ZimZum

Authors/publishers are great at getting their books written. Entrepreneurs know their products. But after the initial one-year honeymoon, sales slow down. To counter this make sure your ebook, product, or service you offer will keep on selling from the first day, the first year, even for life. Write a short sales letter for each product or ebook.

Whether you have a Web site or not, you can write a first class, must-buy-now sales letter. Write one for each teleclass, eBook, product, or service. I even write one for my bookcoaching services.

If you are like me and have a Web site, it is content driven. Why? Because that’s why people come to any site–to get free information. You must also give them a reason to buy. Most home pages say too much about the author or the book instead of intriguing their potential buyers with a benefit-driven headline, which in turns leads them to the benefits of their books–the sales letter.

My first Web site had many fine books and kits in personal growth and book writing and marketing. Sales never went over $200 a month. To correct that, I created a new site and paid special attention to its sales language (without hype) for each teleclass, eBook, and book coaching opportunities to suit each income and need. Sales were $75 the first month, and in four months they reached $2265. The next year they went
around $3000 a month.

What Every Sales Letter Needs to Pull Orders and Profits

You can write each sales letter in less than four hours the first time. As you practice, you can write them in two hours.

5. Offer your potential clients three or four chances to buy.

They may have already decided to buy before coming to your sales letter, so offer a “Click Here,” “Buy Now” near the top of the letter. Offer more buying opportunities along the way after a list of benefits, what’s in this book (features),and testimonials.

6. End your Sales Letter with your 100% Money-Back Guarantee.

When you offer an iron-clad guarantee, people see your book as so valuable that you put yourself on the line for it. They will be more likely to buy and be satisfied with their purchase.

“This product comes with a 100% Money Back Guarantee. Read the book cover to cover, and if the strategies don’t work for you within 60 days, we’ll cheerfully refund your money, and you can keep the product too!”

7. Make your Sales Letter Credible.

To boost sales, authors need to add free bonus reports related to their book. Make sure your free bonus reports do not cost more than the price of your product. Would you believe this offer “order this for $49 now and receive 4 special bonus reports worth $395?”

8. Share the downside of your book to create empathy.

For example, “this ebook won’t write the book for you, or even get it published, but it will show you the steps and resources to write compelling copy, finish fully and sell well.”

9. Include your expert credentials.

“I spent 6 months researching this book and 3 months writing it. My background includes 23 years coaching, presenting 70 writing seminars a year, and 43 published clients since 1999.”

10. Present the “YOU” point of view in your sales letter.

When you refer to others such as we or they, you don’t speak directly to your to be buyer. Involve them with phrases such as “You will feel renewed energy after you read this book, so much so, that you’ll ask your kids to dance with you.” Or, “you can finish your book in less than a month, and get it selling immediately, so you can take that Caribbean trip, pay for your children’s college, or buy that new car you’ve been wanting.”

Without a sales letter to guide your potential buyers on your Web site, you leave them bored, uninspired, without enough information to make that decision to buy. Your Web site and ezine must entertain, inform, and give enough benefits to convince your readers to order your book.

For all email promotion campaigns, without a short or long sales letter for each product, your unique, useful and inspiring information will not get read, people won’t know you as the expert, and you won’t make the sales you want.

Judy Cullins ©2004 All Rights Reserved.

Judy Cullins, 20-year Book and Internet Marketing Coach works with small business people who want to make a difference in people’s lives, build their credibility and clients, and make a consistent life-long income. Author of 10 eBooks including “Write your eBook Fast,” “How to Market your Business on the Internet,” and “Create your Web Site With Marketing Pizzazz,” she offers free help through her 2 monthly ezines, “The Book Coach Says…” and “Business Tip of the Month” at http://www.bookcoaching.com/opt-in.shtml and over 155 free articles. Email her at mailto:Judy@bookcoaching.com.

You’ve made a commitment to change your spending habits. You have a budget and you are working on getting out of debt and building up some savings. You just received a bonus at work. What do you do with it?

The old you would have gone on a vacation. The new you is looking to the future. Your first impulse is to pay off a credit card or two. But then you consider putting it in your emergency fund — there isn’t near enough money in there.

