Attitude Adjustment isn’t Just for Politics and Civil Activity

By: Bruce Wawrzyniak

From time to time you see guest blogs posted on this site, generally identifiable as such by someone’s byline other than my own, and usually a brief (italicized) intro paragraph letting you know who the writer is.

You might do a double take and look up at the byline to see if this week’s post was written by someone else because it’s not going to sound like me.  Generally, in these blogs and on the weekly “Now Hear This Entertainment” podcast you read/hear a chipper, positive Bruce Wawrzyniak.  Don’t get me wrong, I appreciate the compliments and every thank you I get for the work that I put in for the creative community.  But maybe I’m fed up with nice guys finishing last and/or I’ve shown that I am human and let the weight of the world influence me for this week’s blog.  It’s time I spoke up and practiced a little tough love here.

Over the weekend I had brunch with a client who said – despite being a singer, not trying to directly reference the song from the mid-1960s – “What the world needs now is love.”  And she is completely correct on that.  To me love and selfishness do not go together unless you consider ego to equate to love because it means you’re full of yourself.

Whether you’re in the entertainment business or you’re an author or you work in retail or you’re unemployed, no one is better than anyone.  Anywhere.  Period.

So, when you decide to promote only certain appearances of yours but not others, shame on you.  Don’t your fans, your loyal followers, deserve to hear what you’re doing?  We see a bigger push these days to support small businesses.  By extension, aren’t you also hurting the little guy when you decide not to promote his or her venue or show?  Get off your pedestal.

Similarly, if you share something in a public forum and then someone contacts you to follow-up on that business, product, or service that you mentioned, you have an opportunity to be of further service.  You can show your willingness to help.  You can provide information that the person contacting you can now benefit from.  And again, you’re helping a business that you’re giving a referral to.  So, if you ignore that incoming inquiry, it not only reflects poorly on you, but is shutting out other people in the process.

A third example of behavior that doesn’t reflect well upon your character is this.  Without putting a lot of thought into it, I know of three different people who have told me directly that they were going to sign up to the Patreon for my weekly podcast.  To use a baseball analogy, that batting average is at .000 because none of them did.  People forget, circumstances change, those folks might have it on a To Do list somewhere, and those all, to me, are excuses.  Or, since there are too many signs of cockiness showing up these days, maybe it was all just to try to look good in the moment and there never was any follow-through intended in the first place.

My father used to work for an employer where it was said that one “Awe s—t” equals ten “Atta boy” compliments.  At a time when there are some individuals and organizations who are trying to do right, it’s sad to see that others are carrying on with a “me, me, me” take-no-prisoners attitude.

In the United States numerous attempts are being made for change, and people will look back on the events and the individuals that presumably will result in such.  Do you want people to look back on actions you took – or didn’t take – and remember you for those disappointments?  Not only are we here for just a short time, but it really is a small world and you’re going to be in for a big surprise when those slights come back to haunt you as something comes around to bring you back together with someone you passed over before.  Be careful.  Think twice.  Look in the mirror.  If your personal infrastructure is not something that leads to a desire to collaborate and cooperate, you’re probably in a competitive posture and that’s not going to serve you or many others well.  While so many others are trying to, I suggest you hit the reset button.

Share your struggles with me by tweeting to @NHT_tweets.  Alternatively, continue the conversation via Facebook or LinkedIn, or even via email.

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I am a manager and publicist, running Now Hear This, Inc., an agency that has served clients across the U.S. ranging from music artists to authors to small businesses and even an Olympic athlete. Since February 2014 I have also hosted a weekly podcast (“Now Hear This Entertainment”), which has gotten listeners from 153 countries around the world. Find more about the company and the podcast at www.NowHearThis.biz. I am also a national speaker. Visit www.SpeakerBruceW.com for more information.

Promoting and Preparedness: Some ‘How To’ Notes

By: Bruce Wawrzyniak

It’s time for an empty-out-my-notebook blog entry.

In no particular order…

Whatever it is that you create, don’t promote to fellow creators.  They are not your audience.  Go to the people who do consume whatever you put out, whether that’s music or podcasts or books or something else.  Here’s what I mean.

I’m amazed when I see podcasters trying to promote their show in a podcast industry newsletter.  Or similarly, when I see musicians posting links to their new single, EP, album, or video in a Facebook group of other recording artists.  No!  You should know who your listening audience is (podcasters or musicians) and be seeking out those folks where they hang out.

It would be like an author going to a writers’ conference and trying to sell their books to other attendees.  Right?  It’s not even so much a thing of ‘competition’ as much as it is just the wrong people to try to market to.

Another note I jotted down is my surprise at people who don’t promote shows that they’ve been interviewed on (TV shows, radio shows, podcasts, livestreams).  Don’t you want your family, friends, fans, and followers to know what you’re up to?  They deserve to hear what you had to say, so why not tell them and share a link where they can go watch or listen?  This is how you show people that you’re busy (especially during these pandemic altering times) and thus create more demand for you and your business, product, or service.

