We get a lot of hits at www.arielpublicity.com
and calls from bands who are not yet ready to hire a publicist.
For those of you in this situation, I have written this guide to
follow. Publicity is time consuming and detail oriented. With a
bit of planning and focus, you can spin your own publicity wheel
- all it takes is foresight and organization. A band that plans
well is a band that receives the most PR.
I have worked hundreds of bands during my six years in this business.
Bands that generate a strong buzz, release their own CDs and tour
prove every day that bands can and will survive the road ahead (no
pun intended).
No matter how big or small your band is now, the publicity process
is exactly the same. Of course the size of publications in which
you place articles can vary dramatically (based on record sales
and label status).
For this article, I interviewed several entertainment writers from
across the country. Their comments and advice are included throughout.
I also included several helpful links to help you along.
Writers who will come up throughout are:
Mike Roberts - The Denver Westword
Jae Kim - The Chicago Sun Times
Silke Tudor - The SF Weekly
It was fun to interview writers who usually interview my artists.
It was insightful to get their opinions on what they like to see
(and what they don't) from bands.
Running Your Own PR Department - A Step by Step Guide
MYTH: A big fat press kit will impress a writer.
TRUTH: Writers will only become exasperated by a press kit that
is not succinct and to the point. A bio, a photo and 6-8 articles
double-sided on white paper is a good sized kit. If a writer wants
to read more than that he will contact you for further information.
If you don't have any articles, don't worry, this will soon change.
The first step in your journey is to create a press kit, which consists
of four parts -- the Bio, the Photo, the Articles and the CD.
Jae Kim: "The ultimate press kit is a very basic press kit which
includes: a CD, a photo with band members' names labeled on it --
not a fuzzy, arty photo -- a clear black and white, a bio, and press
clips -- 10 at most, one or two at least. 40 is way too much."
Part 1: The Bio
Write a one page band bio that is succinct and interesting to read.
I strongly advise avoiding vague cliches such as: melodic, brilliant
harmonies, masterful guitar playing, tight rhythm section, etc.
These are terms that can be used to describe any type of music.
Try to make your description stand out.
Create an introduction that sums up the your sound, style and attitude
in a few brief sentences. This way if a writer is pressed for time
she can simply take a sentence or two from your bio and place it
directly in the newspaper. If you try to make a writer dig deeply
for the gist, that writer will most likely put your press kit aside
and look to one of the other 30 press kits that arrived that week.
* tip - Try to create a bio with the assumption that a vast majority
of music writers may never get around to listening to your CD (500
new releases come out in the United States each week). Also, writers
are usually under tight deadlines to produce copy -- so many CD's
fall by the wayside.
Q. Whose press materials stand out in your head ?
A. Jae Kim: "Action shots of bands. Blur has had a few great photos,
and Mariah's are always very pretty. Also, Mary Cutrufello on Mercury
has a great photo -- enigmatic with a mysterious quality. Her picture
was honest and intelligent, just like her music."
A. Silke Tudor: "The Slow Poisoners -- a local SF band who are very
devoted to their presentation. They have a distinct style and everything
leads in to something else. Photos are dangerous... If the band
looks young and they're mugging you have a pretty safe idea of what
they're gonna sound like."
Part 2: The Photo
It is very tough to create a great band photo. In the thousands
that I have encountered only a few have had creativity and depth.
I know it can seem cheesy to arrange a photo shoot but if you take
this part seriously you will deeply benefit from it in the long
run.
Create a photo that is clear, light, and attention grabbing. Five
musicians sitting on a couch is not interesting. If you have a friend
who knows how to use Photoshop, I highly recommend you enroll him
or her to help you do some funky editing.
Mike Roberts tends to gravitate towards: "Any photos that are not
four guys standing against a wall. Also, a jazz musician doesn't
always have to be holding a horn."
MYTH: Photos cost a fortune to process in 8X10 format.
TRUTH: Photos do not have to be expensive. There a few places to
have photos printed for a great price. My personal favorite is ABC
Pictures in Springfield, MO. They will print 500 photos (with layout
and all shipping) for $80. Click the link to check out their Web
site (http://www.abcpictures.com/)
or telephone 888.526.5336.
Another great resource is a company called 1-800-POSTCARD, which
will print 5000 full-color, double-sided postcards for $250. Extra
postcards not used in press kits can be sent to people on your mailing
list, or you can sell them or give them away at gigs.