The debate over emergency savings versus credit card debt has been around for a long time. Let’s look at the two sides.

Save for emergencies

Putting your extra money into savings for emergencies seems like a good idea. You will have the peace of mind that everything is taken care of. If an emergency comes up, you can pay cash for the emergency and not have to charge it on your credit card. You probably have too much debt to get an emergency personal loan through a local bank, so having the cash saves you.

Pay off your debt

Paying off your debt makes sense in the long run. You won’t pay the extra interest to the lender while money sits in savings. If your money is only earning 3% in savings, it could work better for you by eliminating a 15% loan. Having that money in savings instead of using it to pay off your debt is costing you at least 12%.

If you use it to pay off your debt, you will be out of debt faster. If you have an emergency, you’ll probably have to charge it on your credit card, which will cost you. You can see how it can be confusing.

Looking purely at numbers, paying off the debt is the best way to go in the long run. But we aren’t purely numbers. Accidents and emergencies happen. Emotions run deep. Some people find it easier to pay off their credit cards and close them if they know that they won’t need them.

You have to look at your own finances and goals. Are you focusing on the long run? Or are you focusing on right now? Look at your family’s needs. Run each scenario through your calculator. It could be that you change your mind about where the money should go.

We know that by putting the money towards your savings, you won’t have to accrue any more debt in the event of an emergency.

If you were to put it towards your debt, how could it help your savings?

You are able to pay off your debt faster, putting money into your savings on a regularly basis faster. When you pay down your credit card debt, you have more available credit that you can use as your emergency fund. The credit isn’t there for everyday use, just like a savings account isn’t.

What you want to do is get to the point where you have no credit card debt and an emergency fund. If you have one but not the other, you aren’t safe. You need to have both. If all else fails and you can’t decide what to do, put half of the money to your debt and half of your money to savings. Either way, it’s better than just spending it.

Copyright 2006 #1 Loans USA

Martin Lukac, represents, #1 Loans USA(http://www.1LoansUSA.com), a finance web-company specializing in real estate/mortgage market. We specialize in daily updates, rate predictions, mortgage rates and more. For mortgage rates please visit http://www.RateEmpire.com

Air Canada Flight 154

I was boarding a flight in Edmonton, Alberta, bound for Toronto
after a long day. As I handed my boarding pass to the Air Canada
gate agent, I asked her if she was having a good day. Her
response has been in my mind for nearly two weeks. She looked at
me, smiled, and said, “All the better for you asking me, thanks.”

As I literally skipped down the jetway, I smiled. I have asked
hundreds of people if they are having a good day. Never have I
received that response. I’ve heard, “It’s ok.”, “No not really,”
and “Fine, thanks.” But never, until now, have I heard “All the
better for you asking me, thanks.”

Her response was gracious and warm. It wowed me as a Customer -
giving me a very positive experience with Air Canada (even
before I was on the plane!) More importantly, it made me feel
special as a human being. Perhaps she was taught to say this by
a parent at a young age and it was an automatic response. Even
if this were true, her genuine response makes that irrelevant.
What would have been a normal flight was changed by eight words
- eight words I am sure I will never forget.

The Internet Essay

Recently I read an essay from one of my favorite writers. Scott
Ringwelski writes an essay each week called Positive Pause. Last
week’s issue starts . . .

” No Problem…actually is.

‘ No problem.’ It seems natural, easy going, off the cuff,
casual.

It’s a throwaway line for a disposable world.

However, how does your throwaway line and casual attitude
translate to those you say it to?”

Scott goes on to say that the two words are actually two
negatives, no and problem. Through a wonderful personal story he
relates that rather than answering a request with “no problem,”
it would be much more meaningful and powerful to say “It would
be my pleasure.” Scott knows, as does my Edmonton friend, that
choosing these words can make a huge difference.

Rhea

A few hours ago my step mother passed away. While there are many
ways she blessed my life and there will be many things I will
remember about her, the thing that strikes me now is one of her
favorite phrases. “Terrific!” Ask Rhea how she was, and she,
more often than not, would say “Terrific!” Even over the last
few months when she was very ill. When you saw her, or spoke to
her on the phone, if you asked how she was, she would say,
“Terrific!”

