This is a very difficult topic for me. I am a busy freelance engineer, but I would like to be busier and I want to get better gigs. No one will manage my career yet because I have no platinum credits. Self promotion is difficult to do without sounding like I am bragging. I like your idea of an e-mail newsletter. Can you send me a copy of your latest issue?

I'm in a small town. My business is almost all word of mouth. I've got some posters up at record and music stores, though I'm not sure if anybody pays attention. I also work 12 hours a week at a music store. I approach people there, and everybody who works there hypes me as well.

Re Self promotion.
Good topic. How come it was only "just" in the top ten new posts? Enjoy ten seconds of been No. 1.
It's on me.That's STEDEL by the way. Check yer later.Good post.
Kind regards

Well as I see it. it is always difficult to find good balance between beeing too strenuous or too "cool". You should not look to desperate when looking for work, but you have to promote yourself somehow. I thing the best is if you somehow achieve to have some kind of aura like "...he is really good...", but if you come and say: "Hi, I am the best and you have to be gratefull that I give you chance to share my knowledge or what..." It sounds too "american" (I do not want to touch anyones feelings, I have very high meaning about american engineers, but I had the such experience with some people). Interesting is that there is some kind of balance. The more this person tells you how good he is, the less he knows...
But I try to promote myself too. My latest attempt is my personal hompage, but I am still not able to finish it...

[QUOTE]Originally posted by Pavel Rejholec:
"Hi, I am the best and you have to be gratefull that I give you chance to share my knowledge or what..." It sounds too "american"

Ummm.... Please don't confuse Los Angeles with the United States of America. They are totally different places. ;)

Originally posted by Pavel Rejholec:
but if you come and say: "Hi, I am the best and you have to be gratefull that I give you chance to share my knowledge or what..." It sounds too "american"

You think Americans have problems?
try saying
"I live in Australia"
Apart from Rhodes microphones, the Fairlight, the makers of Jules new guitar pre-amp (if he ended up buying it) etc., seriously, how seriously would you deal with that? (Oh and the recent Movie Moulon Rouge, soundtrack mixed on pro Tools). Oh yeah, and the Matrix.And Star Wars.And ACDC. And the Bee Gees.Oh and... erm....Rolf Harris.

So what, you want to get a Business Advisory post
happening up here for Engineers and Producers Julian?
Can be an important topic for a self managed studio. Even if you pay someone to do it for you,
the personal touch can be a great way to help your business.
Are we serious about this? cos if we are I don't mind swapping info that may be useful to somebody.
Stedel? Useful? Well who knows. Here's an example
of the way I work.

I use these forums a lot at the moment.Whenever I visit it's normally on business. Of course in
this business,particularly when it goes well, we are able to mix work with pleasure. Try not smiling happily when you've finished a great mix that you and your client (s) - even if it's yourself - are very happy with for instance. Feels good yeah?

I recently put up two posts seeking information about outboard reverbs, plug-in reverbs, DAW's in general and Pro Tools specifically. The posts were on different forums - one here on Julian's and the other on Greg Malcangi's pro Tools forum on DAWworld.

I make my living from this business, so like Julian and Greg, my time costs. When people respond to my posts then they're giving me something that costs.
Information is a valuable commodity, it can be VERY valuable, saving you time, money, and head/heart/aches.

So, all good posts come to an end. Sometimes people on your post talk to each other about something related, but a bit away from your original topic. Ever noticed that? Sometimes they insult you!!!

Both my posts gave me excellent advice, new stuff to check out, confirmed some of my opinions
on the issues I was looking at, and pointed me foreward.

The one on Greg's forum may have kept going. Maybe it wouldn't.Anyway I need to follow up, and get more info re some of the topics and issues raised.
the best place to do this is on a post somebody else has put up. (who do you know called Julian, who seems to be popping up all over the place with questions, good information, and some very tasteful, cool personal promotion?)

So I decided to wrap it up. Allow new questions and posts to come through. Remember, try not to overstay your welcome up here. (Are you listening to this Stedel?).

