Baltimore's Best Kept Secret

Well, it only took me 3 months, but I finally got those flyers I talked about in this post from May made up. After going back and re-reading that post , it is a bit naive to think I could go out and push it EVERY night or that I could even inspire some of my friends to do the same, but I will make it a point to at least go out 2 - 3 times a week with these flyers and just advertise the CD.

4 crying out loud, I've got to do something! I was talking with my good friend Aaron Carl earlier today and realized that I have not moved shit as far as my CD is concerned. It's pathetic and I've been wracking my brain as to why. I didn't invest 5 grand into this project just to sit on it and see all the money and soul and dedication I put into it go 2 waste. So the question remains what am I doing wrong? How do I turn surfers and casual listeners into BUYERS. I've gotten over 600 hits to my cdbaby page from my video being featured on MSN these past few weeks and still ... not one single sale. Talk about a sting. I had 2 think 4 a moment ... is it because my record sux? I took it out and listened to it again. No, it doesn't suck. It's pretty damned good. I've even gotten good reviews.

So, instead of whining about it, I have to take action. I have a 5 part plan, the first of which are these delicious flyers. Instead of calling it "the alternative to straight pop", I went with "Baltimore's Best Kept Secret!" It seemed to fit the picture I chose. What do u think?

Phase 2 is this new mp3 card thing I'm going to try. It's like internet viral marketing.

Phase 3 is getting featured on PlanetOut. I know someone who sold over 100 cds in a week from the exsposure they got on there. That's more than I've sold in a year!

Phase 4 is this new thing called Your Music Network. It's new so it might not work, but I'll try anything at this point.

And Phase 5 is booking as many dates and performing as much as I possibly can. I sell 90% of my CDs (which at this point doesn't amount to much) from gigging or just me telling folks about it, so I need to gig more! Even though my band has fallen apart, I still have some upcoming solo shows. More importantly, I have my very first two paid gigs! (thanks, John!) In three years, I've never been paid anything to perform unless it was a cut of the door, and that only happened once ... at my CD release party in January. And all that money went to pay my band. I didn't see a dime. So, I'm very excited to FINALLY get a little compensation from a show. And the best part is the audience is built in. I don't have to go scrap and scrape and BEG everybody I know in Baltimore to PLEASE come to my show like I normally do. THANK GOD!

I'm always open 2 ideas. If any of U strangers or friends out there in cyberland have any new fandangled strategies on how I can sell more CDs and earn more fans, by all means, let a brutha know! The only way I'm ever going to make it to the big time is if I conquer the small time ... and damn, it's a lot harder doing that than I ever thought it would be.

"I just want the chance 2 play the part, the part of someone truly free." - Prince, Slave