Read My Email

We often hear from bands who tell us, "I've tried emailing music bloggers, but I can't get them to respond." It's not uncommon to have that problem, even when you have the relationship with the writer or blogger. These guys are getting hundreds, even thousands of emails every day and it's difficult for them to read every one of them, let alone reply. There are a few ways you can cut through the clutter however.

First off, make sure the media contact you are approaching will indeed like your music. Have they covered other bands that you've been compared to by fans and other media?

Second, although it goes against all logic,take the focus off of selling your band and focus on what the blogger and writer is doing. Think about it like a conversation when you meet someone new. Wouldn't you much rather have them comment about what you are doing and ask you questions about yourself vs hearing them go on and on about themselves?

Use the title of the article they wrote or the band they covered in your email subject. This will greatly increase your chances of having the email opened in the first place. Then talk to them about what you really liked about their review or the artist they covered. These are music people so of course they'd love to talk about music.

Include a link to your music with a mp3 they can offer for download and make sure you let them know it's approved for posting. DO NOT SEND AN ATTACHMENT! I repeat, DO NOT SEND AS AN ATTACHMENT! Nothing is more aggravating then having to wait 15 minutes for all your other emails to go through because you have a 5MB file coming through your server.

I also recommend writing a brief blurb about your band that they can copy and paste to post with the music. Often times bloggers don't have time to write one of their own, so whatever you can do to help take the load off of them will help your cause. And at all costs, avoid hyping your band by saying you are unique, the best, stellar are any of the like. Use descriptive words that can really give the reader an idea of what you sound like. Some examples can be found here. Nine times out of ten a writer will post directly from those blurbs.

Remember, it's a marathon, not a sprint. Building long term relations with the writers you'd like to cover you will only add longevity to your career.