Certainly in these last few months she hasn’t always been
terrific, at least by most people’s standards. Her optimistic
reply though, always lifted my day - even if I were calling to
try and lift hers.

The Common Thread

In all of these cases, the words chosen by people have made a
positive difference to those around them. As a consultant if I
think about these word choices, I could easily make a case that
using these phrases would be powerful in terms of Customer
Service, and internal communications.

Most importantly though is that choosing these words transforms
the people who say the words. Think about my Air Canada friend
saying, “All the better for you asking me, thanks!”, or anyone
saying “It’s been a pleasure,” or “Terrific!” These phrases
recast our thinking and our self talk in a more positive,
focused, and accountable way. Indeed, these words can make a big
difference in the lives of others, and in our lives as well.

The words do matter. To everyone.

If you have even a passing interest in the topic of SEO, then
you should take a look at the following information. This
enlightening article presents some of the latest news on the
subject of SEO.

The importance of domain and page naming is obvious, but you
might not have realized the connection to SEO. We all know that
unless our domain name is highly recognizable and memorable then
we won’t get many customers, but good domain names also matter
when it comes to search engine rankings - the more relevant your
domain is to your keywords, the higher it will be ranked.

Domain names are not that difficult to come by at this point. HREF=http://Godaddy.com rel="nofollow">http://Godaddy.com puts out some
great prices and they run all sorts of specials once you become
a customer. The more domains that you buy the more that they
like you. The basic concept here is that people who buy a few
domain names are probably going to become pretty big on the
internet. The more that you own the more powerful you are.
Domain names are like land in the early eighteenth century. They
are valuable and the owners become a sort of elite class on the
internet.

The value of domains is difficult to determine until you have
purchased one and worked with it for a while. The difference
between owning your own domain name and hosting your site on a
sub domain or in a subdirectory of a domain is huge. The impact
on your ability to perform SEO operations increases drastically
simply by the ease of clarifying your URL for the search engines
and directories that you submit to.

There are even directories out there that do not except anything
except for domains. These are the kind of elitist sites that I
described earlier. Domain names are the only way to go if you
want to have a seriously successful website that becomes a
household name. Directories that do not allow non-domain names
are there to protect an investment. If you have spent money on
purchasing and hosting a domain name you probably aren’t to
excited about seeing sites that haven’t dropped a dime on
investment being rated above you. This is a sort of aristecratic
mind set, but it is a natural tendency of the mind. There are
plenty of directories out there that everybody is able to
access, but there are some out there that are only for the elite
sites of the internet.

If your SEO facts are out-of-date, how will that affect your
actions and decisions? Make certain you don’t let important SEO
information slip by you.

This elitist attitude towards domain names is beneficial to your
sites because it allows you to get an edge on other sites simply
by buying a domain name. This investment is the most crucial SEO
investment that you can make. There are very few sites around
that get huge numbers of hits (10,000+ per month) without having
their own domain name.

So what do you need to do to get these good rankings? Start off
by choosing a domain that matches your website well, and you’re
killing two birds with one stone. Your domain name and URL
should reflect what you’re trying to accomplish from your site.
For example: calling your website ‘thewebcorporation.com’ isn’t
much good if it sells hot sauce. For hot sauce, HREF=http://deserthotsauce.com rel="nofollow">http://deserthotsauce.com
would be a better name - the desert’s hot, like the sauce! Don’t
settle for anything that won’t make people want to come to your
site. Using the name of your company for your domain name is
also a good way to go. This is the fastest way of providing a
good, quality description of what the visitor is going to. Many
visitors will actually consider your domain name the name of
your company anyway so you might as well name yourself something
that you want to be called.

Most webmasters settle for safe, can’t-go-wrong HREF=http://www.myname.com rel="nofollow">http://www.myname.com domains,
because it takes time to be creative and think up good names
that contain your keywords. You might consider getting some help
from the people around you, as you never know what they might be
thinking that could be great. You need to come up with a few
ideas in case some are taken - you’ll be surprised just how many
domains have gone.

