A publicist doesn’t make you famous — they make you visible to the people who decide what’s worth covering. Their job is relationships with journalists, editors, bloggers, podcasters, and playlist curators, plus crafting your story into something those people want to run. Press releases, interview bookings, premiere placements, crisis control when things go sideways. That’s the gig.
You need one when you have something real to promote and no time to pitch it yourself. Album dropping, tour announced, a story worth telling — that’s publicist territory. If you’re still building your first thousand fans with no release in sight, save the money. A publicist with nothing to pitch will burn your budget and your relationships with media who notice.
Hire for relationships and honesty, not promises. No legit publicist guarantees coverage — they guarantee effort and access. Ask who they’ve placed recently, at outlets you actually respect. A three-month campaign around a release is the standard test run. If they land real press, extend; if all you got was a spreadsheet of emails sent, move on.
Work with them, don’t just pay them. Give your publicist your story, your angles, your availability for interviews, and respond fast when press bites. The artists who get covered are the ones who make the publicist’s job easy — clear narrative, good photos, quick turnarounds. Measure the campaign by outcomes, not activity. Real features, real interviews, real playlist adds — that is the return. A thick report of pitches sent with nothing landed is a sign to change strategy, or change publicist, before the next release cycle.
About the Author – Ruben Burgos: Ruben Burgos brings over 25 years of music expertise and more than 15 years of model guidance to the table. He is the indie major pinnacle to retaining credits for musicians and helping them navigate this wicked industry without the fuckery.