A publicist is a person whose job is to generate and manage publicity for a company, a brand, or public figure. Celebrities, authors, and chefs will work with publicists to maintain their image. Publicists are public relations specialists who have the job of maintaining and representing the images of companies and individuals. Publicists brand their clients by getting magazine, TV, newspaper, and website coverage. Most top-level publicists work in private practice, handling multiple clients for decades. If you remember watching Sex and The City, you will remember the character Samantha had a public relations company, and she made serious money as a publicist. If you’re looking for work online and have great people skills and written communications skills, then this career path might be a good one for you.
The term “publicist” was first coined by the legal scholar Francis Lieber to describe the public-facing role during the late nineteenth century. Publicists are also sometimes called “flacks”, which can be traced back to Gene Flack, a well-known movie publicist in the 1930s. Also known as press agents, they get the press to write about their clients by controlling the narrative with their own press releases, which, hopefully, generate media buzz for their clients. Publicists usually write these press releases to make announcements about new initiatives and business developments.
Publicists are hired to get press coverage for their clients, and it is their job to get journalists to write about their clients. A combination of creative and corporate work, publicity can be ideal for those who have a flair for writing but might not want to put up with the low salaries and fierce competition of journalism jobs.
For example, you’re a publicist who works at Random House, and you’re trying to promote a book for a client. You may need to hand-deliver possible stories about the book to journalists. To do so, you need to understand what kinds of publications already have the readers you want to target, as well as how to reach them. This is a business of relationships, which is why well-known publicists are both sought-after and very expensive – they have spent years or decades developing their contacts and are very effective at reaching the right person and getting coverage for their clients.
Publicist Duties & Responsibilities
As part of his or her regular daily duties and tasks, a publicist may perform some or all of the following:
* Create and execute publicity plans for their clients
* Write press releases, which are well-written announcements
* Cultivate relationships with journalists in order to place stories with them; good publicists will have a love of connections and understand the inner-workings of the media
* Discern which stories are obvious and don’t require much in the way of publicity
* Pitch new stories to media
* Arrange and flesh out talking points for press visits, interviews, appointments, and press conferences
* Create and edit press releases, media alerts, and press kit materials
* Build and maintain relationships with various media outlets
Education, Training & Certification
Education: There’s no set degree required for a job in publicity. However, since the job requires a good deal of writing, it’s helpful to be both proficient and creative in this area. Most publicists do hold an undergraduate degree, and relevant majors include: advertising, marketing, public relations, journalism, and communications. A college degree can also give you access to internships at local PR firms or at record labels that have PR departments. Another advantage of studying writing and journalism is all the connections you can make while in school. All those journalists could be useful contacts.
Experience: Working as an intern for a publicist or serving as a publicist assistant can give you valuable experience and help you land a publicist job.
What is the Work Life of a Publicist Like?
Publicists work in almost any field, with clients ranging from actors and singers, to hospitals and big corporations. Some publicists work a standard eight-hour workday, but most find that regular weekend and evening work is necessary. This is particularly true when working with celebrities.
After an internship, a few years working at a major firm and a couple years at a smaller firm a publicist should have all the connections they need to be able to work as a freelancer, or contract worker. If you’re good at what you do and have built a great reputation, and want to live the digital nomad life while being exceptional in your career (and, of course, making plenty of money), read 5 Steps to Work Your Job While Traveling the World. Get creative and find some areas of the industry where you can stand out.
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