How to Book Your Own Gigs
When you're just getting started being able to book your own gigs is an absolute necessity. It's a lot easier to conceptualize than it is to execute, but there are a few tricks of the trade that could save you a few wrong turns. Getting your foot in the door of a well established venue can be insanely cut throat, but with some prior planning and professional follow up, you can up your odds tremendously.
First off, you need to know who you're looking for. If you're contacting venues on your own behald, the promoters are the ones you need to wow. In order to do so, you'll need to have done your homework. You need to know you're approaching the right venue. If you wouldn't go listen to your music at the venue you're requesting a slot at, you should probably reconsider your location. Having a pre-set pitch and promotional plan in place is key when reaching out to the promoters. They want a concise presentation of what you can bring to their venue. If you end up securing the gig, bring your best to the stage and be sure to follow up off stage. You'll be surprised what a little gratitude can do to your odds of additional gigs down the road. Dave Kusek, author of The New Artist Model shares some more best practices for booking your own gigs on MusicThinkTank.com
"Think about all the musicians and bands you know in your area. Where do they play? If you’re interested in playing any of those venues, get in touch and suggest a collaboration. You could pitch your band as the opening act or do more of a collaborative 50/50 set split, especially if you can bring your audience. "
A quick note to people who write for Hypebot: SPELL CHECK IS YOUR FRIEND!
I’ve read 3 articles this morning (including this one: “behald”???), and each one had spelling errors. Use spell check and use an editor to read through things before they are published so they can (hopefully) catch errors.
If you want your writing to be taken seriously, then it can’t be sloppy!