Everyone always wants a .com, but you shouldn’t rule out .net,
.org, .us and the rest. For example, if HREF=http://deserthotsauce.com rel="nofollow">http://deserthotsauce.com is
taken, you might find that people like HREF=http://deserthotsauce.us rel="nofollow">http://deserthotsauce.us just
as much.

You can’t predict when knowing something extra about SEO will
come in handy. If you learned anything new about &keyword% in
this article, you should file the article where you can find it
again.

You can read a hundred of the “10 Best Activities Hawaii has to
Offer” and find as many lists with differing information. This
is not because the lists are wrong, it is simply because there
are so many amazing activities to do in Hawaii that each list
maker can only include their top 10 favorites, which is why
there are so many differences. Here are 10 more of the best
activities in Hawaii, but they are generalizations that appeal
to the general population and tourists heading to the islands
for vacation. So, the best thing to do is read this list and
rank the activities you like most and call and make reservations
before your vacation begins. Then, when you reach the islands
you can look around, check out other activities, and either
choose more on this list or some of your own. Remember, there
are several islands that make up Hawaii and all of them have
special activities. The goal is for you to have the most fun
possible and enjoy your Hawaiian vacation.

Hawaii Activity #1 Hanauma Bay

Hanauma Bay, on the island of Oahu, boasts an amazing coral reef
that is simply out of this world. There are many fish species
that call Hanauma Bay and the coral reef their home, which makes
for incredible snorkeling. In fact, so many people snorkel at
Hanauma Bay that it often gets quite crowded. So, if you want to
snorkel at Hanauma Bay you should get there early or find out
which days are the slowest in order to enjoy this fabulous
experience.

Hawaii Activity #2 Hawaii Volcanoes

The Volcanoes National Park on the main island of Hawaii is out
of this world. When you visit this park you will encounter
330,000 acres preserved for hiking and the like, as well as Mona
Lau volcano that is dormant and the active, lava flowing Kilauea
volcano. You will be impressed to see the red, hot glow of lava
oozing out of this volcano. Spend a few hours or even a few days
in The Volcanoes National Park.

Hawaii Activity #3 Maui Drive

Take the road from the Kahului Airport all the way to Hana and
you will pass over countless bridges, enjoy the beautiful
landscape where you will see pineapples growing and proceed
through the tropical rainforest where other amazing fruits grow
in addition to eucalyptus trees. It takes several hours to make
this short drive, but near the end you will be blessed with the
vision of black sand beaches that are simply astonishing in
their beauty. When you finally end up in Hana you can enjoy
excursions to waterfalls as well as great hikes.

Hawaii Activity #4 Waimea Canyon

On the island of Kauai is the Waimea Canyon which is simply a
breathtaking experience. The canyon is so large and colorful
that Mark Twain dubbed it the “Grand Canyon of the Pacific.” You
will love the adventure and scenery at Waimea Canyon so you must
include this on your vacation “to do” list.

Hawaii Activity # 5 Waikiki Beach

If you are looking for a luxurious resort and a relaxing beach,
then Waikiki Beach is the place for you. In fact, the majority
of the resorts are located on Waikiki which was made popular in
the 1800s by Hawaiian royalty who frequented the area for its
beautiful beaches. This area is certainly not economical, but
every type of luxury you can imagine is available to you.

Hawaii Activity #6 Kona

The Kona coast is also a great resort location and its beaches
are fabulous for sun bathing and other beach activities, as well
as fishing and even snorkeling. As a result, many people
vacation at Kona because there are so many activities available
in one place. There are also coffee plantations that produce the
natural and organic Kona coffee so you could always take a tour
to see how coffee is grown, processed, and ultimately packaged
and sold. Whatever you decide to do, Kona has a lot of options.

Hawaii Activity # 7 Na’Pali Coast

The island of Kauai boasts the Na’Pali Coast which is one of
nature’s wonders. The towering cliffs originate on the ocean’s
floor and ascend from the water to create amazing gorges created
by waterfalls streaming down over centuries and eroding the
stone. You can hike to the Na’Pali coast, but this might take
all day. There are other options like boat tours and helicopter
rides that will also allow you to reach Na’Pali without so much
effort if you are not in the best physical condition to walk 11
miles or don’t have that much time to spare.

