So you're in a band. You have played a few parties. Some people are starting to notice. You are having fun. You decide to get a gig at the local bar. The night of your premier comes, and no one shows up. You had fun playing, but you were disappointed that no one got to see it. You turn to your drummer and say, "What happened?" He looks back and says, "Man, we need some publicity."

But what does that mean? How do you get publicity? How do bands go from being unknown, to being the toast of the country?

I asked Debbie Gelinas, the new publicist at the Planetary Group ( http://www.planetarygroup.com) about the role of the publicist, and why it's important. She said, "A publicist's job is important because it helps to develop public awareness for a band. Without that awareness, even the best band will have a hard tim e becoming successful."

Yes, but what does a publicist do to raise public awareness? "It is our job to make the media and various writers aware of a particular band/musician. The media takes the information... and then presents it to the public."

Jennifer Pund, of Taper Section Publicity in Boulder, CO ( info@tapersectionpublicity.com) who does publicity for Deep Banana Blackout and others, calls it "media relations. We are the 'go between' for bands and press. We are here to build recognition for the band's name. To me my job is getting the CD into the writer or DJ's CD player. After that the bands will sell themselves.

How does a publicist go about doing this? What resources do you need? I turned to John Metzger ( pr@nelsonband.com), publicist for the David Nelson Band and David Gans for more information.

"First, you must design a professional-looking press kit. At a minimum, this should include a one-page bio, an 8 x 10 photo, and a CD. As you grow, provide a few press clippings or a page of good quotes. Once your press kit is designed, it is time to start doing what most people consider publicity. Send the press kit to your target media outlets. For most jam bands, your targets will most often be geographically located around your touring schedule.

The venues you play should be able to provide you with a media list, and let you know who is most likely to help. Be sure to find out where the venue regularly places advertisements as often those folks are more likely to do a more to help you with articles, photos, and calendar listings. Keep track of everyone you hit and their level of interest. Each time you revisit an area (or release a new product), make sure to re-contact those people that helped you before, but also try to expand your presence through those that might have done little the first time." Follow up is essential in getting the press that you seek. Don't let writers and editors forget about you.

So publicists act as agents for bands to get media coverage, much as the booking agent solicits gigs. Just like with booking, publicity is a fine art cultivated through relationships using marketing and sales skills. What makes a good publicist?

John Metzger, "Good communications skills are very important. You must be able to write concisely and communicate a great deal of information. For those unfamiliar with the group you represent, often the first contact they will have with you and the band will be the media kit that you provide. You also need to have a well-honed sales pitch - both in terms of leaving a concise message with the pertinent details on voice mail or actually speaking to a person. You must be able to tell folks who you are and what you want.

Organization and persistence are also important. Know exactly to whom you have sent information, know exactly what they have done and when. Plan ahead, and leave yourself plenty of time to publicize. You must have at least four weeks notice, but six to eight weeks is ideal, as it gives you time to properly prepare and send the information and follow-up accordingly. If the media at least seems interested, be persistent and continue to call, and if they don't respond, keep calling until you get a response. Remember, however, there is a fine line between persistence and harassment so be polite, and know when to save it for another day."

A good publicist builds trust over a period of time with the writers they solicit. Writers come to depend on publicists to bring them good stories and new players in the scene. A publicist must learn to take advantage.

So it is the publicist who is behind the radio interviews, the articles in newspapers, the photos and mentions in magazines. It is the publicist who puts the spin on the news and accomplishments of a band, and helps to build that mythology into public perception.

A publicist is just another piece of the puzzle, another member of the team striving to promote Jambands. Their hard work has introduced us to new bands. Their creativity and eloquence helps to shape our perception of our favorite musicians- putting words to the feelings that the rest of us just can't seem to explain.