The Truth Behind Press Kits, Bios, and Controlling Your Image
A lot of what you have been told about creating your image is
false. This article is meant to be a simple list of things that
might surprise you as a musician. Some of you have had
“managers” misguide you. You know the drill. Your guitar
player’s girlfriend has a connection at some local club so now
she thinks she is fit to orchestrate your entire career. Maybe
you have a know-it-all singer who spent 5 minutes glossing over
some music industry website and now he is writing your bio chalk
full of transparent lies and over-exagerated descriptions of
your rock fury. No matter what the case may be, I can guarantee
you that you have at least a few misconceptions about how to
properly present your image. This article will briefly outline
some of the major issues on writing better bios, press kits, and
press releases.
YOU HAVE MORE CONTROL THAN YOU THINK
The most important thing I can tell you is you have more control
than you think. If you really get the hang of image presentation
and playing this game we call the music biz you can virtually
create any image you want of yourself or your band. First and
foremost I want to talk about the press. Ever surf the net doing
some research of some new band your friend told you about? Ever
notice how multiple music sites will have the exact same
description of the band? Of course, you aren’t an idiot, you
realize these sites simply rip what the band wrote in their bio
on the band homepage. But do you realize the POWER of this?
Basically, you have the power to syndicate your image in a way.
These websites simply don’t have the time, nor intimate
knowledge of your band, to create some pseudo-bio for you. They
rely on you, and what you have to say about yourself. This is
power. Use it wisely. But you already knew that. What I’m about
to tell you is something you may not know, but could drastically
affect your bands promotional campaign. PRINT MAGAZINES DO THIS
TOO. Yep, a lot of those long write-ups you see in your favorite
magazines about your favorite band, have content ripped straight
from the bands’ bio. The trick is that this only applies to well
written bios. If you do in fact have such a bio, this can be the
most powerful weapon in your promotional arsenal.
THE SECRET BIO SAUCE RECIPE
Ok. So let’s recap real quickly. You know that your bio can help
control your image on the net. And now you know you can even
control how the print media presents you. But how do you write
such a bio? First, let’s go over what NOT to do.
INFLATE: Do not inflate your image beyond the reality of your
band. Don’t be all flash and no smash. In other words, don’t
talk about what you can’t back up. This is the most common
mistake in bio writing. I call it “inflation”. This is pretty
much adjective abuse. Avoid phrases like “intense live show” or
“super sonic blast from the future”. This is stock. This is not
creative. If you aren’t the biggest drawing band in your own
market, don’t say “this band is taking the nation by storm”. The
press and online community have been reading bios with such
inflations since the beginning, they see past this very well.
QUOTE FANS: If you can’t get someone credible to say something
nice about your band DO NOT resort to using a fan comment.
Ever…for any reason.
LIST SONG DESCRIPTIONS: If you are already an “inflator” then
talking about your own songs will only cause pain and tragedy.
SPENDING TOO MUCH TIME ON PREVIOUS BANDS: If your last band
didn’t have a record deal or tour, don’t bother. If you have
some leverage with your “former member of…” status use it
tastefully and only in brief.
Now that we have got those cardinal sins out of the way you are
probably thinking “jeeze, what else is there to write about”.
This is where we start digging. Time to put on your thinking
cap. You have to think like a reporter looking for a refreshing
angle. You have to find the one thing that can create an image
that will stick. You have to find THE STORY. By this time I have
lost some of you. You either don’t know what I mean by “the
story” or you have a bio that breaks every rule I just outlined
and you can’t admit it. The best bios read like a good music rag
write-up. If your bio is written correctly it should make a
staff writer’s job easy. It should be easy for him to “rip” or
“cop”. It’s no co-incidence that many pro bands use these kinds
of writers to pen their own bios! Perhaps you have an
interesting story about how you came together. Perhaps you have
some gimmick, like Siamese twins or 3 bearded lady bassists. But
hopefully you have something that connects your band to
something going on in the world of music. You need something
that will get people’s attention. Maybe your band is the only
Death Metal band for 100 miles in the Bible belt. You get the
picture. I am going to list some things that can make great
stories (and double as press releases). - Being produced by
someone reputable - Being managed by someone reputable -
Breaking some mark in online CD sales or downloads - Getting a
supporting slot on a festival or tour - Having a reputable
person as a quoted fan
A PHOTO SPEAKS 1,000 FLAWS
I want to get one thing out of the way: I’m not going to tell
you how to dress. But I am going to tell you that it may be your
biggest problem. I am not a stylist. I can not solve this
problem. I can tell you this though: The camera will expose
every flaw you have in your style. With that said, let’s get on
with at least getting a quality photo. I am not a professional
photographer. I am not going to tell you how to take a photo of
yourself. I am going to tell you where to get one. Your best bet
is to find a local photographer that you see at local shows.
