The tip sheet's most valuable use is when working with the media because editors are always on the lookout for free advice they can offer to their readers. Often, you can get much more space for free than you could afford to buy. And if the media use your tips, it's as though the media outlet is giving you its stamp of approval. That makes you credible.

When I worked as a newspaper editor, we sometimes used tips boxes to accompany stories if we had more space on the page than the reporter's story would fill. But reporters who were racing to complete a story on deadline seldom had time to do additional research to find tips. It's like that at many other media outlets.

You can also use tip sheets to catch an editor's attention. For example, if someone is starting a new business that matches people with disabilities with companies that need employees, the business owner might include with the pitch letter a tip sheet called "8 Ways to Make Your Workplace Comfortable for Employees with Disabilities."

For more great tip sheets advice and great ideas for using the tips you have to offer, see Special Report # 16 "How to Write Tip Sheets That Catch the Media's Attention"