Hawaii Activity #8 Iao Valley

This cloud covered valley on the island of Maui provides a
historical lesson for tourists because this flourishing valley
was the home to the agricultural god, Lono, and during feast
week the Hawaiians all joined together in the Iao Valley to
honor Lono. You will be amazed at the shape of the valley and
the general feeling you have of history when you visit this
amazing place on Maui.

Hawaii Activity #9 Go Whale Watching

Whale watching can be a spectacular experience so you should
definitely include this in your itinerary. There are whale
watching tours that can be booked from Hawaii, Kauai, Oahu, or
Maui. You should book in advance, however, because these tours
can get filled up quickly and don’t happen year round!

Hawaii Activity #10 Luau

When people think of Hawaii the first thing that comes to their
mind is the luau. As a result, when you visit the islands you
absolutely must attend a Polynesian luau to top off your
vacation. You will enjoy the food, music, dance, and sites of
the luau and it will be an experience that will stay with you
long after your vacation ends and you return to your real life.

When you visit the islands you will not have enough time to do
all the amazing activities waiting for you. However, you should
pick the ones you find most interesting and save the rest for
subsequent vacations. When you visit Hawaii, you are sure to be
enchanted and engaged.

While making the decision to become a vegetarian is a personal choice and can be done for physical, mental, or spiritual reasons, here are some great reasons that can make the decision to become a vegetarian easier.

Many vegetarians choose this lifestyle for ethical reasons. They are animal lovers and do not want to take any part in harming a living creature. When a person chooses not to buy and eat meat products, they are sending out a message to the corporations that operate “factory farms”, that they will not support inhumane treatment of animals. When animals are slaughtered, it is violent and usually done by hanging the animal upside down and slitting its throat. Animals contained on these so-called “farms” are also enclosed in cramped quarters where they cannot move and have no access to fresh water and sunshine. Many of these unfortunate creatures die either in cages or on their way to be slaughtered. When you learn of these things, you realize that by not eating meat, it is a small sacrifice compared to what the poor animal must endure.

A plant-based diet is also wonderful for health reasons. Acne can clear up and be replaced by glowing skin. You will be more fit and trim compared to someone that eats meat. There are few, if any, obese vegetarians. Coronary disease risk is cut almost in half. The risk of diabetes is reduced. Type II diabetes is a serious, growing problem among adults and youth in the United States.

Plants contain the majority of vitamins and minerals that are essential for our bodies to be strong and healthy. From omega-3’s to complex carbohydrates, plants have it all. Plants contain fiber and that is something that is sorely lacking from the American diet. Fiber is needed to help move wastes through the body so they can be eliminated. Elimination is important and this function helps reduce the risk of colon cancer.

Many meat products have been found to contain parasites and bacteria. It wasn’t too long ago that Mad Cow disease made headlines around the world. Who hasn’t heard of foot and mouth disease? These are some scary things to face for a meat-eater, even if the risk of being affected by them is low.

Let’s not forget about the environmental benefits that leading a vegetarian lifestyle includes. It takes three or more times as much water for animal products to be made than plant-based products. That is a huge water savings alone and considering that several parts of the world are facing a water shortage, there is no better time to begin water conservation. More plant-based food can be produced, feeding more people. This is because for just one pound of beef to be produced, sixteen pounds of grains must be used. That’s sixteen pounds of edible plants that could be sent to a third-world country to feed starving people there. We also save trees, by not cutting them down for livestock grazing land.

If all of these things were not reason enough to become a vegetarian, there is the financial savings of it. Being a vegetarian is even good for your pocketbook. Health costs will go down because you will be in better physical and mental health. Try to buy fruits and vegetables in season, when they are fresh and plentiful and will cost less too.

There are so many reasons to become vegetarian and these were just a few. You can see what a change to this type of lifestyle can produce and how it can help benefit not just yourself, but others as well.

Michael Russell
Your Independent Vegetarian guide.

