James Lee Stanley

Back from the Folk Alliance (www.folkalliance.org), and I am beginning my follow up, based upon the goals I set for myself. 

One of which was to go and sit through sets by people who are successful in one way or another but don’t reach me.   I decided to watch them and figure out what it was that they were doing and why it was receiving the response it was, given that I didn’t get them at all.  You can learn a lot from watching folks perform.   About songwriting, presentation, playing, performing…it’s like a class.   Everytime you see someone perform.

Another goal was to secure ten bookings in the coming year.   So far I have four, and here’s what I’m doing.

The first thing that I did was to go through the directory that came in the swag bag.  

I circled every single person I knew, or wanted to know or work with; every radio station, every DJ and every venue.   Then I prioritized them so that my contacting them would be in a timely manner and in a way that would help me achieve my goals.

First, I am contacting all the venues, next the radio stations and DJ’s, next print media and then my friends or the folks that I am drawn to for some reason.

I am contacting all the venues, and presenters and I am not sending them blanket emails.   Individual emails based upon my interaction with them or the fact that I didn’t get to interact with them.   Each one separate and specific.

I talk about what we talked about or what I wanted to talk about with them and I invite them to check out the various websites I have up.  Then I request permission to send them a package on me.   

If they aren’t interested, they say no, not at this time and I’ve saved myself about ten bucks.   If they say yes, there names and addresses are immediately put on a shipping label with what I will be sending them.

Then I will do the same thing with radio and press.   I want to do this as soon as possible after the conference while the interactions are fresh in my mind and because booking has to be done while the iron is hot, as they say.

Then radio.   I determine which stations will play me and which of my CD’s they will play and I request permission to send it to them.   If they say no, I don’t send it to them. 

But when I make the next CD, I will contact them again.  I just don’t like being a relentless mofo.   I know what I do is good and I know that eventually I’ll get through to them.   And I don’t let it get me down if I don’t.

Follow up is the key.   Personal contact, then follow up and then follow up again.