Blog: The Promotional Whirl

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Like the wind, the sea, or the UNIVERSE ITSELF, it seems that the promotional whirl of ROCK has no real ending, for LO! today I sent out a huge batch of emails to over a THOUSAND music blogs, telling them that "Forest Moon Of Enderby" is going to be released SOON.

It was all fairly painless, and certainly took a LOT less time than it'll take to do the hundred or so PHYSICAL CDs I'm going to be sending out. I don't know though, somehow emailing a link to a DOWNLOAD point feels significantly less exciting than struggling down Leytonstone High Road with huge bags FULL of jiffy bags that I've sat and packed myself. I know some people who've followed the indie ROUTE complain about this bit - "I didn't set off on the road of ROCK to spend my days in the POST OFFICE", the might say - but I actually rather like it. It's not as much FUN as the first flurry of orders for a new album from actual PUNTERS, but posting out the promo copies always feels to me like the first stage of the GOOD TIMES of an album being released.

That said, there are certainly HUGE parts of the process I could happily do without - I'm sure nobody wants me to go over the RIGMAROLE of preparing artwork in the right format for printers, for example - but when it's all finally analysed at the end of Release Schedule, i have to say it IS good fun doing it all yourself, especially, as I say, when you're sending out the first batch of orders. The same names pop up again and again, and it's lovely to think there's people out there who keep coming back and buying our stuff.

And still to come are the WEEKS of googling and Nervously Checking Radio Playlists. Aah, the joys of THE INDIE! I bet U2 never get as much JOY out of finding their name in a podcast do they? Your loss, THE EDGE, this is GRATE!

posted 3/9/2010 by MJ Hibbett

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Comments:

Vastly impressed by all the industry, Mark. Sorta feel you're setting a benchmark ( must stop putting marks on benches ) for the rest of us aspiring music makers of the non- mainstream persuasion. Gdonya mate. rob
posted 3/9/2010 by robin vizard aka rob norrington

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