I’ve spent almost ten years receiving PR from bands, but I’m just now foraying into the other side of things by creating press pitches. I was surprised to find that even though I’d been reading them for years, I was oddly stumped when it came to writing one. So, after much trial and error, I’ve found something that I like and that gets the information out quickly.
At the same time that I’ve been diversifying into other areas of the music endeavor, I’ve been getting a ton more pitches than usual. Growth is good, but it does require new structures to manage the volume. So! I’m implementing a new submissions policy starting today. I won’t ruthlessly delete pitches that don’t adhere to this model, but I will send back an e-mail asking for your information re-stated in the below format. I have also included this information on the Submissions tab. Here’s what I’m looking for.
Introduction,
Where are you from? What is your genre? What are you promoting? How long (in songs) is the EP or album? What are two or three bands you sound like? Why are you contacting me (did someone refer you? did you find us through another blog? Personalization is important.) Make sure to link to your website in here, preferably hyperlinked to your band name.
Title
Release Date/Release Label (if any, self-released is 100% cool)
Streaming Link(s)
Download Link (I vastly prefer download codes from Bandcamp)
Single? Available to post?
Purchase links, if you want me to post them
Any other info (link to press page or Dropbox with photos would work here)
Outro sentence
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Here’s an example from The Duke of Norfolk.
Hello!
My name is Adam Howard. I currently live in Tulsa, Oklahoma and record music under the name The Duke of Norfolk. I have just released a 5-track EP about the importance of seizing the day entitled Le Monde Tourne Toujours. People often tell me that I have a sound similar to that of old-school Sufjan Stevens, Josh Ritter, or Tallest Man on Earth.
I’m contacting Independent Clauses because of your past coverage of the Tallest Man on Earth. If you’re interested, I’d love to hear what you think about the EP. Here are the details:
Le Monde Tourne Toujours
Out 1/29/13 on Mint 400 Records
Streaming: Bandcamp | Soundcloud | Spotify
Press Download Link: http://thedukeofnorfolk.bandcamp.com/yum
Press Download Code (Unique): xb3p-6mmmm
Free download of “Thanatophobia” available to post
Interviews available
Thank you for your consideration!
Adam Howard
The Duke of Norfolk
booking@thedukeofnorfolk.com