Let's get organised!

I am in need of a shake-up! And as I cannot afford a personal assistant and I am far too much of a control freak to let them do the job anyway, I find myself in desperate need of re-organisation.

I have an awful memory! I forget things in a matter of seconds. Which makes me the perfect person to share secrets with, because I forget them as soon as you’ve told me and could never be accused of passing them on. But when it comes to trying to start up a successful music career, it’s a bit of a hazard to forget what you are supposed to be doing that week!

So not wanting to pay the extortionate prices for a wall-planner, especially as we are in August! I created my own! It is pinned to the wall in my bedroom so before I go to sleep and as soon as I wake up in the morning, I can check where I am supposed to be. It’s pretty bad that I am this way, but hey... at least I can admit that I have a problem and learn how to deal with it! I am reminded of the film ‘50 first dates’ where every morning Lucy gets up and has to watch a video tape of her life as she cannot remember a damn thing! Thankfully I am not that bad, but I have been looking into how much it would cost to make a video diary of my life... just to be on the safe side.

In order to get organised, I have also turned my living room into a bomb site! A very ordered and effective bomb site might I add. Except for the fact that I cannot find my PRS information, having just got signed up and now I need to inform them that I am getting more airplay (yee-hah) but cannot find my membership number (oh no!)

The need for a shake-up is also reflected in the fact that once again I am late with my blogs! I am truly sorry but have so much on my plate right now it’s getting ridiculous.

This weekend was the icing on the cake though.

A problem with getting more organised and efficient, is the fact that I have this annoying habit of not being able to do things the bog standard way. Oh no... I need to make sure that not only is my work of a high quality, but that it stands out above the rest (some might say this is a good quality) but when it means you take three times as long to do something, it becomes a bit of a hassle. For example, I am trying to get even more airplay. Most radio stations simply require you send in a demo with a little biog and then they will eventually get to your stuff and maybe play it!

Well ‘eventually’ and ‘maybe’ are not good enough for me! Uh uh, I like to give myself better odds. So when it comes to making a demo and promo pack, I have taken months to get mine to a point where I am finally happy enough to send it off, in the process, turning my flat into a production line. The end product though, is pretty good if I do say so myself.

Now as I have been putting these packs together I have constantly in the back of mind been asking myself, ‘Do you really need to go to this much trouble and expense?’ because trust me, after sending out 20+ packs, it does become a little pricey. But my logic is this! Companies pay good money for advertising and my promo is my advert! It is my first impression and possibly the only chance I am going to get to impress this stranger who does not know me and does not owe me any of their time! Remember that radio DJs, promoters etc get thousands of promos through their door. Packages that all look the same and even worst, a lot of them have pretty mediocre music in there. So the person gets pretty fed of looking at the same ole’ same ole’. Why would my pack, coming through the door looking exactly the same as everyone else’s, get played any sooner than the rest? The answer is simple... it wouldn’t!

So as I sit here clocking up the expense and the time taken and reading people’s advice about don’t worry about what the pack looks like, it’s the content that matters. Let’s be real, who are they kidding? Would you buy a tin of ‘no frills’ beans that said ‘It’s as good as Heinz’ on the front? Or would you just buy the Heinz? In your day-to-day lives how many times are you drawn towards the shinier, more attractive packaging! I believe the same of my music. It needs to look the bizz to get the right attention and there is the added bonus that the music inside is really good too!

My theory was tested this month.

I attended a music seminar at the end of July. I handed the owner of a record label, my half completed promo pack. I had run out of time to get it finished but did not want to go empty handed, so I brought one with me anyway.

Having listened to the guy talk, I was so impressed and inspired that I handed him my promo.

A month later, I got an email from him.

Now I make an effort to forget (or maybe it comes naturally) but I try to forget who I have sent things to. Don’t get me wrong, I keep a list on my computer, but I do not wake every morning wondering if today is the day, they will get in touch. Otherwise you end up sitting at home going crazy waiting for them to get back to you. This industry requires a lot of patience, so I will send something off and then forget about it and move on to something else. Trust me it is the easiest way to get through this!

