Work Your Angles
Work any angles you may have – Is the lead singer in the band Jewish or Irish Is someone in the band a parent? Most major markets have a Jewish publication, an Irish publication and a parenting magazine and these are great angles to work.
Following Up Is Critical
It is critical that you follow up. As you read in part one of this article 75% of all indie bands never follow up and writers do not include bands that they don’t know if they do not hear from them. When you call the writers understand that you will be leaving messages 90% of the time. Leave short and sweet messages that include your phone number and e-mail address as well as your show date and venue to spark the writer’s memory. 9 times out of 10 writers will not call you back, that;s OK because you have given them everything they will need. If you do get them on the phone, don't be afraid to say which promoter recommended you and always invite them to the show. Don't let all that all that voice mail discourage you. I have placed hundreds of articles, mentions, and photos without ever speaking to the writer.
Waleed: The one piece of advice I would give an indie artist is: Be tactful about your pitches and be mindful that writers have to listen to you as well as thousands of other bands in any given month but also don’t be afraid to reach out – It is journalists job to listen to new music – don’t give up but at the same time don’t bombard – be mindful not only about your career but also about their careers as well.
Persevere
If you are a totally new band and you are worried because a paper did not cover you the first time around, keep sending that paper information every time you play in the area. I have never met a writer that ignores several press kits from the same band sent over and over again. It may take a few tours through in each market, but the more a writer sees you over time, the more likely he will be to write about you.
Have Patience
The first few times you play a market, you may not get any press. PR is a slow moving vehicle that can take time to get results. I have worked with some bands that have needed to go through a market 3-4 times before any results started showing up in the press. When sending materials on repeated occasions, include a refresher blurb to remind the writer of your style. Always include the following information: date, show time, ages, ticket price, club name and address, time, and who is on the bill. Don't make writers hunt around for the event info. Make their job as easy as possible by providing as much information. Also keep in mind that some writers will probably not write about you over and over again. If you hit the same markets continually, a great tactic is to change your postcard every few months.