E urope - Parent Directory

Be polite when making first contact
1. This may sound like it’s too obvious to mention, but trust me - if you
contact a potential reviewer by demanding their submissions address
because you are simply the best thing that has happened to music
since the microphone and the reviewer would be out of their mind to
pass you up, you’re likely to be disappointed at the response you
r e c e i v e .
2. Your initial contact should be polite and brief. A simple, “Hello, my
name is (so and so) and I’m interested in a possible review in your
(publication/web site). Would you be able to supply me with the
proper contact information so that I can send you my CD?” will be
kindly received. Even if it takes the reviewer a little while to get back
to you - whether it’s by regular mail, e-mail or through the feedback
form of a web site - their reply will usually be helpful.
3. One last word on the subject of first contact: PLEASE don’t send an
e-mail with your web site address and only a “Check this out!” line
for clarification. You don’t want to know how much spam e-mail I
receive in a day and messages like that simply make me feel as if I’m
being asked to check out the latest in cheesy porn. I delete such
messages on sight and I honestly don’t know many reviewers who
pay them any attention either.
P r e s e n t a t i o n
1. The presentation of the CD itself is probably the most important
element of your package. It’s that CD that will give the reviewer their
initial impression of your music. That doesn’t mean you have to have
spent thousands of dollars on your presentation, a huge CD insert, a
g o rgeous color cover, etc. That just means that your “look” should be
c o n s i s t e n t .
Note: if you’re not getting a professional printing of anything, a color
inkjet printer creating your own letterhead along with a similarly designed
CD covering sticker, will work quite nicely.
2. Simplicity is often the best way to go. Above all, avoid sending in a
blank recordable CD with black marker written on it. Your contact
information should be on the CD and the insert and/or cover. No
matter what you do, make sure your contact information is easy to
f i n d .
3. The insert certainly doesn’t need to be in color but there should be
one, if at all possible. The insert is the perfect place to put contact
information, credits (the reviewer is often fascinated by who did and
wrote what), anecdotal information, etc - the things that make you
special and different from the other folks the reviewer will be listening
to. If there is a chance the CD might become separated from the rest
of your work, you want the reviewer to be able to contact you from
that CD alone.
Things to include in your p a c k a g e
• A brief cover letter addressing the reviewer by name (a MUST)
• A bio (1 page!)
• A CD, with an insert of some kind.
• Up to 3 reviews if you really feel you need them (try to keep this on
one or two pages)
• Make sure your contact information is on everything.
Note: Keep in mind that if your CD itself is a nice little package all on its
own including inserts, you may not need the bio or the reviews and could
p robably get away with just sending in the CD and a cover letter. If you
have a web site and include the URL to that site in your cover letter, the
reviewer can find out tons more information on you should they wish to.
Be patient
Remember to be patient, not that you shouldn’t ever re-contact the
r e v i e w e r. Remind the reviewer you’re around! Just don’t do it every day.
Wait a couple of weeks between contacts. Reviewers have a lot of demands
upon their time and are frequently several weeks - or even months behind
in their reviews depending on the publication(s) they write for.
Be professional
The way in which you treat people will reflect upon your professionalism
even more so than the look of your CD. It takes years to build up a good
reputation and only a few minutes to completely destroy it. As with
anything in the music business, you never know when someone you were
kind to will be in a position to return that kindness. It’s all about
relationships. Make sure you’re the sort of person who fosters good ones
and it’ll all come back to you.
Be pleasant; don’t demand to know why your CD wasn’t chosen for a
review and/or spotlight if you are told that it wasn’t - not unless you
actually want to hear what the reviewer has to say. And if that reviewer
does let you know why, let it be a lesson and move on. Try to keep in
contact with the reviewer. It might be that a future release of yours will be
better received. I hope these hints have helped. Meanwhile, good luck with
your music!
Jodi Krangle is Pro p r i e t ress of The Muse’s Muse Songwriting Resourc e
w w w.musesmuse.com Visit Jodi@www.musesmuse.com, to find out more
about her free monthly e-zine.
INSIDE THE HEAD OF A MUSIC REVIEWER
by Suzanne Glass, Indie-Music.com
© 2009 All Rights Reserved. Used By Permission
♦
What to send? When to follow up? What to say? Should you keep bugging
a writer to review your material? What makes writers chose one CD over
another to review? And most of all can you increase your chances of
getting a published review when you submit a CD? Answer: A b s o l u t e l y !
By understanding a writer’s mind, and following a few simple guidelines,
you will substantially increase the likelihood your music will be chosen for
a review or feature.
Indie-Music.com recently asked our writers; Heidi Drokelman,
Jennifer Layton, Les Reynolds, and Erik Deckers, a series of questions
designed to let musicians see inside writers’ heads, and get a unique look at
how the behind-the-scenes process works. After the Q&A, we give a quick
checklist for getting your music reviewed successfully.
Q. What impresses you about an artist/musician/band?
A . Heidi Dro k e l m a n : Number one; the biggest impression is always the
music, and the talent (however sometimes hidden it is) of songwriting. T h e
versatility of all the members is important, and having an appreciation for
good songwriting, no matter the genre, will always shine through in
s o m e o n e ’s work. Sure, clean production always sounds nice and makes a
big impression when you’re only listening to something a few times for
r e v i e w.... but I’ve been doing this [reviewing] for a long time now, and if
the material is there (even in raw form), the first thing I forgive is
production quality. When your songs stand out, even if you’ve recorded on
the worst machine you can possibly find, then that’s what counts. Even the
worst material can’t surpass a production snow job.
A . Jennifer Layton: T h e r e ’s no one thing. I’ve been impressed by so many
d i fferent things. I’m impressed when I hear a musician doing something
new that I’ve never heard before. I’m impressed when I hear a poetic folk
song that expresses something so true; I feel it tugging at my heart. No
matter what the press kits look like or how fancy the web site is, none of it
matters if I’m not touched by the music in some way.
A . Les Reynolds: Real talent in at least one area (vocal, instrumental,
lyrical) and especially when all those elements come together. Also, if
they’ve got their s*** together —correspond in timely manner, not pushy
about reviews, answer questions coherently and communicate well (even if
this is through an agent, having the right agent who can do those things is
c r u c i a l ) .
Q. What impresses you in a promo pack submission?
A . Erik Deckers: “Is the press kit complete? Does it have a bio and
headshot or group photo? Are there other articles from other reviewers? If
the answer is YES to these questions, then I am impressed. If the press kit
The Indie Bible – 10 th Edition www.indiebible.com