Promoting Janis [Archive] - Janis Ian Forum

david uk

05-15-2006, 06:38 AM

I just thought I'd start a new thread following what Janis wrote on Cloggie's thread... Janis wrote:

Real honestly, we're having a horrible time making sales in the US - for the first time in my life, European sales are way way past US sales. So any suggestions are welcome!
We're having an impossible time getting national press, NPR won't have me on any of the bigger shows because I'm old news, etc etc.
If I sound discouraged, I am! but given how much of the BBC coverage we got in the UK was really due to UK fans bothering the stations, I'm hoping that in the US it will apply as well.
Thanks in advance, all!!

maybe this thread could be a good place to share email addresses of radio/tv shows and newspapers in the US who we could all contact to encourage them to cover Janis's tour and FINB.....

any way we could make this a "sticky" thread too?

Amy in Vermont

05-15-2006, 08:18 AM

We need to get a mass email/mail campaign going.

Targets?

I suggest:

Jay Leno (http://www.nbc.com/nbc/The_Tonight_Show_with_Jay_Leno/feedback/index.shtml#feedback) (click the dropdown, choose Select a Musical Guest), 60 Minutes (60m@cbsnews.com), Oprah (http://www2.oprah.com/email/reach/email_showideas.jhtml), Ellen (http://ellen.warnerbros.com/funstuff/dearellen/), Today (today@nbc.com), CBS Saturday Early Show's Second Cup Cafe (http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/1998/07/08/earlyshow/saturday/main13497.shtml)(they do not accept email like this, so write or fax), for starters.

The 60 Minutes piece on the Dixie Chicks last night was very interesting.

Second Cup Cafe often features performers whose names are familiar to our generation, but not to the younger generation of listeners, like Phoebe Snow, Maureen McGovern, as well as up and coming young singer songwriters.

A large segement of the audiences for Ellen & Oprah are women of our generation who need their memories jogged. Janis may not be in the forefront of their current musical tastes, but they will surely recognize the name, and pay attention!

Chet

05-15-2006, 08:21 AM

What about local radio stations in the places where she will be appearing soon? That would make it more immediate and relevant.

If I'm not mistaken, some of the US Rudies have written to both Oprah and Ellen but without getting any replies whatsoever.

It'll be interesting to know how long it took for the Dixie Chicks to be invited to appear on 60 Minutes. Some of the more national shows require months in advance to plan.

david uk

05-15-2006, 08:21 AM

:) email addresses anyone?

Jan de Vries

05-15-2006, 08:34 AM

Anybody knows Oprah??? (or the people around her). That would be the thing! 40 years as a singer-songwriter, with Janis' history and all, why not Janis in the Oprah show?

Jan from Holland

Chet

05-15-2006, 08:37 AM

Jan - why not indeed? Yet, why hasn't she responded to the emails sent in by fellow Rudies?

We get Oprah on our cable network here. I watch it sometimes, and it seems to me her celebrity guests are high profile celebrities of the moment, which may be why she hasn't invited Janis to her show so far.

GodSistah

05-15-2006, 09:26 AM

I wrote to A&E's "Breakfast With The Arts".

Here is the link to the show and I used the "Contact Us" link at the bottom of the page: http://www.aetv.com/listings/episode_details.do?episodeid=166939

On this past Sunday they had Mark Knopfler and Emmy Lou Harris...I was looking at her boots and thinking about Janis...and why Janis can't be on this show with her own boots...her boots are waaay better than the ones Emmy Lou was wearing!

