Vultures & Snakes
Welcome to the world of PR and Publicity people in the music business. While this business is full of unsavory characters, without a doubt the most incompetent, ineffective, and unprofessional group are those in the PR field. Hence the title, vultures (above) and snakes (below).
In the concert business, promotion is quite straight forward and simple. There's nothing complicated or tricky about it. Everyone I ever dealt with could basically do the job, some better, some worse. But, in the end, the job was done properly. However, I was totally unprepared for what I have encountered from the artist side of the business.
I have yet to deal with a single firm or person that is in the slightest way capable. For newer and upcoming artists like myself, take this post as a warning. When dealing with PR people, always keep your guard up; assume there's a constant red flag waving. You have to protect yourself, and keep your sanity in the process.
Here are few thoughts and tips. Every PR person is going to inflate you, tell you how great you are, and what a great job they can do. Don't believe any of it. You start to believe their hype, you fall into their trap, exactly what they want. If they really believe what they tell you, challenge them and make them prove it. Make them share in your success by taking a risk, just as you do. Pay them based on performance, not hours or time spent, not the contacts they are supposed to have, and certainly not the number of Facebook followers they get you ( there will be separate post on Facebook Fallacies). If you succeed as a result of their efforts, of course they should succeed as well, but they should be paid on the basis of MEASURABLE (in dollars and cents) results, not on a hourly or retainer basis with no consequences for poor performance or failure. That's the job of weathermen, who predict the weather, right or wrong, and get paid anyway, easiest job in the world.
Make sure any PR person you work with is willing to be held accountable for their performance. Make them share the risk with you. If they are unwilling to consider this, then perhaps they really don't believe in you like they say they do. Something to consider. You put in your time to achieve success, they should as well. Supposedly they are on this journey with you in this business. Make them prove it.
The fact of the matter is that in this age of essentially internet PR, most of what you need and should do, you can do yourself. It does take time, and there is a learning curve, but it is doable. Very doable. The more you learn about it, the more control you will have over your own destiny, your own money, and your own creativity. In summary, be very careful when dealing with these vultures and snakes.
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