A

Q: What is NAPS, and what will Featurettes do for us?

A: NAPS, or North American Precis Syndicate, distributes feature releases for 1000+ companies, nonprofit associations and government agencies.

Our publication, Featurettes/News To Use, is filled with consumer news items that can be easily incorporated into special sections or features and lifestyles pages. Our clients contribute timely health stories on food, safety for children, and cutting-edge medical technology and techniques; experts write about home maintenance and decor; home economists send recipes; and financial gurus at such companies offer advice on investing and money management. The material is timely, ACCURATE, and double- and triple-checked by our editors.
More than 10,000 newspapers and thousands of online publications now use Featurettesas a convenient and easily accessible way to fill up news holes, or monetize our articles by selling relevant ads all around those.

Q: What formats are available for Featurettes?

A: We will be happy to put you on our regular mailing list for e-mails, CDs, hard copy (glossy camera-ready booklets in 9- or 12-pica column width), RSS feeds by subject, Twitter Tweets, Facebook posts and Pinterest pins, Instagram, XML feeds. 
Our Website is especially helpful for editors on tight deadlines.

Q: What makes NAPSnet so popular with Special Sections and Features Editors?

A: DOWNLOADING BY TOPIC.
You simply click on Topics at our home page, and when you see our list of categories for special sections and features.

Q: How much will Featurettes cost?

A: NOTHING. The service is absolutely FREE and the articles are noncopyrighted and available to be used immediately—or whenever you want.

Q: OK, what's the catch?

A: There IS none. Our only request is that you return mailings of clips (with our NAPS attribution) in the postage-free envelopes that we include with every mailing, OR e-mail us: (to printmedia@napsnet.com), OR follow instructions on how we can quickly set up a free subscription with your paper and keep track of Featurettes articles used—that's how we are able to report on coverage and usage to our clients!

Q: But suppose that our paper is strictly local, the space is very tight, and everything is written in-house?

A: That’s a key reason so many community papers use Featurettes! A health/seniors story on new treatments for Alzheimer’s, for example, CAN BE EASILY LOCALIZED TO FIT YOUR FORMAT, whether as source material or photo options.
In fact, NAPS actually saves you time and effort when you need to come up with story ideas for special sections. In addition, every month, we hear from scores of editors who thank us for the ease and effectiveness of downloading from NAPSnet.com.

Q: OK, how do we get on your mailing list?

A: Just spend two or three minutes with us while we update our database with your contact name, address, phone, e-mail and website information, circulation figure and format choices (hard copy, CDs).