So, I've been given great information. A lot.
What do I have, to give back? Not much. What I can do is say thanks to the people that took the time to visit and also have their say.I also let people
who visited my post on Greg's forum who like myself, may be interested in other opinions, related issues, etc about the topic, know about my other post here on Julians forum. On this one I got some different opinions, other valuable information that people maybe interested in reading, or maybe even asking further questions.
Now, as far as I know, nobody may even see this thank you..Or the promotion of other people and places to go to for similar information.But it's there So I think about different ways of letting some of them know how much I appreciated their input.This is a good opportunity here for instance.
and if you're interested in this, and reading about Reverb, maybe your're even one of the people I'd like to thank, press here

[[url=http://[/URL]="http://www.recordin…"]Entry/homepage to the site you're on[/]="http://www.recordin…"]Entry/homepage to the site you're on[/]
BUT NOT TILL YOU'VE FINISHED HERE!!!
(For those that don't know about Greg's forum, click on DAWworld when you get to the home page, then scroll down till you get to Pro Tools)
BTW ALWAYS check that hyper-links you give to people work

People who read it know I appreciate their time and input.
Some people may find the additional info I received and pointed them towards, interesting as well.All this is called ATTENTION TO DETAIL.
Hopefully it's a win win situation.
I'm happy. Other people are happy. You're happy if this helps.
And Julian's happy cos my reply means he'll go back to the number one spot again for a short while. In case you don't know, the Number One Spot is a good spot to be in occasionally if you want to promote something - even yourself.
Kind regards,
Here we go, and it's back to the number one spot
for Jools!!!!

Oh yeah, one more thing. This is all about STRATEGY.
A great way to analyse your business/promotional methods and approach is by using what is known
in Strategic Management as the S.W.O.T method.
S: strengths
W: weaknesses
O: opportunities
T: threats.
You can apply it over all sections of your business
including marketing. If anyone is interested in this approach reply up here and I'll give you a quick example.It's standard management practice for many organisations and a useful analytical tool.
Meanwhile, back to the number one spot for Julian.
Kind regards

stedel, exactly how much coffee do you drink in a day, m8? lol

good tips! cheers

great post here, jules. i've considered making a similar post in recent weeks, but just hadn't nailed my approach.

i like the promo e-mail idea a lot, since email is a staple and free. i also have built my website and can provide a quick link. but what else can i do? perhaps i do need to consider my strengths and weaknesses a little deeper: i can tell you one of my biggest weaknesses is i don't self-promote enough. so THAT needs to change! as for my strengths, i play/write/engineer/produce/program... there's never a problem when the artist says, "punch me in on the B minor halfway thru the bridge." sometimes i wear TOO many hats and forget to be artistic. but...

without self promotion, who's going to know how good we all are? here's one more suggestion to incorporate into your fax/email promotion: get some quotes from your most favorite, adoring clients; paraphrase them; put little red stars next to them, and BINGO: you've got credibility. plus it gives you an excuse to reach out and get them thinking about you a little.

wj
http://www.joeymuller.com

The fax out / email method I used a few days ago just resulted in 3 Major A&R dept meetings in NYC, who knows maybe more will come back to me.

:)

julian, could you give me an example of such an email? i would really like to see how it is done profesionaly, and with out sounding silly and boastful.

"there is such a fine line between clever and stupid"--david st. hubbins.

JULES NEWS

MOVIE SOUNDTRACKS

American Pie II - Has the Jules produced Lemonheads track Mrs Robinson in it and on the soundtrack album!

New Disney film - Max Keebles Big Movie - has the Jules produced (unsigned UK act) Ritalin track "Everything" in it. Ad's featuring the song are on US radio & TV now!

PRESS

Did you see the 1/4 page feature in Music week (the UK's Billboard) a couple of weeks ago on Jules' new publishing Co Library Music? "UK producer offers pioneering deals to unsigned acts" No? Well contact Jules to find out about it! Administration is via Bug Music.

UNSIGNED BANDS

Want a CD of cool unsigned bands that have been in Jules' studio - The Library? Just email requesting one! (if you are in A&R you are mad not to!)

Library Music LTD news

Looks like Twist have finally settled on new management starting Dec 1st (secret right now) Hopefully they will be back into The Library soon to do more tracks.
Cleaner - A track produced in The Library is being mixed by Chris Kimsey (Rolling Stones) and Steve Bush (Stereophonics) can't wait to hear how it comes out!
Sunset Sound - will be in to do their brilliant track "Borders" soon.

All the best

Jules
Producer / engineer, Julian Standen, London, UK
Take the studio tour! http://www.librarystudio.com

These are tips for engineers / producers

So there is / was my last 'mail out'

Faxed & emailed to say, 400 people. I have had gentle teasing but no complaint about my mailouts. Overall, industry insiders appreciate it.

They vary in level of achivements. This last one is (for me) a little 'snazzy', as it has some film action in it.

Tips

Use any achivement - that others can possible recognise. Eg - if you have recorded a band that have an unmissable local poster or radio campaign - TELL THE WORLD - YOU - RECORDED THEM!