In recent years, formal classroom training has become a must for paralegals. There are roughly 600 study programs in the US to train people to work as paralegals, and the education offered can vary significantly from one institution to the next.
Degrees in paralegal studies are offered by all types of public and private learning institutions. Programs for paralegals come in an assortment lengths and formats:

Associate degrees: A student can earn this degree in a community college as well as in some four year colleges and business schools. They will be required to complete 60 to 70 semester units in a successful manner. Typically, the curriculum is made up of equal parts of paralegal courses and general education courses.
Baccalaureate Degree Programs: Four-year colleges and universities that feature paralegal studies major, minor, or concentrations within a major, offer Paralegal education. The curricula requires the student to complete 30 to 69 semester units in paralegal and related classes, out of a total of 120 to 130 semester units.
Paralegal Certificate Programs: A variety of educational institutions offer paralegal Certificate programs; these can vary anywhere from 18 to 60 semester units. Much like the associate degrees, programs of longer duration can consist of general education and paralegal courses.
Master’s Degree Programs: In addition, some colleges and universities that have undergraduate degree programs for paralegals also offer Master’s Degree programs for advanced paralegal studies.

Creativity can be defined as problem identification and idea generation whilst innovation can be defined as idea selection, development and commercialisation.

There are other useful definitions in this field, for example, creativity can be defined as consisting of a number of ideas, a number of diverse ideas and a number of novel ideas.

There are distinct processes that enhance problem identification and idea generation and, similarly, distinct processes that enhance idea selection, development and commercialisation. Whilst there is no sure fire route to commercial success, these processes improve the probability that good ideas will be generated and selected and that investment in developing and commercialising those ideas will not be wasted.

Money doesn’t do it

Though material reward is a significant motivating factor, it is not the whole story.

The Economist (2003c) notes a paradox: an individual who becomes richer becomes happier, but when a society as a whole grows richer, nobody seems any more content. It is argued that people tend to compare their lot with that of others. In one striking example, students at Harvard University were asked whether they would prefer a)$50k a year while others got half that or b)$100k a year while others got twice as much. A majority chose a). They were happy as long as they were better off than others. “Other studies confirm that people are often more concerned about their income relative to others’ than about their own absolute income.”

Further, other motivating factors include task feasibility, distance to ideal self, self-determination and so forth.

These and other topics are covered in depth in the MBA dissertation on Managing Creativity & Innovation, which can be purchased (along with an Innovation Management Bible, a Creativity and Innovation DIY Audit, Good Idea Generator Software and Power Point Presentation) from http://www.managing-creativity.com/

You can also receive a regular, free newsletter by entering your email address at this site.

Kal Bishop, MBA

**********************************

You are free to reproduce this article as long as no changes are made and the author’s name and site URL are retained.

Kal Bishop is a management consultant based in London, UK. He has consulted in the visual media and software industries and for clients such as Toshiba and Transport for London. He has led Improv, creativity and innovation workshops, exhibited artwork in San Francisco, Los Angeles and London and written a number of screenplays. He is a passionate traveller. He can be reached on http://www.managing-creativity.com/

Since the beginning of times, human beings have a fascination
for the unknown. For instance, our primitive ancestors
worshipped lightning and thunder. Some of that secret admiration
still remains inside us, and that is the reason why we feel an
attraction for magicians.

>From little kids’ birthday parties to million dollar shows,
these professionals have astonished people on the widest variety
of places and situations, including movies, books, TV shows, and
so on.

Nowadays, there are magic schools that prepare prospective
magicians for their future career. These schools do not only
instruct magicians in the arts of disappearing handkerchiefs, or
taking rabbits out of hats, but also take care of more complete
aspects of artistic expression, such as acting, verbal
communications and public speeches, and even dance routines, as
these arts are becoming more and more helpful when entertaining
an audience that is harder to satisfy day by day.

Every day magicians and magic shows are getting more complex and
more complete; today if a magician wants to make a difference
between himself and the rest of his colleagues, he needs not
only to perform flawlessly, but also be in constant search for
new visually impressive tricks to attract a highly demanding
audience.

Sadly, this creating process often takes several months or even
years, so it is usual for famous magicians to remain out of
public appearances for a lot of time, and return to stages once
a year or maybe every two years with more and more impressive
tricks that leave the eager audience breathless.