~Andrea~

moshemae

05-15-2006, 12:15 PM

her manager should make appts. with big shows like letterman and oprah and stuff. if she could get some expossure she could be huge again!

moshemae

05-15-2006, 12:20 PM

I know that it is hard for managers to make appts. but i really think they should try! To get bigger sales in US you need to spread the word about her new album! And noone will know without her being broadcast nationally. If it is very hard to make connections with the big shows and stuff maybe she should ask some of her celebrity friends or contacts for help like dolly parton and people like that. They could help her to get on the shows. Their managers could like help her or something. I don't know im just thinking of ideas.

david uk

05-15-2006, 12:21 PM

her manager should make appts. with big shows like letterman and oprah and stuff. if she could get some expossure she could be huge again!

hi- unfortunately it is not quite so simple moshe- we need to do the legwork....:)

email addrsses please !

GodSistah

05-15-2006, 12:25 PM

I'm also writing to all the appropriate programs on KPFA 94.1FM [Berkeley] out here in the Bay Area... Here's the weekly schedule: http://www.kpfa.org/schedule/

~Andrea~

Cardiffgal

05-15-2006, 12:56 PM

http://www.cbs.com/latenight/latelate/email/

and CBS SUnday Morning

sundays@cbsnews.com

Dee

05-15-2006, 01:01 PM

Just sent the same request to both Jay Leno and David Letterman's shows:

Though you and you staff might remember her mainly as the singer of the classic 70s song At Seventeen, I would like to suggest a musical guest, a witty and talented singer-songwriter who is still going strong: Janis Ian.

Dee

05-15-2006, 01:52 PM

david uk

05-15-2006, 02:30 PM

This may go without saying, but I do hope all of you Rudies in the US will be contacting your local media outlets if Janis is touring through your neighbourhood. Local coverage may be more likely than the long shot (so it seems) of nationally broadcasted shows.

yes Dee, here in the UK Janis had national coverage, but the vast majority was local coverage (Anne don't be modest!) :)

Kath of the Guitar

05-15-2006, 03:14 PM

Chet

05-15-2006, 03:43 PM

Hey guys, thanks for the heads up on this. I was under the impression we were doing great considering all I've read about Janis in the UK....stupid me! should've known better. Here we play mostly GARBAGE. I will never understand why people are not familiar with the body of work she has produced. We should've been doing this all along. Janis, don't let them get you down.....united we stand, and we can move mountains.:) Now let me get to work on this.
Kath
Well, that's the UK, Kath. She's done very well in the UK and Europe this year - the link posted by mukman is to an interview done in the Netherlands.

yes Dee, here in the UK Janis had national coverage, but the vast majority was local coverage (Anne don't be modest!)
DavidUK is right. What Janis needs is local coverage, especially to coincide with her shows in each town / city. I'm sure her publicity people have covered the national publications, radio and tv shows, but the US is HUGE and in most places, local coverage counts for more, far more, than national coverage.

The UK coverage was in part a big effort on the part of the fans (stand up and take a bow, 'TweetAnne - yes, you, the one in Manchester) and also in part Janis's UK publicity people being motivated by what the fans were doing. It was something done in partnership between the official publicity machinery and the fans at grassroots' level.

With a few more shows coming up in the States, you US Rudies can still do your bit, but don't waste it on the national shows. Write and call your favourite local radio stations.

Come on, US Rudies - do what your UK buddies did!!

*Chet taking up the Rudie pom-poms to cheer on the US Rudies*

Eva

05-15-2006, 03:46 PM

Does it help to write from Europe?

Eva

david uk

05-15-2006, 03:50 PM

Eva can it do any harm?:)

Eva

05-15-2006, 04:02 PM

You are right, David... :)

Eva

GodSistah

05-15-2006, 04:57 PM

I got another response from a local d.j. here in the Bay Area. I was happy with the response: "Thanks for writing. I like this CD a lot. I've already played a few cuts from it."

~Andrea~

Chet

05-15-2006, 05:04 PM

I got another response from a local d.j. here in the Bay Area. I was happy with the response: "Thanks for writing. I like this CD a lot. I've already played a few cuts from it."

~Andrea~
But no plans to interview Janis?

