Private relations

"Heck, I'm honestly more likely to read an e-mail release from a composer who has something interesting to say than your average press release."

I will pass that along :)

"I've gotten more than 60 press releases since Monday (it's now noon on Wednesday), and not one comes from an artist."

Are you sure? No creative euphemisms or anagrams among the manager or publicist names? Artists are sneaky...

Actually, I have received some personal responses from the press people I reach out to whenever I do a gig. So I'm not complaining. But I think creative people here in NYC - including those with management or working with a publicist - have to rely on the DIY approach more often than you might think.

To Chris Becker:

Keep it short and honest and informative and I'll read it no matter who you are. Heck, I'm honestly more likely to read an e-mail release from a composer who has something interesting to say than your average press release. (Sorry, Amanda.)

As for press releases coming directly from artists: it's the exception, not the rule. I've gotten more than 60 press releases since Monday (it's now noon on Wednesday), and not one comes from an artist.

"It's not our job to read what you send us; you have to make us want to."

The elephant in the room here is that many press releases you receive come directly from artists who can't afford publicists. And we artists tear our own hair out trying to create copy that hits that "hot note" that will inspire you (the press people) to give us a listing, review our music or performance, call us for an interview, etc. But at the same time, we have integrity, and a sincere desire for you to understand where we and our work sits in the context of contemporary culture. We also assume you are adults with some knowledge of the arts and history.

It is this spirit that may sometimes (although God knows we try to play the game...) result in a press release that includes information (copy?) that you think is extraneous. We want to share, to illuminate, to be honest.

Yes, you're busy. But try being say a composer with a full time job. And consider being your own PR person on top of that. We're all busy :)

All that said, I don't expect or insist that press people read every word of every press release they get. Just offering a perspective from another angle. Thanks for reading (if indeed you made it this far...)

I love Anne's honesty.

Amanda: I'm not in your field and never get your press releases, which I'm sure, judging from this blog, are shining. But complicated instructions get an ignore-this response from me. I like releases that hit me with the hot note: the info I need clearly and briefly. If that connects, I go further.

The only thing worse than getting lots of press releases is not getting press releases.

In a funny way, this posting confirms my confidence in you as a PR agent. I didn't get the e-mail release you sent, and I assume that's because you knew it was about something that I wouldn't be interested in and so you didn't include me on the distribution. The fact that I know you target your releases makes me much more likely to open something you send me than something another PR person sends me--and makes me feel more guilty when I decide I'll "read it later" (we all know what that really means in practice.)

Also, I can only speak for myself but I would prefer to get a lot more download links in e-mailed releases even if it meant fewer physical CDs. If I get a CD in the mail I have to deal with the physical packaging, make time to listen to it, make sure I have it with me when I'm ready to listen to it, etc. But I'll follow a link to an mp3 download (or download page) at the drop of a hat. Interacting with web stores and inputting promo codes is a different matter, but not too bad (just don't make me set up an account and give you a mountain of information).

Maybe just the poet in me
but
I'm with Anne on
how it's done

I always wondered why
in school
I had to say in 20 pages
what I could convey
in one

Can't agree with you on this one. If I read all my press releases I would not have time to do anything else. Most press releases are way, way too long and don't contain a lot of useful information.

My dream is a press release that actually contains everything I need to know in a few punchy sentences ("World-famous artist X releases new album! Promotional copies available by download ONLY. Instructions below"). But PR convention requires me to wade through a paragraph or two identifying the artist as one of the greatest/most distinctive/most amazing of his/her time - even if it's a world-famous artist I have written about a dozen times.

Frankly, when I see these releases, I assume (on some tacit level) that they're not written for me, because I'm an insider and these releases don't appear to be written for insiders. Therefore, I could easily be someone who approaches you wanting special handling (though in this case, I should make clear, I didn't). But I bet every one of those journalists who contacted you didn't bother to read the release carefully for just that reason: this is clearly written for people unfamiliar with artist X, not for us. And yet most of your target readers are "insiders" just like me.

There's an adage in journalism that it's bad form to blame the audience/reader. It's our job as writers to get the message across. I think the same thing holds true for publicists; and I think you're indulging in some audience-blaming here. It's not our job to read what you send us; you have to make us want to.

Everyone probably assumes press releases aren’t written for them! While you're thinking the release isn't for you because you're an insider, people who aren’t insiders are probably thinking, “Well, I don’t review CDs/ write for a classical publication, so I’ll just wait for a follow-up e mail to tell me why I should write about this.”

So, if no one’s actually reading press releases, why am I writing two right now?? Thanks for commenting! -AA