Back in the past days, magic schools were an option for
magicians to improve their proficiency and get better in what
they do; today these institutions are essential even for
beginners to learn tricks and prepare themselves for this very
competitive field.

Magic is not a hobby anymore, today it is a profitable career.
It all depends on preparation and creativity.

A lot of what you have been told about creating your image is false. This article is meant to be a simple list of things that might surprise you as a musician. Some of you have had “managers” misguide you. You know the drill. Your guitar player’s girlfriend has a connection at some local club so now she thinks she is fit to orchestrate your entire career. Maybe you have a know-it-all singer who spent 5 minutes glossing over some music industry website and now he is writing your bio chalk full of transparent lies and over-exagerated descriptions of your rock fury. No matter what the case may be, I can guarantee you that you have at least a few misconceptions about how to properly present your image. This article will briefly outline some of the major issues on writing better bios, press kits, and press releases.

YOU HAVE MORE CONTROL THAN YOU THINK

The most important thing I can tell you is you have more control than you think. If you really get the hang of image presentation and playing this game we call the music biz you can virtually create any image you want of yourself or your band. First and foremost I want to talk about the press.
Ever surf the net doing some research of some new band your friend told you about? Ever notice how multiple music sites will have the exact same description of the band? Of course, you aren’t an idiot, you realize these sites simply rip what the band wrote in their bio on the band homepage. But do you realize the POWER of this? Basically, you have the power to syndicate your image in a way. These websites simply don’t have the time, nor intimate knowledge of your band, to create some pseudo-bio for you. They rely on you, and what you have to say about yourself. This is power. Use it wisely.

But you already knew that. What I’m about to tell you is something you may not know, but could drastically affect your bands promotional campaign. PRINT MAGAZINES DO THIS TOO. Yep, a lot of those long write-ups you see in your favorite magazines about your favorite band, have content ripped straight from the bands’ bio. The trick is that this only applies to well written bios. If you do in fact have such a bio, this can be the most powerful weapon in your promotional arsenal.

THE SECRET BIO SAUCE RECIPE

Ok. So let’s recap real quickly. You know that your bio can help control your image on the net. And now you know you can even control how the print media presents you. But how do you write such a bio? First, let’s go over what NOT to do.

INFLATE: Do not inflate your image beyond the reality of your band. Don’t be all flash and no smash. In other words, don’t talk about what you can’t back up. This is the most common mistake in bio writing. I call it “inflation”. This is pretty much adjective abuse. Avoid phrases like “intense live show” or “super sonic blast from the future”. This is stock. This is not creative. If you aren’t the biggest drawing band in your own market, don’t say “this band is taking the nation by storm”. The press and online community have been reading bios with such inflations since the beginning, they see past this very well.

QUOTE FANS: If you can’t get someone credible to say something nice about your band DO NOT resort to using a fan comment. Ever…for any reason.

LIST SONG DESCRIPTIONS: If you are already an “inflator” then talking about your own songs will only cause pain and tragedy.

SPENDING TOO MUCH TIME ON PREVIOUS BANDS: If your last band didn’t have a record deal or tour, don’t bother. If you have some leverage with your “former member of…” status use it tastefully and only in brief.

Now that we have got those cardinal sins out of the way you are probably thinking “jeeze, what else is there to write about”. This is where we start digging. Time to put on your thinking cap. You have to think like a reporter looking for a refreshing angle. You have to find the one thing that can create an image that will stick. You have to find THE STORY.

By this time I have lost some of you. You either don’t know what I mean by “the story” or you have a bio that breaks every rule I just outlined and you can’t admit it. The best bios read like a good music rag write-up. If your bio is written correctly it should make a staff writer’s job easy. It should be easy for him to “rip” or “cop”. It’s no co-incidence that many pro bands use these kinds of writers to pen their own bios!

Perhaps you have an interesting story about how you came together. Perhaps you have some gimmick, like Siamese twins or 3 bearded lady bassists. But hopefully you have something that connects your band to something going on in the world of music. You need something that will get people’s attention. Maybe your band is the only Death Metal band for 100 miles in the Bible belt. You get the picture.

