Comments on: “Shhhh-it!”: Idolator’s Super-Secret Music Interview Talks Shop

By: Blisse Reedquist

Blisse Reedquist — Sat, 23 Apr 2011 13:07:48 +0000

I realize in your page the rss feed says invalid location please fix this if you have the time

By: the rich girls are weeping

the rich girls are weeping — Mon, 16 Feb 2009 07:04:00 +0000

As a writer who’s gone completely apathetic thanks to the PR crush (among other things), I’m glad to know it’s not just me. However, as someone who’s doing pro bono press work for a friend’s band, it makes me realize that it’s going to be a lot harder to get people’s attention now than I realized. *sigh*

By: Anonymous

Anonymous — Sat, 14 Feb 2009 05:51:24 +0000

Actually JT, you are on my list and I have written you several notes (personal) which have been ignored. This is after you moved to Comcast, so unless you have a new gig, I think I'm up to date.

Just sayin'.

But please, enlighten me with your new PR Guide. ;-)

By: Lax Danja House

Lax Danja House — Fri, 13 Feb 2009 12:04:53 +0000

I had to laugh. Mere minutes after I read this post, I got an email from Candlelight Records saying they were moving to digital watermark promos to take advantage of the “security advantages.”

By: Anonymous

Anonymous — Fri, 13 Feb 2009 12:03:59 +0000

@Lucas Jensen:

yes. ha ha. it is very educational / redemptive / awesome read.

By: sparkletone

sparkletone — Fri, 13 Feb 2009 04:48:40 +0000

This was both highly entertaining, kinda awesome and yet kinda depressing.

Poor publicists.

It's hard out there for a pimp.

By: jt.ramsay

jt.ramsay — Fri, 13 Feb 2009 03:42:12 +0000

@Lucas Jensen: That hasn't been the case for me. Most of the people who pitch me still think I write for Philly Weekly, despite being in my current job for nearly two years.

I agree that blog content is worse, but when tour dates and mp3 streams are what constitutes news, how good could it really be.

Here's the thing for me: I'd love to focus on music for music's sake more. I know gossip is the thing for a site like the one I run, but I think there's the possibility to have that traffic stream support more substantive opportunities for artists.

But I can't have that conversation with publicists who simply don't see the value in putting their artists in front of a huge audience.

I've been offering a huge "in" since 2007. Wrote every PR in my contact list. I'm still getting asked if I can preview shows at the M Room.

By: Lucas Jensen

Lucas Jensen — Fri, 13 Feb 2009 02:45:25 +0000

@jt.ramsay: If only it were so easy to coordinate with editors. And you really think that WE made the bed? You basically state that it was bloggers who were obedient to publicists (whose standard MO is not that much different than before), and yet it's the publicists' fault for their initial sucking up to them? It's never the outlets' fault, right? They are just passive actors in all of this. Little naifs being pushed upon by the mean PR people.

And do you think it's better now? I'd say that blog content is demonstrably worse! I see less writing than ever and even more copying and pasting! PR people--at least the good ones--don't want this kind of content because it doesn't help our artists very much.

And, sure, shooting off a million emails a day doesn't work, right? Uh, the most successful PR people I know send out two press releases a day at least. Sorry, but if everyone else is doing it, and it's working for somebody than you have to play the same type of ball or your clients get left behind.

What's the other option? A million personalized emails that also get deleted? Editors and writers LOVE to talk about how it's "supposed to be done" but they don't pick up the phone anymore and they still ignore the types of emails that they want to see. You can do everything the "right" way and still get ignored.

Good PR people are NOT slow to adapt. I started promoting to blogs in 2004. We see an "in" and we take it. It's what we are paid to do.

By: jt.ramsay

jt.ramsay — Fri, 13 Feb 2009 02:25:17 +0000

I wanted to note that I think publicists made this bed. It was easy when bloggers just wanted to have contact with the music industry which meant they cut and pasted and just obediently posted mp3s. It was simpler then.

Once bloggers had expectations and demands, the job got tougher, but PR is very slow to adapt. I rarely find myself agreeing with Arrington over @ Techcrunch, but I think it's time that publicists evaluated the diminishing marginal value of shooting off a million emails a day that freelancers and editors automatically delete.

Lastly, I think the best way for publicists to succeed in creating value for their clients is to find creative ways to slow the hype cycle down by working with editors more to figure out what works now.

By: jt.ramsay

jt.ramsay — Thu, 12 Feb 2009 09:12:10 +0000

I’m literally drafting an email to PR that I ‘work’ with to explain how to pitch me. I’m trying to be constructive, although I do make a point of saying that sending me tour dates or an mp3 to stream just doesn’t cut it.

By: Lucas Jensen

Lucas Jensen — Thu, 12 Feb 2009 09:00:49 +0000

@raycummings: Thanks. This one was very near and dear to my heart, being a publicist. If you ever have any questions about that world, just let me know!

By: Anonymous

Anonymous — Thu, 12 Feb 2009 08:53:47 +0000

it’s a great series, man – i’m learning a LOT. seriously.

By: Lucas Jensen

Lucas Jensen — Thu, 12 Feb 2009 08:47:57 +0000

@NDFSEA: Haha...really?

Uh, okay!

By: Anonymous

Anonymous — Thu, 12 Feb 2009 08:25:56 +0000

2010 De Capo, anyone? Good job! Keep em coming, Lucas!

By: Anonymous

Anonymous — Thu, 12 Feb 2009 08:03:52 +0000

Amen this is one of the best Shhh-it so far. Except for mine of course ;)

So many things are right on.

By: Lucas Jensen

Lucas Jensen — Thu, 12 Feb 2009 07:51:11 +0000

@raycummings: Oh yeah. In fact, I think they are almost more important from a PR perspective than from an actual money-making angle.

By: Anonymous

Anonymous — Thu, 12 Feb 2009 06:29:28 +0000

Tours are so important it’s almost scary, in terms of pitching articles these days. Space is, increasingly, so tight in publications that it’s all about what’s local – and it’s mostly when one artist or another will be temporarily local that a feature/review/whatever is likely to get picked up in my experience. (This is in terms of alt-weeklies, obviously.)