So a month after giving this guy my demo, I get an email. The guy said that he had taken a lot of time to think about it, but because my music is clearly pop and his label deal with blues and jazz, he cannot work on my project. Fair enough and I knew that we were not musically compatible as I handed over the promo, but I also believed that it would be very interesting to hear what he thought of the promo; market research if you like.

He proved me right! He was so impressed with my promo that three things happened.

1. It got to the top of his demo pile because it looked far more interesting than the others
2. Even though I am not in the specified genre, he listened to the music and gave it ‘serious consideration!’ (His words, not mine)
3. He took the time to email me, and then posted my promo back to me because he said it looked so expensive he couldn’t keep it, knowing he wasn’t going to need it!

Now, I’m not sure how much you know about sending out demos but let’s just say, even though I ultimately got a ‘No’, it was the best kind of ‘No’ you can get!

Why?

Firstly, this guy must have had hundreds of promos. Instead of getting put to the back and waiting my turn, I got to the top of the pile (remember even at the top it took a month to hear from him – imagine I was still at the bottom!)

Secondly, knowing I was not in his genre, he listened, liked and considered my music. Now if he had a Pop label and this had happened, I almost certainly would be in there with a chance.

Thirdly, he posted my promo back! Labels never do this! It costs them money to send stuff back, so... they don’t. So this guy recognised that I had an expensive looking promo and so gave it back to me, I can now forward it on to someone else and have saved myself the cost of creating another.

On top of all of this, because I respected the fact that I was talking to a professional in the business, I was not ignorant having received my ‘No’. I politely thanked him for his time and advice, and now I have someone I can go to for advice as he so kindly said, ‘If I need to know anything, get in touch’. I am definitely going to take him up on the offer if I feel the need in the future. There are many advantages to being able to talk to real people rather than just reading stuff in books. And people in the industry talk to each other, who knows he may recommend me to someone a few months down the line. Ever heard the expression ‘It’s not what you know, it’s who you know!’ I am a firm believer in that!

Now in terms of the promo, I am considering offering to make them for other people, as it is a very unique idea and it clearly works. It looks a lot more expensive than it is to make, and it is only because I am sending them out in bulk that is causing the cost to go up. I am keeping the cost down because I am making them all myself at home! I have a printer, quality paper and ink and a secret ingredient. All of these things keep the production cost down. I believe my music is worth the investment but I also have to be smart about how and where I spend my money. Why send it to external companies if you can get a quality product at home? The Epson R360 printer is the best printer ever! And as it is an Epson, the ink is affordable and quality. But enough of the product endorsements!

Back to getting organised!

Yesterday I posted out 20 promo packs! I have another 15 to go. I am sending them to radio stations who play unsigned artists. I need to increase my airplay and so this is what I have been doing for the past few weeks. It has taken a long time because understandably I am working from payday to payday. I have to wait until I can afford to go buy the paper and ink but finally, I am there.

Next I shall be targeting promoters so I can get more gigs across the U.K. Trust me, it never stops!

Last blog I spoke of people wondering why I am so tired. Well here it is. There is an emotional and physical side to promoting yourself that no-one ever really talks about!

It is emotionally draining having to jump from one role to another, and sometimes within minutes of each other. I have to be bossy and in control one minute and then the next, serene and demure. The fun, confident performer here and then the dutiful daughter there. The organised business woman on one hand and then the humble singer/songwriter on the other.

I am getting good at all of this juggling, but still, there is always room for more organisation.

So with that in mind, I shall leave you. I have to get back into my mess and begin to print off more packs and promote my show on the 27^th of August.

Don’t forget... L.I.M.E. – Ladies in music and entertainment. Last Thursday of every month; Live music, food, drink and networking.

The fun never stops...

‘Til next time, tootles,

Flutter