I am going to list some things that can make great stories (and double as press releases).

- Being produced by someone reputable

- Being managed by someone reputable

- Breaking some mark in online CD sales or downloads

- Getting a supporting slot on a festival or tour

- Having a reputable person as a quoted fan

A PHOTO SPEAKS 1,000 FLAWS

I want to get one thing out of the way: I’m not going to tell you how to dress. But I am going to tell you that it may be your biggest problem. I am not a stylist. I can not solve this problem. I can tell you this though: The camera will expose every flaw you have in your style. With that said, let’s get on with at least getting a quality photo.

I am not a professional photographer. I am not going to tell you how to take a photo of yourself. I am going to tell you where to get one. Your best bet is to find a local photographer that you see at local shows. More often than not, they are either legitimate press, legitimate artist, or a legitimate student. Browse their catalog of band photography and if you think it stands up, there ya go. This may all seem like common sense, but I want to stress that this is abandoned and somehow your guitar player’s girlfriend is your “photographer” because her mom has a camera. Do not let this happen to you. Find people with pro gear. Get a professional or at least a digital arts student. These are always your best bets.

If you are going for sheer impact with your 8 x 10 one good tip is to at least look like you are in the same band. I’m not saying get a gimmick or wear make-up. I’m saying that even if you think your personal look is “plain”, your band as a whole can benefit from at least being on the same page.

LOGO

The miracle of Adobe Photoshop has given birth to some of the most breathtaking digital art we have seen. It has also, to the misfortune of bands mostly, created total rubbish. If your logo sucks it says many things about you.

It shows you have high tolerance for bad art.

It shows you yourself might be a bad artist and were not smart enough to hire a professional.

It shows you have a very distorted view about the genre of your band.

It shows some of you are totally unprofessional and don’t care about your image.

You might be surprised how many ways there are to find good digital artists to create your logo. In my personal opinion, even paying up to $100 is worth it for a good logo. Bottom line, the sites below are the best place to find killer artists.

DeviantArt.com
Mylkhead.com
AngryBlue.com
PlayWithKnives.com
EyeSuckInk.com

PRESS KIT SECRETS

One very strong tip I can offer is to try to think of your image as “dynamic”. It has to be all things to all people. You might have to add something extra to that envelope before you send it off.

If you are sending your kit out to an artist rep at a prospective endorsee you ALWAYS want it to contain tour dates. This is the most important thing in your attempt to get gear for cheap and say those lovely words to all your loser musician friends playing crappy guitars… “I got an endorsement deal”.

A great add-in is a DVD. There are a lot of affordable ways to make a DVD these days. Again, this is one of those things that will expose your flaws. You don’t want to put your life story on there. Live footage is great if its done right. Fake smoke and that cheesy “page turn effect” are not. Don’t make a wedding video. This will be valuable in your arsenal when try to book gigs.

Ask First. Send. Follow Up. This is your best way to make some impact and get a solid contact in the biz. Your press kit will always have more impact if the person is expecting it (send it promptly).

Make sure you are to the point when calling someone you’d like to send a press kit to. You are Jon Doe from The Doetones. You are going to be in town around this time. You want to send a press kit for a possible gig. If you are sending an email and have an EPK (Electronic Press Kit) NEVER send the press kit in first. Always try to get a response before sending the press kit. If you are sending to a possible endorsee put your upcoming dates in the initial email.

Following up is crucial. Many of the people you will be dealing with in this business are either busy or forgetful…mostly both. You must initiate contact. Be tactful and patient. Do not hound people, but make sure you give yourself a chance to make some opportunities and pick up the phone yourself.

Remember, you are in essence, trying to self yourself to a company or consumer. You have to be a salesman. Try to connect to people and have them want to talk to you. If you can do this they will always want to help you or get you involved in something that will. Or best of all, spend money on you and your product.

Bruce Prokopets, aka Bishop Dolarhyde, is co-founder and editor of music news blog http://www.scenejumper.com Bruce had his first live gig at 15 and has had various jobs in the industry since. He spent years as a guitar tech, tour manager, endorsement liaison, bassist in a national act, and promoter in the Tampa Bay area of Florida.