Here’s something else.  For a couple weeks or so now I’ve been running a survey about the weekly “Now Hear This Entertainment” podcast.  (One person who fills it out will win a $25.00 Amazon e-gift card in a random drawing to be held on September 14^th, so, if you haven’t already completed the survey, do so now and maybe that lucky winner will be you!)  The point here is that if you have a podcast or a book and want to get feedback – meaning, rather than waiting and hoping for it to come to you in an email or on a social media post – go ask people for their input.  Instead of guessing what your audience wants (or convincing yourself that they do, even though no one has told you so), solicit their opinions and then react accordingly (for, say, changes to your podcast or what your next book should be about).

This one wasn’t on that list in my notebook, but since it’s happening today, there is another “Be prepared” lesson in this morning’s worldwide Zoom outage.  That is, have alternate methods not only for people to get a hold of you, but, for video conferencing.  Everyone jumped on the Zoom bandwagon when the pandemic forced workers everywhere to stay at home.  I’ve still been on Skype, where I’ve been recording NHTE episodes for six-and-a-half years.  There is also Microsoft Teams and Google Meet, among others.  Include your Skype name in your email’s electronic signature.  When a service goes down, don’t be handcuffed.  It’s like when your Internet service goes down right when you’re working on a deadline.  Tether your phone and voila, thanks to your data, you now can proceed with what you were working on.

Lastly, I’m working on an online course that I hope to have available soon.  It will teach you interview tips, since so many people are staying home and trying to promote their business, product, or service by getting on as many shows as they can.  I suggest you use the newsletter signup box on this page so you can see when that course is ready because it’s one thing to land an interview, but it’s another to get ready for it so that you maximize the potential return from it.  After all, if a musician gets booked to perform somewhere, isn’t there still the task of getting ready for and then actually putting on the show?  Two different things.  I will help you be ready for the interview form of “it’s showtime.”

What else is on your mind that I can help you with?  Tweet at me to @NHT_tweets.  Alternatively, use Facebook or LinkedIn, or even email!  Keep in mind that I also offer private, one-on-one video consultations.

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I am a manager and publicist, running Now Hear This, Inc., an agency that has served clients across the U.S. ranging from music artists to authors to small businesses and even an Olympic athlete. Since February 2014 I have also hosted a weekly podcast (“Now Hear This Entertainment”), which has gotten listeners from 153 countries around the world. Find more about the company and the podcast at www.NowHearThis.biz. I am also a national speaker. Visit www.SpeakerBruceW.com for more information.

What the %*&@# Has Happened to Song Lyrics?!

By: Bruce Wawrzyniak

They tell stories about Elvis Presley in his heyday being criticized – labeled as scandalous – because of the way he would gyrate his hips on television.  Viewers were appalled at this sort of demonstration.  In those times this was more than frowned upon.

While it’s true he went on to become known as the King of Rock & Roll, keep in mind that he kept all his clothes on, was clean cut, and (without reviewing every lyric of every song in his vast catalogue) probably didn’t have any profanity in his songs.

Before you slap the “old guy” tag on me, understand that scores of listeners and creators (and maybe even psychologists) would tell you how impressionable music can be.  It’s not unlike why there is a ratings system for movies.  Responsible parents don’t want their kids hearing bad language and/or seeing adult-type scenes.

Which brings me to the sad state of song lyrics today.

What the heck has happened and when did it get this out of control?

I remember being a kid and saying someone was a jerk, and my parents coming down on me as though I just damaged that person’s property.  Yet in 2020, kids can potentially hear any of George Carlin’s proverbial seven dirty words by easily accessing music on their phone, which most seem to own and carry these days.  Even YouTube is making a big push to get more users to embrace YouTube Music as the streaming platform of choice from the sea of endless app options that make songs so easily accessible.

A look at the charts this morning reveals some gruesome findings.

On the Top 200 chart on iTunes (a.k.a. Apple Music), 43 of the songs are marked as having explicit lyrics. That almost 22 percent, or, more than one out of five songs.  Keep in mind how many songs might be listened to in an average streaming session and that means you can probably be assured of hearing at least one song with explicit lyrics.  The chart does span many genres, including at least one Christian artist that jumped out at me, not to mention country and even “In The Air Tonight” by Phil Collins.  Even Taylor Swift is on there – with a song that’s marked as explicit.  You know, the same Taylor Swift who is supposed to be a role model to so many young kids, but who also committed two offenses that I documented on this site three weeks ago.

It gets worse.

This morning I also looked on Spotify at the US Top 50 chart, which is labeled as, “Your daily update of the most played tracks in United States right now” (sic) and has close to 3.3 million followers.  They would be jealous of Apple Music’s figure of “only” almost 22 percent.  How about that 35 out of the 50 songs have explicit lyrics?  Are you kidding me?  Seventy percent?!

From the category of, “Watch your mouth, young man,” what point are you trying to make that has to be done through profanity?  Perhaps I should start taking a poll with the songwriter guests on my weekly “Now Hear This Entertainment” podcast and ask, “Where does profanity come into play in your songwriting process.”

