The week before Anime USA 2012, I’m offering tips to convention journalists, press liaisons, and people aspiring to become either of those things, all based on my experiences.

Right after Anime USA 2011 wrapped up, I wrote a blog post listing all the activities I perform as press liaison, from press releases to press conferences. It was longer than I expected; I don’t think my volunteer position is that taxing, and yet, here was this long list of stuff I have to get done every year. The trick is that it stretches out all year so I just have a little at a time.

If I were to take a brand new press liaison under my wing, I wouldn’t give them a laundry list of things to get done like that blog post was—it’s too overwhelming. It’d be less stress-inducing to see it laid out chronologically.

So if you’re interested in ever becoming a press liaison, this blog post is my gift to you. Keep reading for a year in the life of a press liaison:

The month after the con

• First, wrap up last year’s press. Send a mass email to the press pool thanking them for attending and asking them to submit their coverage so it can be used to promote the con.

• Now, onto next year. Streamline your application process by creating a Google form to send to accepted members of the press. Here’s my (now inactive) form for 2012 press.

• Update (or create) a spreadsheet for members of the press. Make note of the ones who actually sent you their con coverage—these are the people you want to invite back!

• Update (or create) a mailing list of press outlets that want to receive press releases from you during the year. You can start by asking last year’s press. I also recommend reaching out to both local outlets and anime news sites—I have everyone from the Washington City Paper to Anime News Network on my list.

During the year

• Send out the monthly newsletter. This is one of the most mindless parts of my job. I made the theme in MailChimp in December and have just been filling it with information that other convention staffers send me to put in it. Here’s our October newsletter.

• Send out press releases as the convention secures contracts with special guests. I never went to school for this, but it isn’t hard. I just Googled “How to write a press release.” Send it to your mailing list. Don’t spam this list—if the con gives you three guests to announce in one day, just send the releases all in one email instead of three.

Six months before the con

• Send a mass email to your favorite members of the press from last year, which should be anybody who sent you coverage of the convention. Link them to your Google form and invite them to apply ASAP.

Two months before the con

• Using your Google form, tally up how many press outlets requested interviews with the headliner guest (which has been a Japanese band for the last three years, in my case). Send this list to the Guest Department, which will send it to the band manager, who will choose which outlets the band will speak to. (Not very democratic, I know, but journalism is different in Japan and we do it this way out of respect.)

• After Guests sends you the list of accepted press, contact these outlets privately. Give them a one-month deadline to send in their interview requests, which must be translated and reviewed by the band manager. (Again, not very democratic, but how we do it.)

The month before the con

• Using your Google form, tally up how many press outlets requested interviews with domestic guests. Work with Guests to create an interview block for each guest so reporters know when they can speak with them during the con.

• Send a mass email to this year’s press pool with the interview blocks and other vital information. I like to present this in PDF form—here’s my press kit from 2011.

At the con

• Give out badges from the location you told press about in the email. Moderate (or get an assistant to moderate) all guest interview blocks. Make sure members of the press know how to reach you if anything comes up. When this is all done, have some fun! It won’t take up as much of your time as you think.

Well there you have it, my entire year as a press liaison. When you consider it’s spread out over so many months, it doesn’t seem so bad. What do you think? Could you do this job?