Part 3: The Articles
Getting that first article written about you can be quite a
challenge. Two great places to start are your local town papers
(barring you don't live in Manhattan or Los Angeles) and any local
fanzine (available at your favorite indie record store). In addition,
a few hours of net surfing will reveal the hundreds of sites that
review CD's. Look for reviews of music that is similar to your band's
type of music and then send your CD's to those reviewers. As your
touring and effort swell, so will the amount of articles written
about your band.
Part 4: The CD
I assume that if you are reading this you probably already
have your CD printed and ready to go. If this is not the case, CD's
are easy to print up and lots of manufacturers can guide you in
the process. My favorite CD manufacturing house is AMG CD's. They
do a great job, have a quick turn-around time, and their prices
are great. Mention that you found out about them through Ariel Publicity
and you will get a discount!!
The CD artwork, like the press kit, must be well thought out. You
should customize your press kits so that they look in sync with
your CD. This way when a writer opens up a package the press kit
and the CD look like they go together. Also, put your phone number
and contact info in the CD so if it gets separated from the press
kit, the writer knows how to contact you.
I asked Eric Rosen, the VP of Radical Records, how he oversees the
development of product. He had a few things to say about stickering
CD's (placing an extra sticker on the cover to spark the interest
of a writer).
"If you are going to sticker your product, be unique in the way
you present it -- try to be clever about it -- plain white stickers
are boring." He went on to say that "Recommended Tracks" stickers
are great for the press (suggesting no more than two or three selections).
Eric does not think that stickers are too advantageous in CD stores,
because then "You are just covering up your artwork."
Don't waste precious CD's! Keep in mind that 500 new CD's come out
every week in the United States. Unless you are sure a writer actually
writes CD reviews (many are not given the space to run them) don't
waste your hard-earned dollars sending that writer a CD. Again,
ask the promoter which writers like to receive CD's for review and
which ones don't need them.
How to make a writer happy
Q. What do writers like?
A. Silke Tudor: "When people personalize things and use casual words.
If an envelope is hand-addressed, I will notice it right away and
I always open things that people put together themselves. Hand-written
stuff gets read first...The bands that do PR for themselves are
the ones that stand out for me"
A. Mike Roberts: "Include the name, show date, time, ticket price,
place, and who you are playing with...If I don't see the contact
number I have 69 other kits to get to."
Q. What do writers hate?
A. Jae Kim: "I hate those padded envelopes that get gray flaky stuff
all over you -- I feel like it's asbestos." She also dislikes "When
I get a package with glitter or confetti in it -- it gets all over
my desk." "I [also] don't like Q & A sheets" -- She prefers to come
up with questions herself rather than receive answers pre-fabricated
for her and spoon-fed.
A. Silke Tudor similarly reports: "I never open anything over my
computer."
A. Mike Roberts: "I don't have much interest in gimmicks like hard
candy. If I tried to eat it, it might kill me. Also you can't expect
a writer to shove something in the paper at the last minute. Please
give as much lead time as possible."
Q. What do writers throw in the garbage immediately?
A. Mike Roberts: "Anything past deadline."
A. Jae Kim: "Pictures of women's butts or profanity that is degrading
to women."
A. Silke Tudor: "If I already know the band and I know that I don't
like it."
Getting Your Press Materials Out There: So, you have a press
kit together, now what?
Try to start planning PR for any tour 6-8 weeks before you
hit the road.
As soon as a gig is booked, ask the promoter for the club's press
list (most clubs have one). This is a list of all of the publications
in the area that write about music. Promoters are dependent on this
local press to help sell tickets. Have the list faxed or e-mailed
to you. Don't be shy -- you are working with the promoter to make
the show happen and promoters love it when the show is well publicized.
Also be sure to ask the promoter who his or her favorite writers
are and which ones will like your style of music. Then, when you
call those writers, don't be afraid to say which promoter recommended
them and invite them to the show.
I was the the PR director for The Fox Theatre in Boulder, Colorado
for five years and the bands who got the biggest push from me were
the ones who cared about their PR and who kept in touch with me
before they were coming to town.
If the local promoter has a publicist, let that publicist do his
job. This person lives where you only visit a few times a year.
He will pay for the postage and send the press kits.
