What does a PR person do?

PR is a tricky business.

For example, a good friend of mine is having her fiction book (romance) published this Fall by a large publishing company (it sounds like your friend is self-publishing). She has a professional PR person who is setting up press releases about the book, media interviews (radio, magazine, etc.) will set book signings at various book stores around the country and publicity.

However, it can be done. You can do all this yourself by drumming up interest via websites, blogs and the likes and do a book tour, which would have to be self-funded.

Its very hard to do cold-calling around to get interest if you have no previous relationships with the media or bookstores; once you get interest drummed up (see above) send them copies of the book with positive reviews (very important). Make sure you follow up with them! Have your friend offer to do free speaking engagements. its his job to get the interest going!!

Good luck!

I've never been in contact with a big publisher, so I mightn't know what I'm talking about, but I agree with cathrl that it sounds odd. It also sounds odd that you got picked up by a big publisher without having an agent - who would be in a much better position to answer this question than some random strangers on the Internet. Big publishers normally want to handle all the publicity themselves, at least for an author's first book, as they're much better at it than the author. How do they know you're going to hire someone who knows what they're doing? How do they know you're not going to blow your advance on booze and coke? Before you sign the contract, I would research these guys to see if they're legitimate. The fact that they're offering an advance suggests they are, but still, something doesn't seem quite right about this.