Last week UFC Hall of Famer Bas Rutten said that during his career he noticed that when opponents would start using profanity, they were nervous.  He took it as a sign of weakness and was able to exploit it.  Perhaps there are recording artists nowadays who struggle with confidence in their lyrics and try to hide behind profanity to try to be that same tough guy that went up against Bas in the octagon.  To them I simply say that Bas ended his career on a 22-fight unbeaten streak.  So, the cursing wasn’t fooling anyone.  The best rose to the top.

Clean up your act.

Want to disagree with me?  Tweet your reaction to me on Twitter to @NHT_tweets.  Alternatively, use Facebook or LinkedIn, or even email to continue the conversation.

I am a manager and publicist, running Now Hear This, Inc., an agency that has served clients across the U.S. ranging from music artists to authors to small businesses and even an Olympic athlete. Since February 2014 I have also hosted a weekly podcast (“Now Hear This Entertainment”), which has gotten listeners from 153 countries around the world. Find more about the company and the podcast at www.NowHearThis.biz. I am also a national speaker. Visit www.SpeakerBruceW.com for more information.

How to Get Results from Your Email Pitch

By: Bruce Wawrzyniak

Last week on Episode 338 of “Now Hear This Entertainment” you heard Jack Forman, the president of BiCoastal Productions, a New York City-based concert and theatrical booking agency, talking about (among other topics) cold calls that he receives.  He referred to unsolicited phone calls, U.S. Mail, and, of course, email.

I mentioned to him that as an artist’s manager and as the host of NHTE, I too receive similar outreach.  Sometimes it’s a bit overwhelming to the point of, “Am I going to open them all or am I going to open just one.”  To the sender, the answer is, “I don’t care, just as long as you pick mine.”

Do your homework, folks.  If you write, “Your Now Hear This Entertainment podcast” on the subject line, I will likely open it.  If you start your subject line with “Re:” because you want to fool me into thinking that you’re replying to something I sent you, or that it’s ongoing correspondence we’re having, I’m not going to fall for it and will actually be turned off by your attempted deception.

If your subject line says, “Music submission” (and believe me, lots and lots of them do), and then you refer in your email to getting your songs heard on my “station,” you’ve ticked me off because I can tell you’ve been sending to radio stations and somehow think that I am one.  Delete!

But that’s only half the battle.

Once I do open your email – and again, the subject line is going to have a lot to do with whether your message gets opened or not – there had better be something inside that’s going to make me want to get back to you.  Opening it is one thing, but reacting to it beyond, “Nah. Next!” is another.

Last night an email came in that, inside, actually started like this:

Hey [name],

Wow.  Way to not do your homework.  The sender claimed, “I found you on Instagram.”  Well, if that’s really the case, you’d either click the proverbial link in bio and go quickly investigate or, even easier, tap on one of the pictures that I’m tagged in to see my first name so that you could write Bruce instead of [name].

Inside the email, whether you’re wanting Now Hear This to consider managing and promoting you or you’re trying to get booked as a guest on the podcast, tell me what your hook is.  Is there a new single, EP, or album or a new music video that you’re promoting?  Don’t think that, “I’m a recording artist” is your story.  That’s like me pitching a radio station or TV show or newspaper or magazine to interview me because I have a podcast.  Really, Bruce?  You and hundreds of thousands of others!  So, tell me what your angle is.  Again, to repeat, “I’ve shared the stage with Rascal Flatts, Kellie Pickler, and Scott McCreery,” is not a hook.  What’s new now?!

This is going to sound contradictory but is different.  In addition to the hook, I do like to see a short bio that gives me some highlights, such as if you’ve opened for big names, like the example above, and maybe a reality TV show you were on, perhaps your Spotify numbers, any major features you’ve gotten (i.e., Billboard, CMT), and even touring that you’ve done and/or major events that you’ve performed at.

Next, do have links in your email.  I want to see your website, and, make it easy for me to get to your Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, and Instagram.  Any more over and above that is a bonus.  Yes, an EPK (link) might get my attention, but – to me, at least – it’s not a deal breaker if you don’t have one.

Don’t start giving me mp3s and photos and/or Dropbox links until I ask for them.  And don’t give me your whole life story.

As the saying goes, you’re going to get out of it exactly what you put into it.  If you’re just copying and pasting from one email to the next and not tailoring your emails to the recipients, then don’t be surprised and don’t complain when you get little to no response.

How are your pitching efforts going via email?  Tweet at me to @NHT_tweets to let me know.  Alternatively, use Facebook, LinkedIn, or even email to continue the conversation.

I am a manager and publicist, running Now Hear This, Inc., an agency that has served clients across the U.S. ranging from music artists to authors to small businesses and even an Olympic athlete. Since February 2014 I have also hosted a weekly podcast (“Now Hear This Entertainment”), which has gotten listeners from 153 countries around the world. Find more about the company and the podcast at www.NowHearThis.biz. I am also a national speaker. Visit www.SpeakerBruceW.com for more information.