If you subscribe to a service that gives you leads from journalists who are looking for certain types of sources, pay attention to the way the reporter has written the query.

Peter Shankman, whose free leads service called “Help a Reporter Out,” flags this terrific pitch from Jenny Schmitt, who works for the Georgia State Parks.

“Every once in a while, I come across SUCH a great pitch, so perfect in form, function, so on target, and so exactly what the reporter is looking for, I’ve no choice but to call the pitcher out and blog about it.

“Jenny Schmitt saw a pitch on HARO about fun father/daughter ideas that wouldn’t cause a ‘guy to get his guy card revoked.’ Seeing that the reporter obviously had a sense of humor, Jenny crafted the perfect pitch, filling it with information, exactly what the reporter wanted, and topped it off with a touch of humor. I don’t know what the result is (Jenny, let us know!) But I just had to call this pitch out as one of the best I’ve seen in a while. Learn from this one, gang.

How about it, Jenny? Did you get the publicity?

Patricia “Trish” Gallagher of Worcester, Pa. writes:

“My husband, John, and I are doing a print on demand book and need help to publicize it and try to book paid speaking engagements.

“The book is Don’t Jump! Out of the Shadows about Depression and Suicide. It’s about how John tried to commit suicide by jumping from a building onto a cement slab. The attempt failed, and he was seriously injured.

“For nine years, he stood behind a wall of silence, hiding the truth of his resulting injuries, and sabotaging his relationships. In January this year, after reading about a teenage boy who tried suicide but was unsuccessful, John knew it was time to end the silence.  

“His message will help anyone who is personally dealing with a crisis or tragedy, and will inspire caregivers, people struggling with addictions, and anyone who wants to learn how to help others during times of despair. 

“We have a possible 700 Club interview, a local NPR affilitate interview, and we were featured in an article in the Philadelphia Inquirer.  No luck with any paid speaking or major interviews that have helped with expenses. So we’re putting out the white flag.”

When Publicity Hound Michelle Tennant of Wasabi Publicity emailed me last week to let me know that her beloved pet, Lex, a strawberry blonde Siberian husky, had died, the obituary she wrote for him made me smile.

While reading it, I couldn’t help but think that it’s more interesting than the personal bios of many humans I know. As you read what Michelle wrote, notice the fun little details—something that’s sorely missing from so many human bios.

“Lexington (Lex) passed yesterday at 3:50 p.m. Eastern at our vet’s with my husband Shannon and myself at his side holding his paws. He was the most gentle, loving dog one could know and love.  He had complications from a lung condition, pancreatitis and diabetes. He is survived by Lou Lou, the black and white husky in the photos attached.

“In 1998, I rescued Lex from a Cincinnati kill shelter when he was six months and he’s lived a fabulous, adventurous life travelling throughout Ohio, West Virginia and the Smoky Mountains (and other great places whitewater rivers run).

“His life’s work: children:

“He attended children’s birthday parties with me while I was living in Cincinnati and working on the weekends as a children’s entertainer. He was my ‘pirate’ sidekick teaching children manners at the dinner table because he knew how to ‘wait’ until others were served before eating. (He would even WAIT with a small White Castle hamburger placed on his paw. Now that’s a good dog.)

“He earned his ‘good canine citizen award’ in 1999.  (This is like a Ph.D for dogs!)

“His favorite past-time–chewing/catching tennis balls, digging holes, and cooling off in a baby pool.

“Please have a moment of reflection today to celebrate this very special soul. And then hug a pet or person you love and remind everyone wanting a pet to adopt from shelters first. They are so appreciative of second chances.”

We can learn two things from this:

—Use details, details and more details.

—Writing about the relationship with our pets in our professional bios can teach readers more about us than a monotonous list of academic degrees and other trivia we think are important. 

When Michelle was in The Publicity Hound Mentor Program, she heard me harp repeatedly  about the importance of interesting bios. In my  “Special Report #46: Tips for Rewriting Your Boring Bio,” I mention that bios are difficult for most people, even authors. Some authors write bios that lack the same passion that’s evident in the writing of their books.

Some of you might argue that details about your pets don’t belong in a professional profile or bio. What do you think? Would you consider including information about your pet in your bio? If so, tell us something about your pet that lets us know more about you.  Or link to a bio at your website that has information about your pet.