You Can Have Success During the Pandemic

By: Bruce Wawrzyniak

It’s Monday.  Strike one.  And it’s raining, because Hurricane Eta is starting to arrive for an uninvited visit here to the Sunshine State.  Strike two.  And my beloved Tampa Bay Buccaneers suffered a lopsided defeat last night on national television.  Strike three.

It all adds up to a perfect equation to stay in bed and just say, “Forget it.”

Unfortunately, for some people, only one of those three would be enough to decide to just roll over and keep sleeping, and not even set an alarm.

But then there are those who don’t, and those who snooze later end up wondering why they see the other folks having success after success.  They get frustrated looking at social media because they see all the wins that those around them are posting about.

Attitude, my friends, can make or break how far you go.

We are eight months into what I call the Coronavirus era.  That’s an excuse on a silver platter for those who want to gobble it up.  Or it’s an opportunity for the motivated folks that are looking to seize on anything they can conquer.  They view it as a challenge, meaning, a new chance to show success.

I have been so happy to hear artists telling me on “Now HearThis Entertainment” about how they’ve actually flourished during the pandemic, writing, and releasing new music.  You’ll hear that when Episode 353 comes out 48 hours from now.  Heck, last week on Episode 352 RT Valine was talking about the TWENTY-song album he put out on September 2^nd.  One week earlier on Episode 351 Bailey James was promoting her latest single, which was her fifth such release this year.  On Episode 349 Casey Kearney was talking about her album that came out on October 2^nd, which means that one week ago today she could post that, “It was one month ago today that my new album came out,” as opposed to the glass half empty people who say, “Well, I’ve got nothing to post about.  There’s not much that can be done until this darn Coronavirus goes away.”

As far back as April when I was hosting the “Now Hear This Entertainment” Virtual Music Series on Instagram Live, Jessica Meuse was singing a song she had already written about the Coronavirus!  When life gives you lemons, you make lemonade.  You don’t go back to sleep because you don’t have the recipe for it.

Unlike the actual raindrops that I can see hitting the window as I sit here and write this, the metaphorical rainy day is here.  In fact, it’s been here, standing at your front door for more of this year than not.  Have you stayed inside and not opened the door, thinking, “Well, now I’m trapped”?  Or have you flung it wide open, with arms outstretched, a smile on your face, and a warm welcome?  I hope it’s the latter and that instead of the same old tired “’Rona” nickname everyone else has already beaten to death, you’ve affectionately greeted it as Opportunity, and are hard at work as though it was Wednesday afternoon, not Monday morning.

Oh, and speaking of Wednesday, the day after tomorrow is Veteran’s Day.  Don’t use it as another excuse to sleep in.  You just might wake up and find out someone you know wrote a hit song about the men and women that have served our country.

How have you thrived during the pandemic?  Puff your chest out and share your wins with me on Twitter via @NHT_tweets.  Alternatively, post about it on Facebook or LinkedIn, or, instead of social media, write to me with the details.

• • •

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 NOT Have Success Via Email

By: Bruce Wawrzyniak

Let’s do something different and dive into the mailbag for this week’s blog.

If you read what gets published here every Monday, you know that at the end your feedback is always invited through a variety of channels.  However, for this post I won’t be referencing something written to me about a blog that has been published on this site.  Instead, I know there is a teaching moment in pulling out other emails that I have received soliciting airplay or something similar.

By presenting you with these examples you can learn from others’ mistakes.

And of course, as was the case in last week’s “Anatomy of a(Missed) Interview Booking,” the names are being withheld to maintain anonymity.

In the first example, an artist wrote to me and said, “I am a fan of your show, Now Hear This Entertainment.”  That had my attention until they said, “I’d love for you to listen to, and potentially play our new track (title withheld for privacy) on your show.”  Hmmm.  If you were truly a fan of NHTE, you would know that it’s an interview style podcast and you would be talking about wanting to get interviewed rather than your new song getting played.  This sounds to me like someone who bought an email list and/or is contacting radio stations blindly, seeking airplay.  The implication is that they didn’t take the time out to actually check out what “Now Hear This Entertainment” is, but rather, figured that if they wrote that they’re a big fan, I would listen to the song.  However, as the saying goes, I was born at night, but not last night.

Moving on, email #2 came from an artist who wanted people to check out their new song, providing a Dropbox link to such.  Mind you, while it’s always widely suggested that you don’t send an attachment to someone you don’t know (since it’s always widely suggested you don’t open an attachment from someone you don’t know), it’s also not advisable to send someone a zip file, which is exactly what I was able to see that I was going to encounter if I followed the Dropbox link in the email from this artist.  Still being open-minded, however, I figured I would at least look at their website and social media to learn more about who they are.  Except that there were no links – at all – in their email to any social media, and when I replied to kindly suggest they include such and that by having written from a Gmail account rather than having a branded email address that would’ve tipped me off to their Web address, the response I got back said that they didn’t even have a website.

Not good, kids.  Not good.

It’s 2020.  It’s a given that as an artist (who’s contacting people asking to have their music listened to) you’re going to have a website and more than just a Twitter account (which is the extent of the social media I was pointed to in the response).

The third and final message I’ve chosen to pull out of my inbox was from someone whose email to me began with, “Bruce – Is there a reason you don’t have a podcast?”  I wrote back and said that I typically don’t respond to these types of solicitations, but had to let this person know that I was insulted to get an email that starts off that way, seeing as how I’ve released a new episode (of “Now Hear This Entertainment”) on-time, every week since February 2014, not to mention having done a bi-weekly podcast for podcasters and streamers from August 2017 to February 2019, and, being a national speaker with podcasting as one of my major topics.

