Cigar box guitars in the news - how to get free press

The Shane Speal Newsletter:  This one is especially for my musician/artist friends.  The secret to my "fame", Shanefans call themselves BOXHEADS, new cigar box guitars, posters and more fun stuff.  Read on...  

Cigar Box Guitars in the News
(or "How to Get Free Press")
----->
This was the front page of the Hanover (PA) Evening Sun newspaper last week...

I somehow made the front freaking page for a press release I sent about an upcoming DIVE BAR TOUR show!  I laughed when I saw it and told my wife it must have been a very slow news day... 

I have three or four press releases I keep in my computer and I prep for the next month's shows, I send them out to every newspaper, radio station and media outlet in the area.  I do it like clockwork...they must get sent for each show. 

If you're a musician, artist or even a small business owner, slow news days can be your best friends!  this photo above is proof.  Consider this:  Imagine what was going thru the editor's mind when he walked into the newsroom that morning, faced with a blank page to fill and absolutely no fun news in the queue.  At 10am, an email comes across his desk about an upcoming concert featuring a guy who plays homemade cigar box guitars and sings thru a tin can microphone.  "Here, run with this," he says as he throws the information on a young journalist's desk.

I sent that press release on a Tuesday morning at 10am.  I received a call within two hours from the journalist.  It really must have been a slow news day!  Two days later, my story was sitting on the front page of the paper. 

And you thought I got all this press because of talent or dumb luck, right? 

In this era of Facebook and social media, many of us tend to forget the old "dinosaur media."  The fact is, these journalists are waiting for your story.  They wake up each morning and face a blank page, dead airwaves or open TV slots and they're desperate for something interesting?

(Pictured left:  Ronn Benway, washboard player for Shane Speal's Snake Oil Band gets his picture into another newspaper in the same week!  The York (PA) Sunday News covered our concert at the Hibrewnation Beer Fest on Saturday.  They also shot a quick video of us.  See it here.)

Do you do something interesting?  Would you like the media to notice you?  Spend some time on Google today and research "how to write a press release."  Do your homework.  Find unique angles on your story (maybe ask friends for outside viewpoint which can be better than your own) and make several drafts.  Get some high resolution photos that you can attach to the email.  (Newspapers require photos to be 300dpi in size.)  The photos don't have to be from a pro studio.  Just make them interesting. 

Once you have your press release ready, make sure to email it to the editors and writers 3-4 weeks prior to any event or concert you're having.  Re-send it again two weeks prior.  The more media outlets you hit, the better chances you have in snagging a story. 

One more thought  --  I see so many bitter musicians posting "Support Live Music" on their Facebook pages.  I GET SO FRUSTRATED BECAUSE THEY ARE DEAD WRONG!!!  People don't need to "support" our music like a charity or welfare state.  They need to DISCOVER live music...they need to be seduced into attending your shows with a good story.  Get your story in the media!

Stay primal and get famous,

-Shane Speal
I took this selfie pic with two of my BOXHEAD fans during the Dive Bar Tour stop in Hanover PA last Saturday night.  This is the first appearance of Boxhead Culture that I've seen in the audience and I wonder if this will continue.  (Hey, Jimmy Buffet has ParrotHeads who wear funny hats...)

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Comment by Jeffrey Spangler on February 4, 2014 at 9:02am

I volunteered with MoveOn.org, MomsRising.org and AARP when I lived in DC, and their public relations professionals also recommended _calling_ media outlets a few days before an event if you haven't heard from them after the second notice.  Sometimes there are spaces in their published content which need to be filled at the last minute.  Another good listing resource is the equivalent of an urban "City Paper" or free regional arts publication where they're glad to list your event.  Just observe their deadlines which are sometimes pretty far in advance of publication.  If you circulate a "presser" [press release], they will come.

Comment by Jeffrey Spangler on February 3, 2014 at 11:48am

The Lana guitar reminds me of Tom Rush's "Naked Lady" guitar with a reclining nude set into the fretboard.  Dottie reminds me of Little Debbie snack cakes.

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