PR UPDATE

ok dolls-

working on the next 'song' post for ya-

but there's a lot going on PR wise that I feel is necessary to import.

At the moment, the CD is being replicated at Play-It Direct and they called me today to let me know that they will be messengered to me on Thursday November 19th!!! Woot!

In the meantime--

there is a lot of PR groundwork to be laid.

First- we have solidified the details of the CD RELEASE PARTY at The Beechman Theatre on Sunday, November 29th at 9:30pm. It's 'pay what you can' at the door- and anyone who makes a donation of $15 or more gets a CD. But if you're low on cash and just wanna come and have fun? Fine by me.

There is a minimum charge of $15 for food and drink and that goes to the 'house' for hosting us. So you can use a credit card to pay that if you want....

but otherwise....

just come and have fun and celebrate with me.

I'll be singing some songs from the album-

telling some stories-

getting drunk.

same old same old.

The fabulous Phil Bond is working on the Press Release for The Beechman Theatre and I am currently waiting on a press release for the album in general- written by the incredibly generous Peter Filichia.

FOOTLIGHT RECORDS also got in touch with me, had heard about the CD and would like to sell it through their company as well. So...that will be another way to purchase the CD once it officially drops on December 1st, 2009.

Speaking of places to buy the CD-

Play-It Direct has a package that you can buy for $69 where they basically hook you up with a barcode, CDBABY, Amazon.com, Itunes, Gracenote and The Bizmo. I would be lying to you if I said I understood 100% what all of the above means...

but if it's only $69 to have someone who actually knows what the fuck they're doing fill all that shit out? I'm TOTALLY for it.

Speaking of filling shit out.

I have been gamely trying to navigate through CDBABY on my own-

trying to answers questions and fill out the forms and create my 'profile' and all that jazz...

and some of it's harder for me than others.

For example....

it asked me what 'genre' my CD was.

I have no fucking clue.

You'd think i would...but i really don't.

Folk?

Country?

Jazz?

Blues?

And then as if that's not confusing enough for my addled brain-

it has SUB-categories.....

so it's even worse....

"Celtic" folk?

"Blue grass" country?

oh Lord.

I finally decided on Easy Listening since that was the only place i found a sub category with the word 'broadway' in it.

But who knows.

another issue for Play-Ivy Direct to deal with....

again.

$69 very well spent.

They also ask you what three famous singers you sound like.

Again.

Stumped.

I put "Judy Garland, Barbara Cook and Alison Krauss"

I originally had Nancy LaMott in there instead of Barbara Cook but...

i thought maybe....

Not many people knew about Nancy LaMott...

altho they should.

What do you all think?

If you can think of other people that you think I sound more like-

lemme know.

Now---

There's stuff to put together that I've never even heard of such as "Banners" and "Sell Sheets".

Once again, thanks to my brilliant friend Robbie Rozelle-

who is beyond awesome-

I'm learning about all this stuff.

A BANNER is that thing you see at the top of websites?

Like if you go to All That Chat, you see that ad at the top of the page?

That's a banner and it costs $75 a month.

Which seems like a decent deal to me, so we're gonna look into that.

A SELL SHEET is basically 1-2 piece of paper that you include with your promotional CD that you send to critics, press, radio stations, etc that:

has a graphic, usually of the cover of the CD

The title

The name of the artist

The CD release date

The Label

The Catalogue #

The Barcode #

The price of the CD

The category Broadway cast album, easy listening, etc

Then there's the 'product description'- which is a paragraph about the CD itself with maybe a few positive quotes thrown in there.

Track listing

The "Key Selling Points"- this is where you let people know if the artist, or the composer or the show has any sort of ready-made fan base...whether they won any awards...whether there's anything particularly unique about this CD, whether there's *ahem* a blog already online about the making *ahem* of said CD....

Press- this is where you put reviews of preferably the CD. But if you don't have any of those, then you can put reviews of the artist, or good words from famous people, etc.

.........and that's a SELL SHEET kids.

SO.

once i get all THAT shit done....

I need to compile a list of press people that I already know-

or that have already generously contacted me about helping me promote the CD-

and I need to start putting press packets together for them.

I also have been starting to make address labels for all the pre-orders, donations, etc....

and my AWESOME mom brought 300 padded envelopes all the way from Rochester in the car when she came up this weekend as her donation to the cause.

So.

Even tho the CD is 'done'-

there is still TONS TONS TONS to do PR wise.

And...

depending on how exhausted I get by all of it-

it pretty much never ends.

Obviously there's the big push right now-

with the CD release party...

and the CD release date...

and all that good crap.

but.....

I will need to constantly hustle on this thing if I really want it to keep having a life.

Of course-

one always HOPES that people dig it so much that it takes on its own life....

and it will be more about people calling ME about the CD than the other way 'round but....

more often than not....

because there's SO MUCH out there....

you gotta hustle to keep your head above the fray.

Anyhoodles-

not a particularly FUNNY post today--

but i think an educational one for all of you who are considering making your own CD as well.

heads up-

just cause you drop that bastard off to get reproduced....

know that that was just phase one....

phase two is upon me...

and I'm doing my best to juggle as many plates as I can.

Again....

I have developed an appreciation for yet another job that you pay people thousands to do.

PR.

God bless 'em.

Every one.

Ok hons....

more writing to do...

more soon....

xoxo

dl