GodSistah

05-15-2006, 05:13 PM

The glass is half full! ;)

Perhaps if she comes to Berkeley, California, he will interview her. :)

~Andrea~

Chet

05-15-2006, 05:19 PM

Oh yes, I forgot California's not on her current tour schedule.

gisli

05-15-2006, 05:23 PM

When contacting the radio shows or the talk shows, put the emphasize not only on the songs or the cd´s or the life long career, but also on the Pearl foundation and the good work she is doing for others to fullfill their dreams.

And then there is always a scandal....like telling some ,no name mentioned, that she has slept with the Kennedy´s?????

Just a thought.

Then what about a remix of one of the songs in FINB???

Chet

05-15-2006, 05:25 PM

And then there is always a scandal....like telling some ,no name mentioned, that she has slept with the Kennedy´s?????
gisli - we'll leave that to Janis to tell. No one tells it better than her. :p

Bat

05-15-2006, 08:33 PM

I was just wondering if it would do any good to contact Ellen's Mother?...hmm

DaveM

05-15-2006, 08:50 PM

There's an idea....a remixed version of FINB. "Folk Is The New Black--Plugged In"?

Dee

05-16-2006, 01:40 AM

I was not suggesting that the US Rudies don’t try to get her on the big name national shows or that any of us don’t try (I did try with Leno and Letterman – the two biggest late night US national shows). As Janis knows, hitting it big is often the luck of the draw.

I was only saying that it is more likely she would be interviewed in the areas of the country where she is currently touring, given the great success Manchester (and other European Rudies) had when she was touring there, using the persistence method, it seems.

David from London

05-16-2006, 11:10 AM

I don't know that much about the media in the US, but there's a lot more local media there than in the UK?

moshemae

05-16-2006, 07:54 PM

but in the u.s. in order to sell you need to spread the word. which is hard to do unless you get some decent promo on tv and magazines and radio etc.

Chet

05-16-2006, 08:12 PM

but in the u.s. in order to sell you need to spread the word. which is hard to do unless you get some decent promo on tv and magazines and radio etc.
Oh, but Janis's new album is also available online through her website and she has a strong fanbase who buy directly from her, so she doesn't depend 100% on tv, magazines and radio.

However, for her European tour, appearing on various radio shows in England has helped spread the word about her concerts and led to some venues being sold out. It would be nice if something similar were to be scheduled for the rest of her tour back in the States.

moshemae

05-17-2006, 04:33 AM

i hope she schdules some things back here in the states since things went well overseas.

david uk

05-17-2006, 05:19 AM

moshe I saw almost no empty seats over here in Europe... the only ones were in Brighton and according to local people that was because there had been no publicity... so there you have it lol

Bryan

05-17-2006, 08:51 AM

Why bother with Oprah and Ellen? They are just not going to reply. So we are crazy about Janis...they don't care (actually, their producers don't care). The smaller shows are a better target. Personally, I thought this new album had generated more press than the last few. But perhaps that has not affected sales in the states. Yes, TV would do it. Certainly one of Rudies must have some kind of connection that might work.

dutchcloggie

05-17-2006, 08:58 AM

I understand your feelings about this sceptic. But we should not despair. It really really annoys me when I read things like "God & the FBI was a masterpiece that has been largely ignored in favour of records by lesser heroes". (Can not remember where I read this).

Janis makes fantastic records and we need to make sure they get the attention they deserve. many small stations might make more of an impact than one large one.

How about college radio stations? THey tend to be open to 'alternative' music to pop music?

BTW: Should this topic be made a sticky one so that it remains on top all the time, as a reminder?

Pesky

05-23-2006, 11:58 AM

MadMusician

05-23-2006, 12:13 PM

I just received tickets to attend a "Soundstage" taping - a PBS music concert series (taped in Chicago). Thinking of this board topic, I thought why not send an email to them and ask if they can feature Janis? So I did - just a few minutes ago - so no reply.
I've attended tapings featuring Joan Baez, Nickel Creek, Alison Krauss & Union Station, Travis Tritt, Dar Williams, Lisa Marie Presley, Gillian Welch, Shelby Lynne and Kris Kristofferson. I thought Janis would be a PERFECT fit on this show. I don't know how or when they book artists but it doesn't hurt to ask.