Pack everything up and mail it to the promoters. Make sure you ask
the promoters how many posters they would like and send them along
with the press kits. After a few days, call to verify that the materials
were received.
If you can't afford to send kits to everyone, ask the promoters
in each area which three or four writers would most likely cover
a band that plays your style of music. Also, ask the promoters where
the clubs run strip ads -- these ads will be in the papers that
cover music and inform people in the area about club happenings.
If you are servicing press yourself, and the club does not have
a press list, pick up these invaluable guides: The Musician's
Atlas, $19.95, (Tel: 973.509.9898) or The Musician's Guide
To Touring, $10.95, (Tel: 800.407.6874). Both of these guides
are packed with a wealth of information on publicity outlets across
the country as well as venues, record stores, labels, etc. I have
spotted both guides in music stores, Barnes & Noble, and at record
shops.
I recommend sending materials 4-6 weeks prior to the gig. Beware
of monthly publications -- if you are not at least six weeks out,
don't bother sending to them.
Call the writers -- most of the time you will be leaving messages
on voice mail. Be polite, get right to the point, and be brief!!
9 times out of 10 writers will not call you back.
Persevere
If you are a totally new band and you are worried because a paper
did not cover you the first time around, keep sending that paper
information every time you play in the area. I have never met a
writer that ignores several press kits from the same band sent over
and over again. It may take a few passes through in each market,
but the more a writer sees over time, the more likely he will be
to write about you.
Don't let all that voicemail discourage you -- I have placed hundreds
of articles, mentions, and photos without ever speaking to the writer.
Writers usually respond much better to E-mail -- it's free for them
and does not take too long to respond to. If you are sending E-mail
follow-ups, put a link to your site, or the club's site if you don't
have one. You can also send a sound clip if you have the capability.
Important Note: Don't bother sending out materials a few days before
the gig. Writers are usually way past their deadlines by then and
they won't be able to place your band.
Posters
Posters are a great form of PR and they don't have to cost you a
fortune. The most cost-effective way to make posters is to buy 11x17
colored paper from your local paper store (approx. $7 per ream of
500) and run off copies at the copy shop (approx. 7 cents each).
Make several white copies and include these with your colored posters
-- this way the promoter can make extras, if needed. For higher
quality posters, I recommend a copy process called docutech. These
cost a penny or so more apiece, but they are computer-generated
and look better than regular copies.
Have whoever designed your poster also design small lay-ups to send
out as fliers and ad-mats. Make sure your logo is included on them
so the promoter can use them for strip or display advertising.
Have patience
The first few times you play a market, you may not get any press.
PR is a slow moving vehicle that can take time to get moving. I
have worked with some bands that have needed to go through a market
3-4 times before any results started showing up in the press.
When sending materials on repeated occasions, include a refresher
blurb to remind the writer of your style. ALWAYS include the following
information: date, show time, ages, ticket price, club name and
address, time, and who is on the bill. Don't make writers hunt around
for the event info. Make their job as easy as possible by providing
as much information as possible.
Also keep in mind that some writers will probably not write about
you over and over again. If you hit the same markets continually,
try to lay off the press who have already written about you -- a
great tactic is to change your photo every few months and write
"New Band Photo" on the outside of the envelope so writers know
they have something new to work with.
Field Staff
Try to enroll a fan to be on your field staff in each market
you visit. In exchange for a few tickets to your show, have this
person put up posters, hand out fliers, and talk to the college
newspaper about writing a feature or the local radio station about
spinning your CD.
To get a field staff started, include a sign up column on your mailing
list and on your Web site. If they sign up, they are the people
for you!
With a bit of planning and focus, you can spin your own publicity
wheel. All it takes is foresight and organization. A band who plans
well is a band that receives the most PR.
Your Web site
If you don't already have one -- get on it!! Web sites can be easy
and inexpensive to design -- you can buy software that can take
you through it step by step. Better yet, have a friend or a fan
help you design a site. Your site should include your upcoming tour
dates, as most people will visit it to find out when you are coming
through town. Another great place to post all of your dates is tourdates.com
-- it is FREE and you can also put your bio and photo up as well.
More advanced sites include merch as well as CD sales. This is a
great idea if you are at the point where you're selling a lot of
merch. If you are not there yet, at least link your site to a place
where fans can order your CD.
Happy Publicizing and Good Luck!! If you are playing in New York
City, please let us know. |
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