So, it's time to review and re-do my press kit, since there have now been some (reasonably favourable) reviews in both print and online media, I'd like to include some of this.

Do people think, fully reproduced reviews, or just a page with quotes (quoting the best bits obviously!)

Also had a pretty long interview... Include that or not?

The web based kit can obviously contain the lot, or links to them, but as people still seem to request physical kits, I want to strike the right balance of info and brevity.

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New album 'Fantasy Bridge' available now!
Making of Fantasy Bridge Diary

Anybody?

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New album 'Fantasy Bridge' available now!
Making of Fantasy Bridge Diary

Ok, as no-one else responded...

Reviews - I go with the 'one-line' quotes personally.
eg Absolutely Superb **** - Hamster and Small Rodent weekly.
etc

Include a hi res print standard photo or two.

Google it eh...

http://www.musicthinktank.com/blog/ar-tips-the-art-of-the-press-kit.html

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There has to be a story. The journalist has to have a reason to write/record/report a story.

Just like in music, this is called 'the hook' and is even more important.

You have to ask yourself 'What is the headline?' You have to announce something interesting.

Grunt sets fire to Pig on Stage!

Raving Jim Grunt and and his band The Bacon Pubes, caused a stir at the Tring Corn Exchange when they squirted lighter fuel over a passing pig and then set fire to the animal, believing mistakenly that the pig was a groupie called Alice. The flaming pig was quickly put out by a stage hand.

In a statement to the press, Grunt, 82, apologised to the pig and all of its friends and family, promising them free tickets to his new 'Bacon Pie' tour.

Quote The Red Bladder:

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There has to be a story. The journalist has to have a reason to write/record/report a story.

Just like in music, this is called 'the hook' and is even more important.

You have to ask yourself 'What is the headline?' You have to announce something interesting.

Grunt sets fire to Pig on Stage!

Raving Jim Grunt and and his band The Bacon Pubes, caused a stir at the Tring Corn Exchange when they squirted lighter fuel over a passing pig and then set fire to the animal, believing mistakenly that the pig was a groupie called Alice. The flaming pig was quickly put out by a stage hand.

In a statement to the press, Grunt, 82, apologised to the pig and all of its friends and family, promising them free tickets to his new 'Bacon Pie' tour.

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Does grunt have an album available I can buy please? I like the cut of his jib.

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Damn, and I was so relying on that pig burning stunt, and that thrice cursed Jim Grunt beats me to the punch again.

It was the same with the boiling bat, AND the whole badger mincing fiasco. I really hate that guy!



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New album 'Fantasy Bridge' available now!
Making of Fantasy Bridge Diary

On a more serious note. I get the whole hook thing. And I think that base is covered (somewhat)

I just want to know whether to include reviews reprinted in their entirety, or as Glyn says quoting the best bits from Hamster and Small Rodent weekly.

Several of the websites thrown up by Google (including that link Glyn) say to include reviews AND interviews, but then you get something with a bunch of pages that starts to look daunting and will unlikely remain unread for the most part (no matter how funky you make the layout.)

I think I'm settling on a bio page, selective quotes on another page and a couple of high res pics, along with a copy of the CD and leave it at that.

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New album 'Fantasy Bridge' available now!
Making of Fantasy Bridge Diary

Sounds about right! Brevity is important...

Selective quotes for me.

Please don't set pigs alight for publicity purposes. That is what bass players are for.

Hmmm, there's a difference between a 'press kit' and a press release. Some of your comments seem to relate to a press release (no more than one page telling a specific piece of news), whereas your original post was about a press kit (full biog, photos, sound samples, fact sheet, etc etc).

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Has anyone suggested to include a wrap of cocaine yet?

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http://soundcloud.com/richie-royale
http://www.mixcrate.com/richieroyale

Quote GlynB:

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Hmmm, there's a difference between a 'press kit' and a press release. Some of your comments seem to relate to a press release (no more than one page telling a specific piece of news), whereas your original post was about a press kit (full biog, photos, sound samples, fact sheet, etc etc).

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No, I definitely mean a press kit not a release.

I would have thought they were outdated, with the web and all, but I have recently had specific requests for an actual press kit.

So right now it's looking like:

An A4 card folder with 2 pockets, on one side a copy of the album (sans film wrap)
and on the other side:

1 page bio

1 page 'about the CD' who's on it, who recorded it and mastered it, etc.

1 page of selective quotes from reviews (mostly from Hamster Weekly, of course)

A couple of 10x8 photos

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New album 'Fantasy Bridge' available now!
Making of Fantasy Bridge Diary

What about including a password protected link to an 'exclusive' time-limited download track on the website. That way you'll get them to visit the website out of curiosity, rather than having to beg them. Hopefully they'll have a browse around the interviews etc. whilst it's downloading.

Everyone want's a freebie, especially an exclusive one. You can PM me mine

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Not much in life worth running for. Or from.

Quote MarkOne:

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Quote GlynB:

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Hmmm, there's a difference between a 'press kit' and a press release. Some of your comments seem to relate to a press release (no more than one page telling a specific piece of news), whereas your original post was about a press kit (full biog, photos, sound samples, fact sheet, etc etc).

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No, I definitely mean a press kit not a release.

I would have thought they were outdated, with the web and all, but I have recently had specific requests for an actual press kit.

So right now it's looking like:

An A4 card folder with 2 pockets, on one side a copy of the album (sans film wrap)
and on the other side:

1 page bio

1 page 'about the CD' who's on it, who recorded it and mastered it, etc.

1 page of selective quotes from reviews (mostly from Hamster Weekly, of course)

A couple of 10x8 photos

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You seem to have it covered. So it's just a case of posting them the stuff on physical paper, rather than them downloading it from your site directly? Come to think of it, this saves the bother of the reviewer downloading the stuff, in cases where they prefer to have the paper (which many people do still).

In the absence of a wrap of coke...How about including a tea bag so they can make a brew whilst reading ;-)

How on earth did you manage to get reviewed in Hamster and Rodent Weekly, I've been trying for years

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