Whether you plan on doing your own press, or working with a publicist, you need to understand how press actually works. Because if you don't, you can't brief a PR person well, you can't tell whether the one you're paying is any good, and you certainly can't do it yourself.

After 35 years of generating press for individual artists, commercial galleries, biennials, festivals, and an institution running 2.5 million visitors a year through its doors, I'm sharing what I've learned about getting work covered, and what most artists get wrong before they've written the first line.

Before we get into it — if you're not already following the podcast, hit follow now so this lands in your feed each week. There's a lot in this one and you'll want to listen back.

We recently brought two specialists into the Coaching Membership for separate Expert in Residence sessions on this exact subject. 

Laura Davis with 25 years as a journalist, formerly arts editor at the Liverpool Daily Post and Liverpool Echo, now writing freelance and running Raised Voices - her audience-development practice. 

David Field — Cultural Communications Strategist and Business Development Consultant, with nearly 20 years in cultural sector communications across in-house and agency, now running a boutique consultancy working with art businesses, art fairs, publishers and galleries across Europe, the Gulf and Korea.

They gave members the publicist's strategic view in two separate sessions. Two complementary angles on the same problem - both available in the Coaching Membership on replay at  https://cerihand.com/membership/

KEY TAKEAWAYS

Most artists are sending beautifully crafted, completely useless press releases - a wall of text disguised as news - and then wondering why nothing lands. Until you can answer “why should this journalist care about this now, for their readers?” you’re not actually pitching, you’re just announcing.

Often, the pressure point isn’t the wording, it’s the structure: one sharp sentence of what’s genuinely new, one image that tells that story at a glance suddenly makes your work look like something an editor can say yes to.

BEST MOMENTS

“A press release is not a marketing leaflet for your work. It's a piece of writing aimed at one specific reader, a journalist on a deadline deciding very quickly whether your story is one they can sell to their editor.”

“If you can't say what's new in one sentence, you don't have news yet. You have an announcement.”

“Press is not the goal. Press is a by-product. The goal is to build the kind of practice, the kind of story and the kind of relationships that make press almost inevitable.”

PODCAST HOST BIO

With over 35 years in the art world, Ceri has worked closely with leading artists and arts professionals, managed public and private galleries and charities, and curated more than 250 exhibitions and events. She has sold artworks to major museums and private collectors and commissioned thousands of works across diverse media, from renowned artists such as John Akomfrah, Pipilotti Rist, Rafael Lozano-Hemmer and Vito Acconci. Now, she wants to share her extensive knowledge with you, so you can excel and achieve your goals.

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Ceri Hand Coaching Membership: Group coaching, live art surgeries, exclusive masterclasses, portfolio reviews, weekly challenges. Access our library of content and resource hub anytime and enjoy special discounts within a vibrant community of peers and professionals. https://cerihand.com/membership/

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Unlock Your Artworld Network Self Study Course

Our self-study video course, "Unlock Your Artworld Network," offers a straightforward 5-step framework to help you build valuable relationships effortlessly. Gain the tools and confidence you need to create new opportunities and thrive.

https://cerihand.com/courses/unlock_your_artworld_network/

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This Podcast has been brought to you by Disruptive Media. https://disruptivemedia.co.uk/