📌 Overview
Sometimes a press release you submit through a PR distribution channel, such as the Trusted News Network, can't be published. When this happens, the order shows a Publish Failed status and is marked as refunded. This article explains what that means, whether you can try again, and how to improve your chances of success.
❓ What Does "Publish Failed" Mean?
A Publish Failed status means the distribution channel could not publish your article. This can happen for several reasons:
- The channel's editorial or content guidelines were not met.
- The article contained formatting, link, or length issues the channel could not accept.
- The channel had a temporary technical problem when your order was processed.
- The topic or wording was not a good fit for that specific network.
A failed publish does not mean anything is wrong with your account. It only means that particular order did not go live.
💰 How Refunds Work
You are not meant to pay for content that was never published. When a distribution fails, the order is marked as refunded, and the cost of that order is returned to you. If you see this status on your PR articles, no further action is needed to receive the refund.
- Each failed article is handled as its own order, so if you submitted 2 articles and both failed, both are refunded.
- Your original article content stays available in your account, so you don't have to start over.
🔁 Can I Try Again?
Yes. A refunded order is closed, so the way to try again is to submit the article as a new distribution order. You can resubmit to the same channel or choose a different one.
Before choosing, consider the following:
- Same channel: Worth trying if you suspect a temporary issue, or after you have edited the article to better match the channel's guidelines.
- Different channel: A good option if the same channel has already failed once, especially if you haven't changed the content.
🛠️ How to Resubmit a Failed PR Article
- Open your PR distribution area in the platform and find the failed order.
- Open the original article and review it carefully (see the checklist below).
- Make any edits that could help the article meet channel requirements.
- Start a new distribution and select your preferred channel.
- Confirm the details and submit the order.
- Check the order status after submission to confirm it moves forward instead of showing Publish Failed again.
✅ Pre-Submission Checklist
Use this list to reduce the chance of another failure:
- Keep it factual: Write in a neutral, news-style tone. Avoid exaggerated or overly promotional claims.
- Check your links: Make sure all links work and point to legitimate, relevant pages. Avoid excessive links.
- Review formatting: Use clean headings and paragraphs, and remove unusual characters or broken formatting.
- Verify length: Make sure the article is not too short or too long for the channel.
- Include newsworthy content: Announcements, milestones, launches, and company updates tend to be a better fit than generic marketing copy.
- Proofread: Fix spelling and grammar errors before submitting.
💡 Tips for Better Results
- Test with one article on a different channel before resubmitting several at once.
- If two articles failed on the same channel, change the content or channel for both rather than repeating the same submission.
- Keep a note of which channels worked for you so you can reuse them.
🙋 Still Need Help?
If your article keeps failing, you don't see the refund on a failed order, or you'd like help choosing a channel, we're happy to take a look. If you need further assistance, open the chat widget in the bottom-right corner of the platform and type human teammate to be instantly connected with a member of our team.
When you reach out, mention the channel name and the article titles, so we can review the orders faster.