The invisible hand of PR: Alan Edwards' 5 tips for pop success

1. Get yourself noticed

There are lots of acts being launched at any one time so you’ll have to do something special to get people’s attention - set fire to your guitar; take your clothes off; say something controversial.

Music on its own probably won’t be sufficient.

Try and take a step back and imagine what it’s like to be a tired commuter or busy shop worker and figure out what you’re going to do to capture that person’s imagination.

Image: A Stranglers story from 1978 - Alan Edwards represented key punk bands including The Stranglers, The Buzzcocks and The Damned

2. Have a plan

Think forward to where your artist wants to be in say five years time. Maybe headlining Wembley Stadium or is it being on the front cover of GQ Magazine?

Once you’ve established where you want to get to, then work back month by month and think through all the steps that will be required along the way to get to your desired destination.

Otherwise, it’s like driving up to Glasgow without sat-nav or a map, you’ll probably end up int Bradford or somewhere by mistake!

Image: The Sex Pistols thrived on shock and outrage — and publicity. This story’s prominent play on the front page of The Mirror, following the band's infamous TV interview with Bill Grundy, played directly into that plan.

3. The personal touch always works

Avoid doing things by systems, especially with music.

Nothing beats the experience of playing great new tracks one on one to a journalist. It’s far better than organised playbacks or digital downloads etc.

Also make sure they get to hear it well in advance, that way a busy reviewer working on deadline will have a chance to properly feel the music before they even get down to writing about it.

An example is the Bowie campaign (for Blackstar).

Image: Another Mirror headline, this time following the Pistols' Jubilee boat gig on the Thames.

4. Perseverance and stamina

There will be knock-backs along the way but it’s vital that you keep going.

It’s a bit like knocking on doors, you might find that one in five are answered, but bit by bit you’ll build up a small army of supporters.

You’ll need to dig deep at times and always maintain your belief in the music. Not everybody will get it and that takes stamina both mental and physical.

Always keep the long term objective in mind.

Image: An overblown claim for Suede on the front cover of the Melody Maker.