Inquire about her or his business ethics. Find out who will do the release writing and ask toi see samples. Most expect a monthly commitment of a minimum number of hours for a certain number of months. The author pays the retainer fee in advance monthly. Some publicists charge by the hour and mark up bills.
Some publicists require an expense deposit up front.
As for contracts, some publicists require them. Others prefer letters of agreement that spell out the specifics of the working relationship and financial arrangements. Both instruments should provide both the author and the publicist the option of terminating the agreement with appropriate notice. How Soon While a publicist may score a news medium placement as soon as an author signs on the dotted line, most will devote the first month to building a solid foundation for promotion. The publicist will want to read the author's books, study all promotional material she's already generated, all clippings, recordings of broadcast appearances and speaking engagements, bestseller lists made, awards won.