In this section:

What a publicist does...

A wonderfully talented young singer from Western Canada e-mailed me.

She asked:

"What would a full publicist/artist relationship entail?"

Ah, responding to something as open ended as this is a bit like getting Einstein to explain the Theory of Relativity in four minutes. (Not, obviously, that I think I'm Einstein!)

But here was my response:

It would/could/sometimes should involve all, some, or none of the following:

-hand-holding (a.k.a. career guidance)

-enjoying a mutual belief in others talents/skills

-writing bios and press material

-writing press releases (and thinking up stuff to write them about!)

-helping create a visual image for the artist

-more hand-holding (a.k.a. helping solve relationship problems)

-hiring photographers, video makers and other support people

-writing grant applications (or, in my case, finding grant writers)

-arranging media interviews

-getting artist on TV or radio

-more hand-holding (a.k.a. media coaching)

-supervising other public events

-refusing to arrange in-store appearances (remember Spinal Tap?)

-helping find an agent

-helping find a manager

-helping find a publisher

-even more hand-holding (building confidence)

-helping launch a new CD/video

-getting artists connected with other artists further up the food chain

-promoting tours from here to there and back again

-helping get opening gigs and headline appearances

-driving the artist to the gig

-still more hand-holding (a.k.a. maintaining confidence)

-the artist paying $750 - $1,500 a month for at least four months

Does that help?

PS: It didn't help. The artist liked everything except the final point. Ah well, that's the music biz!