Keeping your emails short and to the point will go a long way towards making a good impression, but there are a few other things you should also keep in mind when sending promotional emails to help you stay on everyone's good side:
- Make sure you understand a label's demo policy before you send them any music. If you're unsure, don't send a demo without permission - some labels refuse to take unsolicited demos for legal reasons (so you can't stay they stole your song ideas from your demo).
- When inviting any industry or media person to come and see you play, an offer to buy them a drink (or two) never hurts - and in fact, it can help a lot.
- Strike a good balance between making yourself known and being a pest. There are tons of people clamoring for the attention of labels, media, managers, agents, etc, and so you have to be a LITTLE forceful to make sure you get the attention you need. But, if you cross the line and pester people, you will get the wrong kind of attention. Don't send daily emails - for news, send one email - if you need an answer, wait for a few days before you follow up (which means you have to plan ahead).
- Don't send attachments
- Include a color photo of the band in any package to a press person (or if you are emailing them, send a link to a site where they can easily download high resolution, color photos of the band). Don't do black and white - publications that need black and white photos can print color photos in black and white, but publications that print in color can't work with black and white.
- Keep deadlines in mind, and plan ahead. Many major music magazines have a lead time of two months or more for their reviews, so get your promos in well ahead of the actual release date if you can. Remember that it can a little time to get responses from people when you are contacting them for the first time - start that dialogue as early as possible, especially if you need an answer by a certain date.