Bat

05-23-2006, 12:18 PM

I was thinking that after the long-awaited Autobiography comes out, there might be hooks in it to hang a story on for PBS Sunday Morning...it seems like a natural fit for that show!

RedjackRyan

05-23-2006, 12:54 PM

I recall John saying something a while back about Janis being the most wired artist he knew of, wired meaning in this case meaning internet savvy.. maybe thats where Janis should focus.

I saw a blurb a month or so ago that Second Life would be having its first live virtual concert. From what i've read, Second life is a massive online community that exists as a complete virtual world. People own property, design and market games within the larger *game*, there are clothing designers so people can buy clothes for their virtual representations, investment oppourtunities, that allow people to generate real income all within this virtual world. Some people are even making enough real money from this thing that they've quit their real-world jobs.

I really havent checked into it too much, but it may be something Janis would be interested in pursuing at the very least as a way to get even more exposure for her music through mp3's or video clips.

Marcia Drummergal

05-23-2006, 07:22 PM

Great job, Pesky. That's a pretty positive response. I applaud you!

And Diane, you never know! Soundstage is a great show. I loved it back in the 70's!

Marcia :)

DaveM

05-23-2006, 08:42 PM

Soundstage has a long history of providing a showcase to artists no one else seems to have the time for, but ought to. They did the only hourlong concert film of The Roches that I know of, also gave an hour to Loudon Wainwright III (which featured his unforgettable "I Wish I Was A Lesbian"), another to Martin Mull (who plays a mean jazz guitar) and I believe another to Harry Chapin. Surely Janis is more than deserving of some of their airtime.

Embarrassingly, I didn't know the program was still on the air. Northern Minnesota PBS is a bit peculiar....it's the only PBS station I know of that shows as many hunting and fishing shows as documentaries. Thankfully, the area Public Radio is far better and yes, they do on occasion play Janis' songs.

Eva

05-24-2006, 05:13 AM

I had a thought today. Sometimes my rusty brain does that to me, strangely enough...

When I was checking my hotmailaccount I saw on the Dutch MSN that people can watch or download a sketch by a certain comedian. I clicked the link and there were more of them there. MSN is mostly visited by young people, I believe because of it's chatfunction and all. I thought it was really smart of the comedians involved to promote themself there with a short sketch.

If I translate this to Janis... Maybe it is possible to put a fragment online of certain well visited websites of a song sung live? I think the best way to bring Janis' magic accross is live. So why not a live clip on websites? Or audio only if the site doesn't provide the option to play a little 'film'.

Eva

Randy & Betty in Pa

05-24-2006, 04:25 PM

I've no doubt that Janis and staff are working their tails to the bone.... And gathering ideas are great.... Just bare in mind we have a roll to play here also... Have you all submitted a review to Amazon.com of "Folk is the New Black"?... Have you told your friends?....True enthuisam is contagious....Tell them all... and if they get enthused they will buy the CD and play it for others....

As to writing to programing directors of radio are television shows.... Pust the address links and my letter will follow to them...

We can make a difference... after all we are RUDIES!!!!

Best to all

R. from Pa

hoops

05-24-2006, 06:12 PM

not sure if anyone has brought this particular show up, but the radio show Bob and Sheri is popular all over the country. and they love to interview people like Janis so... you can check out their site Bobandsheri.com and send them emailsssssss. they are the biggest little show on radio. what do ya think???
peace
Noel

