One great way to find print media contacts is to purchase or pick-up local newspapers and free weeklies. For TV and radio, a friend recommended I check out the "Broadcasting and Cable Yearbook," but when I looked for this resource at my local library, they did not have it. What they did have was the "Gale Directory of Publications and Broadcast Media" and the "News Media Directory." Both these books are wonderful resources and full of information--maybe TOO full.
So, how many media contacts do you need?
Start with your own personal 25. Capture information from some of each: newspapers, magazines, television, radio and internet. Put that information in a contact manager like Outlook, your telephone, or even your on-line Yahoo! or Google contact manager. Then start calling and pitching! You'll learn more from pitching 25 local outlets than dreaming about 25,000 national contacts.
Since the audio CD for my new musical is just about done, I'm starting to think more and more about publicity. You? Here are some headline ideas I might use--you are welcome to steal them and adapt them to YOUR new show or straight play.
The Five Things I Learned Writing my New Musical (These could be any of a dozen things I've learned. What did YOU learn doing your last show?)
It Ain't Porn Till the Audience Says It's Porn (My warmhearted show is about a porn star and people love to talk, and argue, about sex.)
Local Author Writes "Big" Musical (The title of my show is "Big Feet, Big Love." Can you play off the title of your new musical?)
How to Get Things Done--Even When You Feel Like Crap (I live with 3 chronic illnesses. What hardships have you pushed through in your writing, acting or directing?)
How to Write a Musical Without Lifting a Finger (I found a breakthrough secret for "writing" the music for my show. You know secrets too!)
Singing Playwright Offers Master Class (I probably won't do this one, but lots of you could offer an interesting theater themed class, seminar or weekend retreat.)
All the World is a Stage--and Every Job Applicant is an Actor (I'm dying to pitch a how-to article or class combining theater skills with the bad economy. What angle could YOU use?)
Are you tired of dealing with media people who won't so much as run
an audition notice? Judging by the theater folks I've talked with, you
have lots of company. It sure seems like the daily and weekly newspapers are getting
thinner and thinner, but pickier and pickier.
One thing you need to understand is that media professionals don't
give a crap about you, your show, your theater or your school ...
unless ... you are doing something their readers or viewers care about. They
need you, they need stories, they need to know what's happening, they
need to report what's new, but they don't need YOU. Ouch! I know. It
hurts, but it's true.
So, how to deal with this reality?
Instead of begging them to run your audition notice, give them what they want: something their readers can USE!
Headline: Broadway Actor Reveals the Seven Biggest Audition Blunder: and How They Cost You Money in Job Interviews
You've just quadrupled your audience from acting geeks to anyone who
might be looking for a job. You've gone from being of interest to a
very small audience of theater insiders, to something useful to a much large audience of
newspaper buyers and TV viewers who might be looking for work and who might like to try community theater. At your low-cost/no-cost class, your
in-famous, er, I mean famous actor will give honest value, get
some people on stage for some roll playing, then pitch your upcoming
audition.
Headline: Performing Arts Graduate Reveals Five Ways to Get Into College Free: And Have a Blast Doing It.
This is a low-cost/no-cost lecture or seminar for ALL kinds artists
and might include guest speakers (recruiters) from local colleges. The
class might include tips on selecting audition pieces for actors,
singers and musicians. You might talk about how to present yourself
well. How to emotionally prepare for the big day. A guest lecturer might talk about selecting art pieces for a
portfolio and how much a full ride scholarship is worth. Your
choreographer might talk about dealing with nerves and eating right for a high energy performance. Of course, you'll
talk about the value of auditioning for your new play as a way to
practice your interview skills and learn to perform under pressure.
You'll also explain that recruiters love to see acting and public
speaking on an application, and what wonderful stories community theater folks can tell
recruiters about their performance experiences.
This isn't just a notice about an upcoming audition. This new story
is of interest to all high school students and adults interested
in visual art and all the performing arts. It's also the kind of story
that parents want to tell their kids about, and the kind of event they
want to attend with their teens because it can save them, literally, a hundred grand in
college tuition costs!
Do you see? If you can double, triple or quadruple your audience by offering something all those people can USE, the media almost can't
HELP but cover your event. That's when you'll become a media darling.
Everyone who does theater publicity needs a Swipe File. A Swipe File is a box, a file folder or a little part of your brain that keeps track of great headlines and story ideas from "out there." Now, if you are going to swipe publicity ideas (and we all do), you might as well steel from the best. This morning, news anchor Robin Meade ran a great segment on "Morning Express with Robin Meade" it was called:
Good News in a Bad Economy
This is a great subject for theater publicity! Why? We could all use a little good news right now and newspapers and media outlets want to run hopeful stories. Every person you hire, every smart financial move you make, every first-time (or long-suffering-veteran) actor you cast, every new musical you produce is automatically Good News in a Bad Economy. Your story is automatically topical, newsworthy, interesting, unusual and useful for the readers and viewers. You just need to pitch it that way to get media coverage that's almost automatic. Try it this week and share your results using the "Comment" link below.