Do your homework, people.  Please.  Know who you are writing to and do your research first before you hit ‘Send.’

In a year when countless people have had to stay indoors and work from home, it’s understandable that artists especially have had to rely on using email to try to connect with people electronically to get more exposure for themselves and what they’re creating.  However, those that are going about it through attempts like those described above are going to really hate 2020 for the lack of results that those efforts will produce.

Put in the time.  Do the work.  You’ll get out of it exactly what you put into it.

Tell me about your successful email outreach.  Tweet to me via @NHT_tweets, or, share it on Facebook or LinkedIn, or even write to me through email.  Need help with promoting yourself?  Take advantage of my years of experience and let's have a private, one-on-one videoconsultation to get you on the road to success.

• • •

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.

Anatomy of a (Missed) Interview Booking

By: Bruce Wawrzyniak

Depending on whether you’re a glass half-full or glass half-empty person will determine whether you are drawn to the artist (or artists) in this post who blew it on potentially getting booked for an interview, or, the individual who seized the moment and was successful in consummating the appearance. 

Here is the timeline of events that I had a front row seat for recently, with names withheld, of course, to avoid public embarrassment.  Like any other entry that gets posted here each Monday, read and learn.

To set this up, understand that Artist A contacted me to initiate the conversation, not the other way around. 

Monday, dinner time – Artist A agrees over Instagram DMs to be interviewed for “Now Hear This Entertainment” that coming Saturday in-person in Orlando.

I ask then and again the next morning what time we can meet to record.  I have gotten a hotel to agree to let us use space in their facility for an hour at no charge, but they are asking me when this will take place. 

Tuesday, late morning – The guest’s mother (manager) is now taking over the DMs and gives me a specific time, so I let the hotel know that we will be there at 1:30.

Tuesday evening – I email the address the artist’s mother provided just over an hour ago, giving the details and instructions, including what I need sent back to me to prepare for the interview. 

Wednesday afternoon – Through Instagram DM I ask if the email that I’d sent last night has been seen.

Wednesday dinner time – The artist’s mother says no (“Haven’t checked it yet”), so I reply and mention that there were assets I was asking to have sent back by dinner time Thursday. 

Early Thursday evening – The artist’s mother DMs me to ask if I got it yet (note that last word).

Friday morning – I write back and say No (and that I’d even checked my Spam folder). 

Friday lunchtime – The artist’s mother writes back and says that someone in the band was supposed to have sent the email.  Thus, the use of the word ‘yet’ above, meaning, (unbeknownst to me) she wasn’t actually the one sending what I’d asked for.

At this point we are just under 25 hours until the interview is supposed to happen. 

Friday afternoon – The artist’s mother explains that the band member is going through some family issues, so instead she “will get into my emails right now and send you the information needed.”

Friday, just before dinner time – I send a message saying that I’m “standing by, watching my email closely as I need to get started with this ASAP.” 

Friday evening – I send a message saying that “I just checked my email and still don’t see anything.  We’re really cutting it close here.  Hoping you’re working on everything I asked to have sent for tomorrow’s interview?”

The artist’s mother responds, “I am I’m working on an (sic) I apologize for how close we are cutting this…”  I answer with, “Okay.  I will keep watching my email.” 

Two hours, 21 minutes later (now 10:28pm Friday night) – I message the artist’s mother and tell her, “At this point we might just have to cancel,” and the response I get starts with, “I think so.”

I text a colleague in California asking if there’s a potential referral that can be made last-minute so as to fill-in (over Skype) Monday (or “Sunday could be a possibility too”) and I even throw out a specific – who we will call – Artist B as a potential option. 

Late Saturday morning – I call the hotel and tell them we won’t be coming in to do an interview after all.

I hang up and wipe the egg off my face and DM who we will call Artist C on Instagram.  This had been a referral from another guest somewhat recently and was filed away in my memory bank. 

One hour later – My colleague from last night texts me saying Artist B “is in” and that an email has just been sent to connect me with Artist B.  I hit Reply All on the email and ask Artist B about availability for Monday (or Sunday/the next day) and note that “I need some lead time for you to email me assets that I will be requesting.”

Saturday, dinner time – I text the guest who’d referred me to Artist C asking if a gentle nudge could be put in towards the Instagram DM that I’d sent.  Thirty minutes later I get back a, “Sure.  I’ll touch base with her!”  Eleven minutes after that I get a screenshot texted back to me of a text conversation that the two of them had, including instructions for me to be given Artist C’s cell number to text.  I immediately text Artist C who responds four minutes later with, “Yes I would love to do it lets work out a time.  I’m at my brothers wedding right now so can you text or call me tomorrow…?”  Admiring that this artist is taking time out from her brother’s wedding to text with me, I ask for an email address, get an answer back immediately from her, and I write an email with the details and instructions for an interview we agreed to do Monday. 

Late morning, the next day – I text Artist C to follow up.  She answers me twelve minutes later while on the road returning from the wedding.  Just 79 minutes later she texts me again, saying that the “email is sent.”  Yes, already.  What a pro.

Around this same time, Artist B is finally emailing me back.  Too late.  The ship sailed.  And as happens so often in this industry, you have lost the booking to someone else. 

Decide which artist you are going to be.  The one that makes excuses and drags their feet, or, the pro who is present, who is attentive, who is timely, and who seizes the opportunity when it comes their way.

Which one are you?  Has the above account inspired you to shift out of Artist A and Artist B mode into Artist C mode?  Share your feedback with me on Twitter via @NHT_tweets or on Facebook, LinkedIn, or even through email.

• • •

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.