As with other PR and marketing activities, an editorial calendar for press releases can – in theory – be a helpful organizational tool. However, anyone who has ever been in charge of said calendar knows that the reality is much different.

Sure, there are some press releases that are easy to schedule, such as upcoming campaigns and events planned well in advance. But many other things will pop up as the year goes on. Product launches get delayed, personnel changes happen, awards get announced.

The only expectation you should have as a public relations professional is that major breaking news will throw your carefully honed schedule into disarray as quickly as you can type “For Immediate Release.”

Although the release dates on your schedule need to be fluid and flexible, there are several things you should track beyond timing to better manage your public relations projects and get your press releases back on track when things run amok.

Project name or release headline: When planning your calendar, it’s easy to start at the top of the release. If you don’t write a headline first, at least name your project on your calendar with some key words from an early draft.

Milestones and due dates: While publish dates are often subject to change, setting due dates for first drafts and other milestones is an important step in organizing your workflow. Penciling in a tentative publish date for your release may also help you keep your team on deadline.

Stakeholders: Keep track of anyone who may need to see a draft of the release prior to publishing, whether it’s a project manager, a member of your team who is being quoted or designers involved in coordinating the press release’s multimedia assets. It’s also important to map out the internal approval process when determining the release’s due date to make sure there is time to obtain the necessary permissions prior to publishing.

Distribution channels: The distribution or promotion plan for your release needs to be mapped out as far in advance as possible. Knowing your distribution plan will help inform the rest of your schedule. For example, a major global or international wire distribution might require added time for translations.

Media outreach: Are you going to supplement your press release distribution with media pitches around your content? Detail that in your calendar as well. Indicating which journalists or influencers you plan to engage with and a timeline for the outreach will make it easier to track as part of the overall project.

Project status: Notes about the state of your press release campaigns will give you and your team a feel for what work remains or which deliverables are still needed. When you’re done, use this slot to keep track of published links to your content.

PR can be a valuable weapon in your brand’s communications arsenal. However, if you fail to give your press release planning the attention it needs, you may fall short of your objectives.

Logging the details of your press release in a calendar will benefit your brand by making it easier to not only measure your results, but also identify which aspects of your process need to be honed and optimized for future campaigns.

Download Best Practices for Growth: Aligning PR Programs to Corporate Strategy to learn more about using public relations wisely to influence everything from your company’s web traffic and lead generation to buyer and investor decisions.

Author Danielle Capriato is the manager of strategic communications at PR Newswire. Follow her on Twitter @dcapriato.