Page to Stage, That’s the Plan for This Local Author
Maiden, NC – Last fall this local author wrote a musical without writing any music. Now he’s trying to write a stage play by writing a novel. Does this make any sense? Only if it works, and Rodney Robbins thinks it will.
“I’ve been a singer since before I could talk,” says Robbins, “so singing a song is easy for me. On the other hand, making all those little black marks line up correctly on a musical staff is a nightmare!” So, Robbins wrote his Valentine’s Day musical Big Feet, Big Love by recording the songs on his computer and e-mailing the audio files to a musician in Virginia. The engraver transcribed the songs and put them down on paper. “For me,” says Robbins, “that was a natural way to work.” Performance rights for the musical are available now using a special royalty based contract.
So why write a novel, when you want to end up with a stage play? “There were some structural problems with my fantasy story Celtomania,” says Robbins. “Outlining the book helped me find the plot holes that were holding me back.” He’s working on chapter three now and hopes to finish the first draft of the novel by the end of April. “I should end up with a fast paced supernatural romance that’s fun to read—and fun to watch,” says Robbins.
What is the difference between writing a play and a novel? “I know the scenes the audience absolutely must see on stage to make the play work,” says Robbins. “I need to learn how to expand my vision to include the scenes that don’t necessarily fit on stage, but that make reading a novel such a full, rich and enjoyable experience.”
Keep in mind that one of the best ways to use press releases is to post them on your website. This allows reporters and other media professionals to find you. Use the topic or the idea from your press release to write custom pitch letters to your favorite journalists.
Five Myths About Buying a Guitar for Christmas Five Mistakes to Avoid When Buying a First Guitar
Maiden, NC -- After playing guitar for 30 years, local songwriter and playwright Rodney Robbins has heard a lot of myths about buying that first guitar. With Christmas just around the corner, here are five guitar buying myths that need to be exposed before you spend a penny on a new instrument for your child or yourself. 1. The smart move is to buy the kid a cheap guitar and see if he likes it. Myth. If you want to "see if he likes it," take your child to the guitar store and let him try a bunch of guitars in your price range. Here’s a hint, your price range starts at about $200.00 and ends at $500.00 or whatever you can afford. It is hard to buy a playable instrument for less than $200.00. Good brands include Fender, Squire, Ibanez, Epiphone, Washburn and Yamaha.
2. Guitars are really hard to play. Partly true. My first guitar was so hard to play it literally made my fingers bleed. Recent advances in CNC woodworking mean easier-to-play guitars at lower and lower price points. Electrics are the easiest guitars to learn on. Nylon stringed classical guitars are also easy to play. Your child will need strong fingers to learn to play on a steel stringed acoustic guitar. 3. Buy a new guitar and you won’t have to pay extra for repairs. Myth. Even expensive, brand name guitars often come from the factory in need of adjustment. Paying $25-50.00 to have the action lowered (for easier playability) and the pickups or intonation adjusted (for better sound) is a sad fact of life. Don’t cheap out! Paying for an hour now can make your child’s new guitar (or yours) easier to play for years to come. 4. Guitar lessons are expensive. Partly true. Private music lessons on any instrument can add up. On the other hand, guitars are so popular there are hundreds of books, magazines, tapes, videos, CDs, MP3 downloads and websites that offer lessons. You can buy a CD with the instrument, or get started with free lessons available at YouTube.com (search for "guitar lessons"). 5. There is nowhere to buy a guitar around here. Myth. Readers can shop on-line at MusiciansFriend.com,or The GuitarCenter.com or use Yahoo! Local to find a store in their area.
Contact Person: Rodney Robbins Telephone Number: 828-461-1306 FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
How to Write a Play Without Lifting a Finger
Author of New Play Faces Paralysis but Keeps Writing
Maiden, NC -- A local playwright says his new musical has high energy dance numbers, but the playwright has days when he doesn’t have enough energy to type "Curtain Up."
The play is called "Big Feet, Big Love" with book, music and lyrics by Rodney Robbins. It is a spicy, musical romp about a reluctant film star’s search for true love. It is currently available on-line at BigFeetBigLove.com with a special royalty based contract that the author says reduces the risk of taking on a new musical. The show is so big and full of life, readers may be surprised to learn Robbins lives with three chronic illnesses: Celiac Disease, Migraine headaches, and Periodic Paralysis.
