So you’ve got a job, congrats! Now it’s time to hire a publicist and get some attention for that job, right? Well, maybe. Publicists are expensive (good ones, at least) and you only have one shot to launch your “debut” and create your narrative, so you should make sure you’re hiring one at the optimal time for your career, which isn’t always your first big job or your seventh medium-level job or your third job all happening the same time…you get where this is going. As Gwyneth Paltrow sang in the criminally underrated “Country Strong,” “timing is everything.”
As talent publicists, we get several inquiries per week from artists seeking publicity representation. Many of these actors, writers, directors, composers, etc. aren’t actually ready for a publicist, and hiring one would likely only result in a frustrating outcome and wasted opportunity. Here are a few ways to know when you’re ready for a publicist.
1. You have a story
Just having a job, unless you’re starring in a major project, isn’t always enough and even then, it depends what it is. What is your story? Where did you come from? How did you get this job, what led to it, and what makes you interesting to the press? Words you’re likely to hear often are “hook,” “angle,” and “sexy.” For example, one of our most successful clients made the leap from being a businesswoman on Wall Street to starring on Broadway (with tons of hard work in between) and that is a story angle with a sexy hook we can get behind. (See?)
2. Your project aligns with the bigger picture
Bigger picture, in this sense, means both your personal career goals and also what the current landscape looks like. What else is going on in the world? What does your role in this project add to your brand? (We’ll get to brand in a few...keep reading.) The best candidates for a publicist not only have an interesting background for their personal stories, but their projects align with the global climate culturally, politically, etc. The timelier the hook, the better.
10 PR + Publicity Terms Every Actor Should Know 3. You know what your PR goals are
Many people and many projects have different goals. Some are to sell tickets to a concert, some are to transition from stage to screen, and some are to be on the cover of People magazine (please don’t tell a publicist that your goal is to be on the cover of People magazine). That’s not to say lofty goals are a bad thing—we all love ambition—but if you have realistic expectations and a clear idea of what you’re aiming for, you’re more likely to get there easier.
4. You’ve figured out your brand
Told you we’d get here! The word "brand" gets a bad rep, but, ultimately, that’s what you’re aiming to create when hiring a publicist, to garner buzz and build your…well, brand. Basically, what do you want to say? What do you stand for? With what do you want to be associated? This could look like anything from political activism to a blogger lifestyle approach to ‘taking selfies while crying’ (though Chelsea already has that one in the bag). Once you nail this down, you can go all-in.
5. You have a budget
It goes without saying that any service costs money, and publicity is no exception. Most firms have monthly minimums for both cost and time commitments, meaning that you could be on the line for $5,000 per month for at least four months. There’s definitely flexibility there (we don’t have any minimum time commitments), but having some money in the bank before reaching out to firms is a good way to show up prepared to invest in your future.
So, now what? Well, if you’ve taken all of the above into consideration and think to yourself, “I’m ready!” then reach out! There’s more to be said about a client-publicist relationship that we’ll get to another time, but the first step is starting the conversations.
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and do not necessarily reflect the opinions of Backstage or its staff.
