Joe Taylor wrote a great blog post last week called Slow-Cooked Success. It addresses the quick-fix, instant gratification mentality that is so common among aspiring rock stars. Here's an excerpt:
"Anybody that tells you that you can go from zero to 100% success with one radio promotion campaign, or one tour of a foreign country, or one appearance at an industry showcase, doesn't have your interests at heart ...
"Instead, focus on the small things you can do differently every day to move yourself forward. It may take a little longer than you want right now, but your gains will be real, and you won't endure the shock of a crash when your real, perfect audience is there to support you."
David Hooper responded to Joe's blog with his own take on the subject: That you should expect to spend seven to ten YEARS (not months) becoming an overnight success:
"Look, the 7-10 years that it's going to take for you to make things happen is time that will pass regardless of whether you are working or not. So why not get off your ass and make things happen?
"I realize that 7-10 years may seem like a long time, but it will pass quickly when you're enjoying the process. And if you're not enjoying where you are now, don't think that you'll enjoy it any more when you 'make it' -- because the process never ends and nobody ever really gets to their destination like they think they will."
This discussion reminds me of a section from my audio CD, What Every Musician Should Know About Self-Promotion. Here's the text:
Do Something to Promote Yourself Every Day
For a moment, let's talk about your physical health. Let's say that you decide you'd be better off if you lost 20 pounds and tightened up your stomach muscles and other areas of your body. The first week, you work out three times and feel the burn. Then two weeks pass by before you exercise again. A month later, you find time to work out once more, but as you look in the mirror, you wonder, "Why doesn't any of this effort appear to be paying off?"
You know the reason. You can't lose 20 pounds and get in shape by exercising sporadically. In the same way, you can't promote your music effectively by doing it intermittently.
Too many musicians think about self-promotion in terms of the big media blitz. They use terms like "push" and "hype" and believe that one big wave of promotion will launch a music buzz that will somehow continue without any further effort from them. Sorry, but that ain't the way it works.
From now on, stop thinking about the Big Push and start getting in tune with the idea of small self-promotion activities engaged in on a daily basis. The thing is, with this approach, progress is tough to measure. Just like one exercise session won't produce noticeable results, every day or week you promote your music may not appear to bear fruit. But over the course of months and years, the continuous effort generates a tremendous payoff.
Every day, do something to promote your music. Reply to an e-mail from a fan. Send a review copy of your CD to a new media source. Call a club owner to set up a gig. Talk to another artist about a cross-promotion idea. Search online for new Internet opportunities.
The activity doesn't have to be earth shaking. As long as the actions you take are focused on connecting with more fans, doing something simple every day will reap huge rewards just three to six months from now. I guarantee it.
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