Celebrities are often in the public eye, so it is important that they can protect their privacy and maintain a good image. Celebrities may hire a publicist to help manage their public life and promote themselves.
Anyone interested in becoming a celebrity publicist should have excellent communication skills, knowledge of social media, and experience writing press releases.
This article highlights a celebrity publicist’s salary, job description, and job requirements.
Who Is A Celebrity Publicist?
Let’s say a celebrity columnist and most people think red carpets, glasses of Moet, and getting clients from scratch. Of course, there is some of it.
But celebrity PR requires long hours and hard work to get positive press coverage for a client, especially during awards season or when a new movie, show, or book is coming out.
A well-known columnist is responsible for organizing your interviews and press tours, arranging travel, and accompanying you on your travels if necessary.
Nowadays, celebrity columnists also work with bloggers and influencers to comment or respond to your social media posts.
A good celebrity publicist has excellent relationships with all the right editors, journalists, and TV reporters and knows how to deliver an original and insightful story so it will generate interest. And they know how to turn a potential crisis into a positive opportunity.
Celebrity Publicist: Job Description
A celebrity publicist’s job is to enhance their client’s image and status. A celebrity publicist is a person who manages the public image and publicity of their client.
They help to create compelling news stories that will enhance their client’s reputations and draw attention to them in both print and electronic media.
A celebrity publicist has a wide range of skills to be able to do this. They may also manage an actor’s career, including acting contracts and movie deals.
They help potential sponsors choose which products they want to advertise on television or negotiate deals with magazines or newspapers for interviews with celebrities, and vice versa.
Celebrity publicists help publicize celebrities’ lives in magazines, newspapers, and other media outlets.
Celebrity publicists are responsible for creating and executing publicity campaigns that help publicize celebrities’ lives in magazines, newspapers, and other media outlets.
They will work with their clients to develop relationships with the media and journalists, who can then use those connections to create opportunities for coverage.
Sometimes this means getting an interview with a celebrity who wants exposure; other times, it simply involves arranging an event like an appearance at a charity fundraiser or music festival where there will be plenty of photographers present.
The goal is always the same: building trust between themselves and their client so that when it’s time for them to make something happen, such as promoting upcoming films.
These publicists know exactly how best to serve their clients by getting coverage on those platforms where they have been mentioned.
They ask questions and act as intermediaries between celebrities, journalists, and the general public. Celebrity publicists can also generate their own publicity by submitting story ideas to magazines, radio shows, and newspapers to their clients.
If a client does something that might be perceived negatively, it’s up to the publicist to do damage control. Below are some of the key skills to practice on your way to becoming a celebrity publicist.
- Clear communication skills: this is important in both oral and written communication
- Strong social skills: a good columnist must be open, assertive, and not afraid of rejection
- Maintain tolerance and adaptability: working with celebrities can be demanding and adhere to strange schedules, and publicists need to be able to handle everything smoothly.
- Moderate and restrained attitude: staying calm in any crisis that needs to be addressed is essential
Celebrity Publicist: Job Requirements
Individuals interested in becoming a celebrity publicist usually attend a 4-year university education and obtain a major in public relations (PR), communications, journalism, or a related field.
Coursework often includes mass media writing and editing, public relations fundamentals, PR ethics and professionalism, media organization, and communication in the information age.
Publicists often have to start their careers by working for a PR firm or working for a well-known publicist to build a client base. Gaining hands-on experience is also a must for budding celebrity columnists.
By interning at a PR firm, individuals gain valuable experience and learn to handle a variety of responsibilities, such as juggling multiple clients on the red carpet, handling special requests, and learning how to write a press release that grabs attention and generates press.
Get An Internship
It can be stressful to think about how to become a public relations manager for celebrities. The best way to understand how to be a celebrity publicist is to get an internship.
These can be done while the individual is in college, as they are often unpaid but may offer college credit. Internships are rarely glamorous, and interested candidates should be prepared to answer phones, manage schedules, and run errands.
Internships can be found at public relations firms, talent agencies, or literary agencies if you’re interested in working with authors and writers.
Celebrity Publicist: Salary
The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) predicts that public relations specialists, like those who might work for celebrities, will experience a 7% increase in job opportunities between 2019 and 2029.
According to ziprecruiter.com, a celebrity salary earns an average salary. At $65,112 as of January 2021. The same source lists columnist salaries ranging from $40,000, the 25th percentile of salaries, to $81,500, the 75th percentile.
Top earners in this career, or those in the 90th percentile, report a salary of $107,500 per year. If the publicist works for a company or agency, the client pays an advance for the publicist’s services.
After earning a bachelor’s degree in PR from a 4-year university, an internship with a PR firm or entry-level positions would help an aspiring celebrity publicist gain relevant experience.
Celebrity publicists help celebrity clients maintain their image and reputation by issuing press releases, attending events, coordinating interviews and statements, and many other duties. A celebrity publicist’s work schedule might involve travel or long hours.
FAQ
What Qualifications Do You Need To Be A Publicist?
A bachelor’s degree in public relations, journalism, communications, business, or English is usually required to become a columnist.
For higher-level positions, employers may require a master’s degree in public relations or journalism. Proven experience as a columnist in the field is also preferred.
What Do Hollywood Publicists Do?
Also, at Mediabistro. A publicist creates and manages publicity for public figures, businesses, movies, films, and the like.
What Is The Main Job Of A Publicist?
One of the main functions of a publicist is to create press meetings and coverage on behalf of their clients and serve as a bridge between clients, the public, and the media. A good publicist oversees campaigns and performs other PR functions.
How Long Does It Take To Become A Publicist?
At least four years of experience in a public relations agency or firm. Strong knowledge of the PR field. Experience with media relations, communication with clients, crisis management, creation of press campaigns, and implementation of communication plans.
What Is PR For Celebrities?
Public relations for celebrities involves various strategies and techniques. In addition to damage control, celebrity PR includes identifying opportunities for clients to gain positive press coverage or attend public events.
Manage social media platforms to maintain a consistent brand image.
How Do Publicists Get Paid?
Freelance writers work with their clients to set a set fee (which will be paid monthly, quarterly, or otherwise, depending on the length of the contract and agreed terms) and are reimbursed for costs such as copying and postage.
Do Publicists Travel A Lot?
Public relations professionals, sometimes called publicists, often travel to events or meet with the media. The travel life of a columnist can be so glamorous that it is often used in movies to suggest that someone leads the life of a jet setter.
Do All Celebrities Have A Publicist?
Well, no, not necessarily. The network has a huge advertising department that will put all its muscle behind your show, so why not let them do the hard work for free?
Regardless of your decision, congratulations on being in a position to even consider hiring a publicist.
Can Anybody Be A Publicist?
There are no certification requirements to be a columnist. However, being a member of PRSA (The Public Relations Society of America) will be beneficial as it will help you network with other public relations and marketing professionals.
Do I Need A Degree To Work In PR?
Many employers look for PR professionals who have at least a bachelor’s degree and have completed some formal training in communications, media studies, journalism, or another field relevant to PR practice.
Conclusion
As stated earlier, if you want to become a celebrity publicist, then you should have excellent communication skills as you will be the gearhead in many media content for your client. You also need a bachelor’s degree in communications or publicity.
A celebrity publicist’s job is to be their client’s back-end face, ensuring everything goes according to plan. Hectic?
We hope this article has filled that gap in the knowledge you were searching for, and if you are looking for a position as a celebrity publicist, we hope this article has given you a good vantage point.
Good luck!