More often than not, they are either legitimate press,
legitimate artist, or a legitimate student. Browse their catalog
of band photography and if you think it stands up, there ya go.
This may all seem like common sense, but I want to stress that
this is abandoned and somehow your guitar player’s girlfriend is
your “photographer” because her mom has a camera. Do not let
this happen to you. Find people with pro gear. Get a
professional or at least a digital arts student. These are
always your best bets. If you are going for sheer impact with
your 8 x 10 one good tip is to at least look like you are in the
same band. I’m not saying get a gimmick or wear make-up. I’m
saying that even if you think your personal look is “plain”,
your band as a whole can benefit from at least being on the same
page.
LOGO
The miracle of Adobe Photoshop has given birth to some of the
most breathtaking digital art we have seen. It has also, to the
misfortune of bands mostly, created total rubbish. If your logo
sucks it says many things about you. It shows you have high
tolerance for bad art. It shows you yourself might be a bad
artist and were not smart enough to hire a professional. It
shows you have a very distorted view about the genre of your
band. It shows some of you are totally unprofessional and don’t
care about your image.
You might be surprised how many ways there are to find good
digital artists to create your logo. In my personal opinion,
even paying up to $100 is worth it for a good logo. Bottom line,
the sites below are the best place to find killer artists.
DeviantArt.com Mylkhead.com AngryBlue.com PlayWithKnives.com
EyeSuckInk.com
PRESS KIT SECRETS
One very strong tip I can offer is to try to think of your image
as “dynamic”. It has to be all things to all people. You might
have to add something extra to that envelope before you send it
off. If you are sending your kit out to an artist rep at a
prospective endorsee you ALWAYS want it to contain tour dates.
This is the most important thing in your attempt to get gear for
cheap and say those lovely words to all your loser musician
friends playing crappy guitars… “I got an endorsement deal”. A
great add-in is a DVD. There are a lot of affordable ways to
make a DVD these days. Again, this is one of those things that
will expose your flaws. You don’t want to put your life story on
there. Live footage is great if its done right. Fake smoke and
that cheesy “page turn effect” are not. Don’t make a wedding
video. This will be valuable in your arsenal when try to book
gigs. Ask First. Send. Follow Up. This is your best way to make
some impact and get a solid contact in the biz. Your press kit
will always have more impact if the person is expecting it (send
it promptly). Make sure you are to the point when calling
someone you’d like to send a press kit to. You are Jon Doe from
The Doetones. You are going to be in town around this time. You
want to send a press kit for a possible gig. If you are sending
an email and have an EPK (Electronic Press Kit) NEVER send the
press kit in first. Always try to get a response before sending
the press kit. If you are sending to a possible endorsee put
your upcoming dates in the initial email. Following up is
crucial. Many of the people you will be dealing with in this
business are either busy or forgetful…mostly both. You must
initiate contact. Be tactful and patient. Do not hound people,
but make sure you give yourself a chance to make some
opportunities and pick up the phone yourself. Remember, you are
in essence, trying to self yourself to a company or consumer.
You have to be a salesman. Try to connect to people and have
them want to talk to you. If you can do this they will always
want to help you or get you involved in something that will. Or
best of all, spend money on you and your product.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Bruce Prokopets is co-founder and editor of music news blog http://www.scenejumper.com.
Bruce had his first live gig at 15 and has had various jobs in
the industry since. He spent years as a guitar tech, tour
manager, endorsement liaison, bassist in a national act, and
promoter in the Tampa Bay area of Florida.
There are a lot of people who are discontented with their look in the world nowadays. Many people’s teeth may have been unpleasant for all of their lives; while others teeth may have grown unattractive due to aging. For many reasons, people have decided to look into cosmetic dentistry as the solution to their unattractive teeth.
Cosmetic dentistry could be considered a dental facelift. It aims to change a person’s appearance so they look better and feel more confident. Oftentimes dentists make use of a combination of braces and porcelain veneers to make teeth look and feel better.
Porcelain veneers replace your existing tooth with a better looking one. The Porcelain Laminate Veneers are specially made porcelain wafers that can be placed over your teeth so they look new and white. They come in a variety of shades to match the color of your teeth.
Veneers are also able to correct unattractive smiles, turn around the effects of growing and aging, and make your teeth whiter. A lot of high fashion movie stars use veneers to keep that perfect smile. You can choose from impermanent and permanent veneers, depending on your unique situation. People more often than not wear the impermanent veneers as the permanent ones. When it comes to the price, veneers usually cost several thousand dollars each, depending on the amount of teeth that need modification.
