How to Become a Publicist

Publicists are like public relations (PR) professionals for individual people or groups. Entertainers, authors, artists and musicians often use publicists to help create media attention for their work. In order to become a publicist, you'll need some general education and experience. Read on to learn more.

Difficulty:

Moderate

Instructions

Things You'll Need

• Bachelor's degree in a communication field

Become a Publicist

1. Take classes in college that will build your writing and communication skills. You can become a publicist with a bachelor's degree in several different fields. You may want to study something related to communications, English or journalism.

2. Try to do some unpaid publishing work for local bands while you're at college to get more experience. This job could be writing and mailing press releases for upcoming concerts. You could also design and post fliers for the shows around campus.

3. Intern with a publishing company while you're still in school. This industry is particularly difficult to break into because companies don't want to hire someone who has no experience. An internship will give you valuable real-world experience and also help you make connections in the industry.

4. Ask your internship hosts for recommendations on how to begin your career. They may be able to refer you to other publishing companies that hire entry-level workers. You may even get a job offer from your internship hosts if you work hard enough for them.

5. Prepare yourself to work your way up the publishing ranks. Most publicists start out with fairly low paying and relatively unknown clients. As you build the reputations of both yourself and your clients, you'll begin to get better-paying assignments and more work.

6. Get familiar with the local reporters and newspaper staff. These are the people you'll be calling every day on behalf of your clients, so you should be comfortable talking to them and sending them press releases.

7. Learn how to set up websites for your clients. Digital media is becoming more and more important for publicists, and knowing how to work with it is attractive to both potential clients and employers. You can often take website classes at your local community college.

Tips & Warnings

• If you're having trouble becoming a publicist, take matters into your own hands and start freelancing. Try working with local authors and musicians to create a buzz for their new releases and shows.

• You may find it beneficial to get a master's degree in a field like public relations, but most employers won't require advanced degrees.