grn said:
OK, first question. Say I'm an unknown band that just recorded a CD. How should I go about contacting the media to enable me to send them a press package. What should I include that would make it stand out? Should I include a ton of information, or just a simple layout with the music?
Say we want to get promotion in magazines/newspapers, wherever? What will increase my chances of this?
Have you ever made a cold call? Any salesperson will tell you that making cold calls sucks because of the difficulty- everything is dependent on the first couple seconds of calling/meeting a potential client. That means you have to have your hair straight, your tie tight and you suit impeccable. Same for dealing with the press. The more professional your stuff looks, the better it will be received. This doesn't mean that you should go out and spend a ton of money on super high-gloss photos and envelopes made from the skin of dead orphans. Here are some tips to maximize your visibility to jaded rock critic types.
Know your target publication
You don't want to send a demo CD/tape/8 track to Rolling Stone, but you do want to send it to 'zines and smaller magazines that have sections dedicated to it. Do some research and never discount photocopied 'zines and websites. If you do boutique music (goth, trance, reggae) there are specialized outlets for you.
Find a writer who you think would be sympathetic to your album and send it to him/her care of the magazine in addition to the regular avenues.
Send the bare minimum of information
-A photo
Make it consistent for your genre- nothing is worse than three 'Ride The Lighting'-era metal dudes and then a guy dressed like he's from your local Nirvana cover band. Good pictures with good gimmicks make us happy.
-A short bio
I cannot stress this enough: keep it simple with maybe a few quotes. Keep the self-masturbation to a minimum- you are most likely a middle-class suburban white kid playing rock and roll. I used to write a different bio for each release of my own band and the one I had the most success with was the one where I talked about how much we hated cover bands.
-One to three CDs
It will most likely get sold after we are done with it
-A letter of introduction asking them to review your CD
In the letter give a quick summary of your music style, why you should be reviewed and invite the person to check out your band in person sometime.
Your presskit is your suit and tie and your letter is your 20 seconds to get a rock critic's attention. We all know that it is difficult to pin down your music genre because EVERY BAND SAYS that it is influenced by a wide variety of bands from Beethoven to Metallica, but try, ok?
That being said, we loved bad demoes and packaging. We had a whole folder full of shitty band photos and I still have a lot of the band bios that made me laugh. I know for a fact that the booking agent for the Khyber in Philadelphia had our picture on his "bands I will never book because they look so lame in their press kit photo" wall of shame.
Stand out
Include things that will make you stand out- send bumperstickers, Happy Meal toys, naked pictures of your girlfriend, and other stuff. Make your packaging colorful, too. It needs to stand out amidst a sea of manilla.
NOTE: The following will not guarantee you press but it will improve your chances at getting reviews
Establish a relationship
One of the benefits of a record label/manager is that he/she/it already should have contacts with magazines and other media outlets. A back avenue to getting press is to establish a relationship with the people who run or write for the magazine. You do this by:
1. Making friends with writers/editors.
2. Buying advertising
Making friends
You go about making friends by calling up and offering to get them into shows that you play. If they are scenesters, go up to them every now and then and talk with them. Just don't be a dick and demand show reviews. I used to do show and demo reviews for friends all the time. At the very least, you can find out the best way to get into the publication.
Buying Advertising
This seems sneaky and underhanded but is undeniably effective. If the publication has a sales person, mention that you have the CD and that you would appreciate it getting to the writers. NOTE:
THIS WILL NOT GUARANTEE YOU A REVIEW OR PRESS but it is the equivalent of sending your stuff by certified mail.
My suggestion is to get a few bands together and group advertise for a quarter/eight page panel and ask that your demoes/albums get given to the right people.
Last but not least
Should you get a review, send a goddamn thank you note or call. It's the least you could do and will cement you in our heads as good people. Don't drop the relationship there because you will look like a total tool asking for a special favor to get your next album reviewed. Keep the network alive and continue to invite them to your shows.