Tooth whitening is another very trendy way to change the look of your teeth. There are actually two types of whitening.
1.First is the at-home whitening which uses about 10 to 20% carbamine peroxide. Impressions of the patient’s mouth are made in order to make trays of the teeth. The trays are fitted in the patient’s mouth and hold the carbamine peroxide gel in place on the teeth to be worn during sleep. Time: 1 to 6 weeks.
2.In-office whitening makes use of a high intensity light along with 35% hydrogen peroxide. With this, the patient’s gums are protected and the whitening process can be finished in just an hour.
Cosmetic dentistry also offers the ultimate help for the “gummy” smile, a gum -lift. This process can get rid of gums in order to make teeth appear longer and improve the smile. Jagged gum lines can make the teeth appear as if they are at different levels and lengths, also making for an unappealing smile.
This procedure in cosmetic dentistry is quick, and patients feel no pain or even any ill effects. Now that you know the ways to improve your smile, the next thing you need to do is to find the best doctor in your area so that you can be on your way to a winning smile.
Kathryn Whittaker has an interest in Health related topics. To access more information on atlanta cosmetic dentistry or on atlanta cosmetic dentist,please click on the links
I have a friend, probably the most intelligent person I’ve ever
met, who occasionally joins my group in our Las Vegas
excursions. We refer to him as “Doc” as he has a Phd. from one
of the ivy league schools. He’s tall, excruciatingly thin, and
appears to be made up of only arms and legs. If you were to meet
him in passing, his appearance and demeanor would leave you with
the impression that he’s a bit of a stiff. When my friends and I
would head for the craps tables, he would go to play blackjack.
He’s a moderately strong BJ player, and would probably be an
excellent one if he played more frequently and was more
passionate about the game.
One night, awhile back, instead of his normal routine, Doc
followed us to the craps tables. “Just want to see what you guys
get all wound up about…” Three of us settled onto a table with
Doc standing behind looking over our shoulders. In between
rolls, we explained the basics of the game, which he quickly
grasped. We couldn’t have timed our arrival any better as the
table began to shift from cold to warm about the time we placed
our first bets. Within 15 minutes, my friends and I were all up
about 20 units. “You shouldn’t be winning, you know….the odds
are stacked against you.” Doc said. We nodded and continued to
call out our wagers. He continued to watch.
The stick calls, “Five, pay the line!” The table erupts in
cheers, laughter and high fives.
Forty minutes pass. Chip racks are filling and what was once a
half full table is now packed with players standing elbow to
elbow. No one is having monster rolls, but nearly everyone is
making at least a pass or two and throwing some numbers in
between. Doc, who has a thoughtful scowl on his face, seems
almost irritated that things are going so well for us. “Doc,
come on! We’ll make some room. Squeeze in and play!” I said. He
shakes his head, “The probabilities have to start evening out
soon. This has been going on far too long. A correction is due.”
I tried to explain that he was over thinking, being too
analytical, but he would have none of it. We continued to win at
a steady pace, all the while Doc appeared to be doing math
computations in his head. I think I even heard him say something
about standard deviations and the Gaussian curve!
Finally, after a little more than an hour, I needed a rest. I
handed Doc two green cheques and said, “Play. Ride the wave.
Just quit thinking so much! If you lose, then it’s my money.
I’ll be back in 5 minutes.”
I called for color and went in search of a drink. As I walked
away from the table, I heard Doc quietly ask for the six and
eight to be placed for $6 each.
As it turned out, it was two drinks and 25 minutes before I
returned. I found that Doc had indeed been riding the wave. With
a little assistance from my two other friends, Doc had made a
tidy profit. Apparently the little old lady at table’s end,
(who, to this day my pals claim was blind) had just concluded a
looooong roll with what they were calling ‘Seeing Eye Dice.’ Doc
was no longer mulling over probabilities and table corrections,
but whether he should “come down with his place bets after two
hits or three…” Doc turned toward the shooter, and yelled “C’mon
shoota shoota, SaWING!” In the fifteen years that I’d known him,
I don’t think I’d ever seen him so animated!
Sadly, the rest of our group was due in from the airport, and it
was time to meet them back at the hotel. “Time to go gents.” I
said, pointing at my watch. The look on Doc’s face made me think
for a moment, that we might have to physically drag him from the
table. After a stop at the cashier’s booth, while Doc and I
waited for my buddies to return from the restroom, he recounted
for me, in vivid detail, every bet he made, every regression,
every win. “What a rush!” he said, “Craps REALLY gets under your
skin. It’s addictive! We’ll play later tonight, right?” And to
that I said, as another raucous cheer came from the craps table
we had vacated, “Welcome Doctor, to our humble madhouse.”
