Laying the flack down

Hailing from 2004, this piece from the site The Dance Insider was sent to me in response to my post yesterday. Writer/editor Paul Ben-Itzak actually gives awards/taglines to the publicity firms he likes working with, calling the piece "Best Publicists in NYC". I love hearing what journalists think of publicists. Here's an excerpt:

...here are some things you should look for -- at least from the perspective of this writer and editor, who not only covers dance concerts but reviews hundreds if not thousands of press releases from around the world and has relationships with dozens of press reps, with a view towards seeking coverage from other Dance Insider writers for the potentially more interesting events. First, your publicist should know dance and dance media. (Sounds pretty basic, but you should see some of the press releases I get... or never receive.) He or she should know your work or, if that's not the case, be open to learning about it. Ideally, he or she should like the work so that subsequent press releases will be written with passion, attempts at securing coverage made with conviction. The publicist should be able to write with freshness about your 'product'; take a look at previous press releases to see if the same generic adjectives and verbs come up over and over again. Your rep. should have manners. Ideally, he or she should have an exhaustive press list and, even better, demonstrated mutually respectful relationships with editors who determine coverage. In other words, you want to know that your publicist's press releases will be read, and his or her calls returned.

I especially like his point about knowing the genre you're publicizing (seems obvious, but...), or at least being willing to learn. After my first meeting with Eric, I was so nervous about having an opera client that I went directly to the Borders at the Time Warner Center and bought Anthony Tommasini's Times Opera Essential Library book; I read that puppy cover-to-cover before our next meeting.

I even learned a new, mildly insulting word from the Dance Insider post:

This is a publicist with Authority, one whom critics and editors regard as a colleague, not a "flack." (There's a reason journalists sometimes apply a word describing unwanted fire to publicists; no one tries to duck Murray's press releases.)

Fascinating. Reminds me of orientation week at Dartmouth when this Class of '29 or whatever guy asked me if I was a "co-ed" at a football game. I had...no idea what that meant.

In addition to being a good read and offering an interesting perspective, use of the word "flack" aside,  the Dance Insider post includes contact information for the writer's favorite publicists. I think having a directory of publicists (in this case, for classical musicians and opera singers) would be useful. Once you decide you do need a publicist, where do you look? I will work on a list, but will refrain from editorializing on each firm like he does, perhaps just listing clients and contact information instead. Boring, I know, but for the best ((boo)). So, send on over an e mail if you want to be included in the little directory,