I am not an authority on press releases. Malcolm, my husband, takes care of most of our press releases as he worked for a local paper many years back and knows the ropes.
The expert on getting your products in printed media outlets is Andreea 
and her wonderful Media Leads program. Andreea is responsible for successful helping producers feature their products in magazines such as Oprah, InStyle, Real Weddings, Home and Cabin and many more.
Check out her Media Leads program.
Should you decide to write and submit your own press releases, especially if you are looking for local coverage, Carolyn Edlund from Artsy Shark recently published this article:
5 Mistakes that Get Press Rejections Every Time
Mistake #1: You have no clear idea whether you are truly relevant to the publications you contact. Instead, you try a “scattershot” approach of sending an email out to a mailing list of press members to see if you can get any bites – from anyone, for any reason.
What to do instead: Start by researching your niche to find publications and blogs that are an excellent match for what you do…
Mistake #2: You begin your email with a greeting like “Hi there” because you don’t even know the name of the person you are trying to contact.
What to do instead: …Make it a point to learn who to contact – their name, title, and what they do. Then, completely customize each and every email you send out to that person. …
Mistake #3: You wait until the last minute to attempt to get into an article or promote an upcoming event.
What to do instead: Learn the lead time needed with different publications, and use that as your guide….
Mistake #4: You don’t have excellent images of your art, process or yourself, so you cannot provide them or end up scrambling at the last minute.
What to do instead: This is a huge problem that gets artists rejected all the time. …. Have your work professionally photographed for purposes of press coverage. …
Mistake #5: You got busy and forgot to follow-up with materials or needed information on time for publication. Oops!
What to do instead: If you fail to produce what is needed on time, you will likely be blacklisted, and for good reason. When you pursue press coverage, you are committing to following through on any projects you work on with the writer. …
Great tips to check out before submitting press releases.