MAMAView: EPK and You
By Middagh Goodwin
Winter is nearing its end and Spring is around the corner and that means more Festivals and outdoor events. What does this mean for performers? More opportunities to perform of course. But how do you secure these prime spots? A good press pack and internet presence are vital.
What makes a good press kit or EPK(electronic press kit)? A bio of who you are and what you have accomplished over your time as an artist. What makes you stand out, key shows(venues, festivals, or bands you have opened for), new releases, awards or accolades won? Two or three good pictures, include a live photo and make sure that at least one can be shared with press outlets. A sample of your craft, musicians include 3 songs that showcase your style, comedians include a short audio or video clip of your best performance. Links to your social media accounts so an interested booker can easily check out how many followers you have, how active you are online and how well you promote yourself. You can create this as an emailable file or create one on a site such as Plink or Reverbnation. You should also send out your EPK to local media outlets and college radio stations.
Do the research and email the contact who handles booking with a personal message, mention how much the event has meant to you as an attendee, or the influence the headliner has had on you or your band. When I ran Plea for Peace I would get close to 200 requests a month to perform during the summer. I did not have spots to accommodate them all and did not have the time to do research, so if I received a personal email and good EPK they were much more likely go get the gig. If you do not hear back within a few weeks send a follow-up, just once. Never post on your public feeds for your fans to spam a promoter or venue about how you should perform on a certain show.
The Modesto Area Music Association will once again be booking the local stage at the Stanislaus County Fair this year along with Patio Fest in June and the Downtown Sampler in October. If you are interested in performing dates will soon be listed on our Plink page. If you are already on Plink, follow us and you will get a notification of performance opportunities. Here is the link if you need sign up, https://app.plinkyou.com/mama
