Press Kits, Publicity for Live Gigs.

[demensia]

I'm working on booking some more gigs around my area..
To start I've just gone through a list of venues in my state, and emailed them all politely asking for booking.. I've given them all a like to my website www.lukemacneil.com

I'd like to create a press kit to send out to the ones who do not list email addresses. My understanding is that a press kit generally contains a bio, pictures, reviews, and music.

Now, I have not released a commecial cd.. All of my recordings are home studio.. Is it possible to have just songs reviewed by magazines and such, or do they only review full albums.. I was searching for places that do reviews on the net and my observation was they were looking to review entire albums.

I guess I'm a bit confused and overwhelmed.. I'm not sure how much is enough, and how much is too much.

I've already had professional business cards printed out and I've been passing them around.

Does anyone have suggestions for my press kit?

Thanks,

Luke.

[bcains]

Originally Posted by demensia

I'm working on booking some more gigs around my area..
To start I've just gone through a list of venues in my state, and emailed them all politely asking for booking.. I've given them all a like to my website www.lukemacneil.com

I'd like to create a press kit to send out to the ones who do not list email addresses. My understanding is that a press kit generally contains a bio, pictures, reviews, and music.

Now, I have not released a commecial cd.. All of my recordings are home studio.. Is it possible to have just songs reviewed by magazines and such, or do they only review full albums.. I was searching for places that do reviews on the net and my observation was they were looking to review entire albums.

I guess I'm a bit confused and overwhelmed.. I'm not sure how much is enough, and how much is too much.

I've already had professional business cards printed out and I've been passing them around.

Does anyone have suggestions for my press kit?

Thanks,

Luke.

Making a press kit:
What to include
-CD
-Business card
-Cover letter
-Head shot/Group Shot
-Bio
-Reviews (most current on top)
-Any press

Presenting your demo:
How to stand out from the crowd
Tips here

Getting Reviews:
Slowly you'll get responces, then you can put them on your website/press kit
Contacts 1
Contacts 2

[demensia]

Holy shitznizzle.. thats a lot of links.. Looks like I have my night cut out for me..

Also.. To note for anyone else.. I was thinking about buying the Epson R200 to print onto cds instead of using stickers or replication services... Instead I went over to best buy and stumbled upon a new technology called LightScribe.. I bought the LightScribe DVD-RW drive for $100.00.. and 30 LightScribe discs for $20.00... You can burn the disc.. and then flip it over, and then burn your label on it.. no ink.. I've been doing it tonight.. Nice quality.. Takes a long time though. I'll send these out and see what kind of response I get.

Thanks again for all the magazine links.


- Luke.

[bcains]

Originally Posted by demensia

Holy shitznizzle.. thats a lot of links.. Looks like I have my night cut out for me..

Also.. To note for anyone else.. I was thinking about buying the Epson R200 to print onto cds instead of using stickers or replication services... Instead I went over to best buy and stumbled upon a new technology called LightScribe.. I bought the LightScribe DVD-RW drive for $100.00.. and 30 LightScribe discs for $20.00... You can burn the disc.. and then flip it over, and then burn your label on it.. no ink.. I've been doing it tonight.. Nice quality.. Takes a long time though. I'll send these out and see what kind of response I get.

Thanks again for all the magazine links.


- Luke.

Indeed there is, hopefully you'll get quick a few responces. Good luck with that. So the image turns out quite well with it, any chance of a picture?

[demensia]

A picture of me?

Sure. Here.

[bcains]

Oh no sorry, i meant of the CD (with the label printed on it)

[demensia]

Oh, my bad.. but ain't I sexy?

I'll get you a picture of the cd.. I'm impressed with the quality.

[Mo-Kay]

maybe my BIO WRITING TIPS can be of help

[FALKEN]

well...

that is the conundrum. you have to play gigs to get reviews. start out small, booking the crappy gigs, and hit up the local print media to come review you...then clip it. there are also online zines that will review you. if you dont have any writeups, just do a mock writeup; as in "x band is the greatest band on earth..their guitars sound like a bulldozer and the drummer plays like a god" that kind of stuff...just put a paragraph like that on the bio.