Tips for musicians and bands when approaching music journalists

When you are famous, music journalists contact you, though in the early stages of a career, the opposite applies, simply because you want to get your work known and recognized. It pays to get publicity, though not all publicity gets the results anticipated and there are tricks of the trade that will help young or relatively newly established musicians make the most of the opportunities available on the market for the publicity they need.

PREPARATION

One of the biggest mistakes a musician can make is approaching journalists before they are ready to present themselves as professional. What happens here is that you are already giving journalists the fuel it takes to break your career. Having demonstration work on the Internet where it can be reviewed helps enormously these days, and whether you choose to have your own site or to use one of the public sites that vote on your ability is up to you, though the presentation should be professional enough to show journalists or those you wish to publicize your work.

All too often young musicians get too keen, approaching journalists before they have established any kind of demonstration of what they can produce, and having an on-line repertoire or professional presentation can help enormously. While you may think that blogs have little value, what they do is to spread the word fast, and all the potential they offer should never be under-estimated.

DECIDE THE STYLE

Looking at your own style of work, decide what genre it fits. Here, for example, approaching the wrong kind of publication can sink your ship faster than any other approach, since what you achieve without the right kind of research is a little like asking a car magazine to review a go-cart, or a jazz magazine to review punk. Each journalist has their style and by approaching those that show a friendly inclination towards the kind of music you produce really will help you.

PRESENTATION

If we want publicity, it's necessary to know the image you want your band to give. Decide with other group members the look you want the public to see and one that enhances the kind of music that you play. It can be an original concept, though it should be thought through before approaching the press. That first interview can make or break your band, and if the presentation of the group is thought out in advance, and you discuss amongst yourselves the image your group wants to portray,

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