You’ve probably heard the long-worn cliché that in the music industry, especially in PR, “no two days are the same”. And like all clichés, it’s complete bollocks and yet contains a nugget of truth. Everyone has a routine, strategies, and a way of life. Here’s just one snapshot into one of the HTPR team’s days… Account manager Matt Benton, take it away…
Wake up. Get out of bed. Drag a comb across my head. Today (Thursday) is a work-from-home day – we at HTPR have flexible office/home work schedules as we’re always travelling and work on the move. As a home day, the morning is slightly more relaxed and allows an earlier start.
09AM(ish): start-up laptop. Make coffee (essential). Despair at the speed of the laptop as it’s downloading new files added to the company dropbox (new clients coming in = new music = a load of files to download). Work begins around 10 but we’re all on earlier, discussing any news overnight on Skype and going through emails.
10AM(ish)-11.30AM(ish). Clear inbox, emails that’ve come in from 6PM the night before. Catch up on exciting developments. Currently I’m handling print and online PR for a variety of exciting clients (hardcore, prog metal, extreme metal and more), and it’s great to see interviews and reviews confirmed for these. Releases for 2018 just around the corner (the first at the end of January) so it’s beginning to ramp up again.
I excitedly go tell the work Skype chat. Work tell me to get on with work.
11.30AM-12PM. Continue reaching out to potential new clients. One of my tasks at HTPR is to co-lead on New Business Developments and – it being January – requires a bit of head-down time to book in releases for the next few months. Negotiate with ~5 or so bands and labels. One of my big aims for 2018 is to pursue more utterly filthy and degenerate metal and it’s great to hear some extreme noises fill my inbox. Return to emails.
Considering today is a hectic day and takes a lot of focus and head-down time, I’m of course procrastinating and writing this blog [12PM; now-ish]. Anyway, it’s nearly lunch, so, back later…
12PM(ish)-1PM(ish). Lunch. Eat some leftovers because it’s January and who doesn’t try to be healthy in January. Watch Breaking Bad because it’s great (haven’t you heard? yo).
1PM(ish)-3PM(or thereabouts). Move from listening to current HTPR clients to Alex Baker’s Kerrang! Radio Fresh Blood show from last night. Hadn’t had the chance to listen live we were at a gig, so using this chance to catch up on some of the best new bands. Ears out for some HTPR bands as well, woo. Begin writing a press release to go out first thing Friday morning – a new client has a single out so we’re doing all we can to push that after coming on board last minute.
Prep two new single releases due in February and begin creating presskits for Spring releases. These campaigns are due to begin ASAP so the fun can start. Writing presskits, complete with bios and onesheets is one of the best parts of the job, a good chance to flex those wordy muscles and be as effusive as possible… but:
Coffee break to wake me up – get rid of that post-lunch haze.
Mild distractions from the rest of HTPR bantering on Skype and – occasionally – spilling onto Twitter (sorry, Twitter). [I tend to have Twitter open during office hours as it’s a great way to interact (i.e. pollute the internetatmosphere with brilliant terrible puns) and keep your eyes on news/gossip as it happens.]
After 3PM(?)-4PM(?!). Emails. And a few more emails. 99% of this job is emailing, back and forth – asking for info, asking twice, setting up interviews and negotiating timings, returning answers, pitching, chasing… a lot of being-the-person-in-the-middle so it’s vital to keep the inbox close to zero.
Emails get close to zero so we return to this blog. Darkness closes in already, seeing as it’s still the depths of winter. Another coffee required. Urgh. Some annoying emails come in requiring some firm but mild responses so firm responses are delivered. Work sympathise.
After 4PM-close (6PM…ish). Remember there’s some last-minute pitching required before tomorrow’s single releases due out. Some twitter and facebook chat quickly asking some questions about this. Coffee is close to running out. Help. Update some reports ahead of sending to clients tomorrow to close the week. Double check press releases going out tomorrow and ask for a proof from colleagues before signing off. Stomach rumbles. Getting close to 6PM so – hey – why not finish this blog. No gig for me tonight so I switch off to have a quiet evening [more Breaking Bad, anyone?] before hitting it hard tomorrow.
Shit, need to go buy more coffee…