snakegrl

05-25-2006, 03:04 PM

Pardon me for jumping in here so late. Been thinking about all this.
Everyone here has excellent suggestions. But, for us Rudies to be our most effective, I think we have to be a very loud squeaky wheel- together.
I know a little about the publishing industry and they are mostly concerned with numbers- are you published and how often. They don't care much with who. Figures speak volumes- pardon the pun.
We have to be the mouse that roared.
So, here's a plan.
Pick a week, soon, while Janis is still touring and everyone contact all the big names mentioned before. get your buddies in on this too. Bombard them with enthusiasm. Maybe this will create a buzz.
You gotta give those guys a reason to open the door and that only happens if a dollar sign is knocking.
Then, do the same thing with the smaller venues where she will appear.
Do follow ups with the people you've already contacted.
In a nutshell, make a big focused effort.
Anyway, that's my two bits.

Dee

05-25-2006, 04:02 PM

...well at least I got a response.
Thanks
Pesky

And quite a positive response at that! Well done!

Eva

05-25-2006, 04:08 PM

Have you told your friends?

I have Randy. They told me to shut up already. 16 Hours a day hearing about how great Janis is, was a bit too much for them, I guess... *sigh*

Eva

SFBill

05-25-2006, 08:04 PM

I sent an email to the producers of PBS' American Masters series, requesting that they consider profiling Janis Ian.

Here's the reponse:

Thank you for writing regarding our programming. Your suggestion regarding a future AMERICAN MASTERS profilefeaturing Janis Ian is deeply appreciated and will be shared withthe appropriate staff. In addition, your suggestion will also beshared with GREAT PERFORMANCES, which also profiles legendarymusicians. (Recent subjects on GREAT PERFORMANCES include Paul McCartney,Eric Clapton and John Lennon.) Again, thank you for taking the time to share with Thirteen yoursuggestion regarding one of our programs.

Sincerely,
Scott McClintock
Thirteen Member and Viewer Relations
(212) 560-2888

...well at least I got a response.
Thanks
Pesky

This is awesome!
I'm just catching up on this thread.

Did anyone else contact CNN?
If they do a segment on Janis--it will be repeated for a week--and then again months later.

Here is the feedback for Paula Zahn
http://www.cnn.com/feedback/forms/form4.html?19

Here is the link for Larry King
http://www.cnn.com/feedback/forms/form4.html?73
though I can not imagine Larry and Janis having much to talk about!--LOL!
But a guest spot on his show would certainly get the word out about FITNB in the U.S.!

I also do not agree with the opinion that contacting Oprah and Ellen is a waste of time--if they get enough requests they just might consider a Janis segment!

Bill

ponytail

05-26-2006, 11:40 AM

"Fresh Air" would be an NPR show that would probably book Janis. The host's name is Terry Gross, and the show originates from WHYY in Philadelphia. I'll track down the e-mail addy.

ponytail

05-26-2006, 12:31 PM

...and here's contact info for Fresh Air:

freshair@whyy.org

Fresh Air
WHYY-FM
150 N. 6th St.
Phila., PA 19106
ph 1-877-21-FRESH

moshemae

05-26-2006, 12:36 PM

i will email them today! we should all make a point to email them or write them.

MadMusician

06-02-2006, 08:45 AM

Soundstage has a long history of providing a showcase to artists no one else seems to have the time for, but ought to. They did the only hourlong concert film of The Roches that I know of, also gave an hour to Loudon Wainwright III (which featured his unforgettable "I Wish I Was A Lesbian"), another to Martin Mull (who plays a mean jazz guitar) and I believe another to Harry Chapin. Surely Janis is more than deserving of some of their airtime.

Embarrassingly, I didn't know the program was still on the air.

I attending the Soundstage taping last night (Lee Ann Womack & Julie Roberts). Right after you checked in, they asked you to fill out a form about what artist you would like to see on Soundstage. I and my companions all wrote down Janis Ian. Well, 4 votes out of a possible 200 isn't great but it may bring it to someone's attention.

Here's a link if anyone wants to write a request for Janis to become a 'featured artist'.
http://www.pbs.org/wttw/soundstage/contact.htm