Try develop yourself as a 'talent resorse' a point of contact where industry insiders wish to touch base with in their talent hunt. They may then start to SEND you new talent to work with..

Be savage, and cut out as many 'who?' credits on a one page credit list. (this tends to piss off the smaller acts you may have worked with, oh well! THAT LIST AIN'T FOR THEM TO LOOK AT - IS IT?)

If I don't have anything to 'brag' or shout about I wait to do a 'mail out' untill I do.

The first mail out I did, offered a (genuinly, not some 10% off type) unbeatable deal of studio time + myself as producer.

Anyhow, the mailouts work for me, they helped me survive as a freelancer and continue to help a small studio owner

Please add tips for Promo - it's TOUGH OUT THERE!

:)

Originally posted by Ang1970:
stedel, exactly how much coffee do you drink in a day, m8? lol

good tips! cheers

Now what is this about me and coffee? Am I the only one who drinks it round here?

"In seventeenth- and eighteenth - century medical literature as well as in the general view, coffee
was perceived as primarily a sober beverage, in contrast to previously known drinks, all of which were alcoholic. The coffee drinker's good sense and BUSINESS EFFICIENCY (my emphasis, Stedel's tip re Julian's topic!) were contrasted with the alcohol drinker's inebriation, incompetence, and laziness, most clearly in texts from seventeenth -
century Puritan England....
19th Century poet-historian Jules Michelet:
"Coffee, the sober drink, the mighty nourishment of the brain, which unlike other spirits, heightens purity and lucidity; coffee which clears the clouds of the imagination and their gloomy weight; which illumines the reality of things suddenly with the flash of truth....."
(From Tastes Of Paradise - A Social History of Spices, Stimulants, and Intoxicants." by
Wolfgang Schivelbusch.

So in answer to how much I drink, re the above quotes, if you ever read any of my posts,
probably not enough!!!

So tip for self promotion. Try and have coffee with associates, potential clients etc. NEVER EVER EVER have instant coffee in your studio. You'll loose more work this way, even more than if you stay at 16bits!!!!!

Stedel:

I'm really becoming quite worried about you. In the course of an average day, you post the equivalent of about 1/2 of a doctoral thesis, and that's only on the sites that i'm aware that you frequent. Now, we really appreciate the care and artistry that you put into these posts, but doesn't the hyper-exhaustive discussion of music interefere in your ultimate goal, which should be making music itself? Do you ever sleep? Do you ever go outside? Isn't there an interesting woman somewhere on your continent also worthy of some of your boundless energy?

We'd all hate to see you burn yourself out. Maybe you need a change of pace. How about some scuba diving on the great barrier reef? A trip to Tahiti? If worse comes to worse, we may have to start the "Hire Stedel a Hooker" fund.

sincerely,
CCFSH&WB
(concerned citizens for stedel's health and well being) :w:

littledog wrote:

"? Isn't there an interesting woman somewhere on your continent also worthy of some of your boundless energy? "

she's with me

hi there!
i'm just a tiny fish in the big ocean, but did find your conversation quite interesting....i really liked the idea of putting some pictures on the website, with smeone's commet on how professional, etc the engineer was...it reminds me those restaurants that have celebrity hugging the owner type of photographs on their wall...it does the trick!
i also think that a tallent pool idea is quite good. if you have an act that you believein, spned some moneyand time recording them, and who knows-they might get big and you might find yourself in Townhouse recording them...am i dreaming to much? not enough coffee then...
Cheers to ya'll
N

Originally posted by littledog:
Stedel:

sincerely,
CCFSH&WB
(concerned citizens for stedel's health and well being) :w:

Hi littledog. Sorry if I overstep. My inclination is to respond, but not here. If my posts are a forum discipline concern, reply on Julian's C.C.F.S.H. W.B.Post.
Just 1 thing.
1. Your comment re a hooker is deliberately offensive.Anyway believe me I am very much OK in this respect and have no need for any such procuring.

My honest apologies Stedel. Even though we don't know each other, i've read so much of you these last couple of months that it seems like you're a close friend. I was only trying to be clever and humorous, and everything i said was meant only in that spirit - but apparently it came across as overstepping the line into poor taste. Forgive me bro', for I have sinned... please? I'm not really a bad guy - just ask Mad John!

Hi little dog.
As George Harrison would have said "Peace and Love Man". Point taken about some of my style. I'll try and curb some of my excesses.Being born to an Irish family in Glasgow, Scotland, growing up in England till I was 15, then emigrating with my parents to Australia you're bound to pick up a degree of warpednessfrom that sort of background!!!