"Of the three problems," said Robbins, "the Periodic Paralysis is the worst because it affects everything I do." Periodic Paralysis is a rare genetic disorder that causes weakness or paralysis when potassium ions leak into the muscle cells. The disease only affects 1 in 100,000 people. "I figure the odds of having all three disorders are somewhere around 1 in a million," jokes Robbins. To control the spells of paralysis and keep writing, Robbins takes "more drugs than an Olympic bike racer, and enough potassium to drop a race horse." He also tries to keep his activity level steady and is under doctors orders to eats a low carb, low sodium diet.
Living with three chronic medical conditions drives Robbins work. He said, "The worst thing is not being able to sing, really sing!" As a child, Robbins was a member of the Phoenix Boys Choir. Later he sang in choruses, choirs, bands and shows. "On a good day, I can still croak out a song," said Robbins, "but it’s not the same." He added, "Maybe you would not expect this from the author of such a bawdy musical, but when I can’t sing, I feel cut off from God. Maybe writing music is my way of calling God’s name."
"Big Feet, Big Love" includes ballads, comedy songs, instrumental dance tunes, production numbers and duets. Robbins said he looks forward to seeing and hearing talented artists bring his show to life.
For more information on Periodic Paralysis, go to http://hkpp.org.
"Big Feet, Big Love," the show with a great big heart, is available now! This new musical is a hoot or a show with a big cast of vivid characters, wonderful songs singers and audiences will love, dancing girls, a car crash, an Amazonian Tree Frog and much more. The play comes on a data disk with your choice of American or International formats. Print as many copies as you need for your cast and crew--no extra charge. Leads include three women, and three men. There are 14 music numbers plus reprises. Running time should be about 90 minutes not including one carefully placed intermission.
"Standing Room Only--The 'Big Feet, Big Love' Publicity Manual"
While many playwrights don't really understand publicity, and some actually loath it, Rodney Robbins believes every show should have a publicity manager. The publicity manager for this show will have some powerful tools to work with: 25 news releases (all with catchy headlines, informative subheads, quotable quotes and photo suggestions). You'll also get a dozen radio pitches including "The Big Quiz" and much more.
If you are having a premier of "Big Feet, Big Love," I'd love to come see the show! Even if your show is opening in Wellington, New Zealand (here's a shout out to the folks at BATS Theatre), I'd love to attend, but I probably won't be able to. My health doesn't allow me to travel much.
That's okay, no playwright has ever attending the opening of a play I've been in, and the playwright of your next show probably won't attend your opening night either. That doesn't mean you can't use their name (with permission) to help get media coverage for your show. The news release below shows one way to make it happen.
I particularly like this piece because it is not really about the show or the theater; it's about a chance to do good. That's something your audience cares about. That means it will be something your local media care about. Of course, if you are doing a show by some other playwright, you'll have to make some changes, but you can still swipe my idea, get more publicity for your next show and sell more tickets!
Contact Person: [Name and title] Telephone Number: [Direct number goes here] FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Best Seats in the House Up for Grabs Playwright Can’t Attend--Theater Auctioning Tickets for Charity
[Your Town] -- Tickets are hard to come by for the premier of what looks to be the season’s hottest new musical. Theater patrons have a chance to get the playwright’s seats and benefit the Muscular Dystrophy Association (MDA) at the same time.
[Theater name] is presenting "Big Feet, Big Love" opening [date and time]. [Theater manager’s name and title] reserved two of the best seats in the house for the show’s author, Rodney Robbins, the Singing Playwright. However, due to health concerns, Robbins will not be able to attend the gala opening night. He has a rare form of muscular dystrophy called Periodic Paralysis. Robbins asked the theater to auction his tickets and donate any additional funds to the MDA.
The MDA is funded almost entirely by individual private contributions, seeks no fees from those it serves and spends 78 cents of every dollar directly on research, services and education. They cover 42 neuromuscular disorders, including Periodic Paralysis, ALS or Lou Gehrig’s Disease, Friedrich’s Ataxia and many others. More than 1,000,000 Americans are affected by these diseases--many of them children. If these two tickets sell for $800.00 total, they will pay for one child to attend MDA camp for one week or help fund one of the 400 research teams working to end these serious illnesses.
If you are ready for a hot night of live entertainment, want to support a worthy cause, or insist on having the best seats in the house (and a great story to tell) call the [theater name] box office at [give telephone number] and place your bid. Bidding closes on [give date]. The winner will be notified by telephone the day after bids close. Regular tickets are also available now.
-END-
Photo Suggestion: Stock photos are available at http://www.mda.org. Or, come down to the theater and we’ll get a shot of the leads of "Big Feet, Big Love" hamming it up in the best seats in the house.
PS
If you think this type of news release template would make it easier for you to get media coverage and sell more tickets, I have 24 others that I'll include with the script for "Big Feet, Big Love." If you want to talk about theater publicity, or my new show, drop me a line.
