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Q. How does a successful regional band contact newspapers, radio stations and television to start their self promotional activities?
A. Basically a person needs a typewriter and a telephone. Write a great press release talking about an event -- get a literate friend to check it. Every piece of writing sent out should have another person checking it -- nobody can edit themself. Call the local media, get the name of who receives press materials. Mail it to them in a very timely fashion. And follow up. Always give your number twice when you leave messages. "Hi this is Brian Whitney, my phone is 555-555-5555, and I'm following up on my press release about my gig at the Dive on New Year's Eve. I would love to get a write up, do an interview with you. Looking forward to hearing from you (or whatever's natural to say). My number is 555-555-5555. Thanks."
Q. Also, how does someone get a press release to hit the AP/UPI wires?
A. Basically send the wire services a canned article -- two or three paragraphs in pyramid-writing style. They'll put them on the wire service. It's up to the affiliates to use the piece.
Q. Does it take a publicist to do all these things, or can a band just starting out, learn and do some of these things for themselves?
A. I think a band starting out should do their own press. Until a band has 7 to 10 gigs a month in areas other than their hometown, it's not worth their while to hire a publicist. I believe that bands or artists are a better publicist for themselves than a publicist could ever be -- they have something more at stake than anybody else -- THEIR OWN CAREER.
Q. And can you recommend a good book that tells how for us beginners?
A. There is one really good book about publicity -- MICHAEL LEVINE'S GUERILLA P.R.
Supplementary reading includes Raleigh Pinskey's 101 WAYS TO PROMOTE YOURSELF, THE MUSICIAN'S ATLAS has very good regional media leads throughout the states. Dale Carnegie's HOW TO WIN FRIENDS AND INFLUENCE PEOPLE gives advice on the best and most heartfelt way to schmooze-- love the journalists. And Roger Ailes' YOU ARE THE MESSAGE is THE book for the 21st Century on how any public figure or wannabe public figure has the obligation to himself and his career to be true to your craft and aware of your fellow man.