Press Monkey
Press Monkey is an AI tool specifically designed to assist businesses in the writing and distribution of press releases. This web-based pla...
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What is Press Monkey?
Press Monkey is an AI-powered publicist and PR automation tool that researches journalists, drafts personalized pitch emails in your voice, sends them from your own Gmail or Outlook inbox, and books podcast appearances. It replaces traditional PR agencies that charge $8K-$15K/month by automating the entire outreach process with personalized pitches that reference each journalist's recent articles, achieving an average 13.4% reply rate compared to the industry average of 0.8%-3%.
The tool features a Journalist Radar with a live database of 14,387 journalists and 3,200+ podcasts indexed across 40+ beat categories (AI, fintech, climate, consumer, B2B SaaS). Its Pitch Autopilot sends personalized emails with automated follow-ups at day 3 and day 7. The Podcast Booker sub-agent matches your background to relevant shows, handles producer communications, and provides pre-interview briefing docs. The Pressroom feature auto-generates a /press page for your domain with media kits, founder bios, brand assets, and coverage links.
Press Monkey is designed for startup founders, marketing professionals, PR agencies running multiple clients, newsletter creators, and non-profit organizations seeking media coverage without agency retainers. Users simply paste a product update, funding number, or milestone, and the agent generates 3 story angles ranked by newsworthiness, plus a full press release draft and interview bullet points.
The service requires no PR experience, connects via OAuth to your existing email, and offers white-label options for agencies. It launched in 2023 and is operated by PRESS MONKEY MEDIA LLC based in Philadelphia, PA.
Press Monkey pricing
Pricing model: Free
Launch plan: $29/mo includes 1 founder, 1 story per month, 30 pitches, no podcast booking, 7-day trial. Ongoing plan: $149/mo includes 200 pitches/month, podcast booker, pressroom page, everything in Launch. Agency plan: Custom pricing with white-label, multi-client workspaces, API access. Annual billing saves 20%. No contracts, cancel anytime. 7-day free trial on Launch plan with no credit card required.
Press Monkey pros
- 13.4% average reply rate versus 0.8%-3% industry average
- 14,387 journalists tracked with continuous updates
- 3,200+ podcast shows indexed for booking
- Personalized pitches reference journalist's last 3 articles
- Sends from your own Gmail or Outlook inbox via OAuth
- Automated follow-ups at day 3 and day 7
- 7-day free trial with no credit card required
- 3 story angles per brief ranked by newsworthiness
- Full press release draft included in under 90 seconds
- 40+ beat categories for precise journalist clustering
- Per-journalist rationale explaining why they're selected
- Podcast Booker handles producer back-and-forth automatically
- Auto-generated /press page with media kit and brand assets
- No contracts, cancel anytime
- 20% discount with annual billing
- White-label and API access for agencies
- Interview bullet points ready for prep docs
Press Monkey cons
- No podcast booking on the $29/mo Launch plan
- Only 30 pitches per month on Launch plan
- Only 1 story per month on Launch plan
- $149/mo ongoing plan required for podcast booking
- Human must respond when journalist replies
- Only 200 pitches/month on $149/mo plan
- Agency plan requires custom pricing talk
- Established in 2023, relatively new compared to agencies
Frequently asked questions about Press Monkey
Do I need PR experience to use Press Monkey?
No. You paste in a product update, a funding announcement, or a milestone. The agent figures out the angles, picks the right journalists for each one, and writes personalized pitches. You review and approve, or turn on auto-send for low-risk batches.
How is this different from sending a press release blast?
A blast goes to 10,000 people who mostly ignore it. Press Monkey pitches maybe 30–80 journalists per story, each with a pitch that references their recent work. Reply rates are 8–18% versus the industry average of 1–3% for bulk blasts.
What does pitching from my own email mean?
You connect your Gmail or Outlook via OAuth. Pitches go out from your address, not from a domain journalists have learned to filter. Follow-ups at day 3 and day 7 are also sent from your inbox. You can review the queue before anything goes out.
Can I use this for podcast booking only?
Yes. The Podcast Booker sub-agent runs independently. It matches your background to relevant shows, drafts a guest pitch, handles the back-and-forth with producers, and sends you a briefing doc before each interview. Available on Ongoing plan and above.
Is there a free trial?
The Launch plan comes with a 7-day trial, no card required. You can run one full story campaign during the trial: brief to pitches to first follow-ups. If you don't get at least one reply, they extend your trial, no questions.
What if a journalist replies and I need to respond?
That part is you. Press Monkey handles the cold outreach and follow-up sequence. When a journalist replies, you take it from there. You know your story better than any agent does. They flag the reply in your dashboard and give you a suggested response draft if you want one.
What story angles does Press Monkey generate?
The agent returns 3 story angles per brief, ranked by newsworthiness. Each angle includes a draft communique, a suggested headline, and talking points for interviews. You can pick one or mix and match. A full press release draft is also included.
How does the Journalist Radar work?
It's a live database of 14,000+ journalists and 3,200+ podcast hosts, clustered by beat across 40+ categories like AI, fintech, climate, consumer, and B2B SaaS. For every pitch, the agent explains exactly why each journalist is on the list, such as 'They published three pieces on AI pricing last quarter and tend to respond to founders with concrete numbers.'
How does automated follow-up work?
Follow-ups happen automatically at day 3 and day 7 after the initial pitch. Each follow-up is personalized, not mail-merged. You can set the threshold for what auto-sends versus what waits for your approval in your settings.
What is included in the Pressroom feature?
Pressroom is an auto-generated /press page for your domain that includes a media kit, founder bios, brand assets, and coverage links. It's all in one place and updates automatically when you get a placement. Investors and journalists expect it, and it takes zero effort to maintain.