By Suzanne Glass

First, here's a rundown on the standard contents you might find in an indie musician's promo kit:

• Contact Info: Required, you can never put your contact information in too many places. Make sure to include website link and email address, as well.
• Cover Letter - One page, printed on your letterhead, it should summarize your reason for sending this submission (to receive radio play, get a review, be considered for a contract or live performance, publish a song, etc.)
• CD - Required, obviously.
• Bio - Usually a one-page bio printed on the artist's letterhead.
• Photo - 8 X 10 B&W glossy is still the standard, but you can also include alternate poses, color, or electronic photos.
• Folder/Binder - Needed when one or more sheets of paper must accompany CD (usually!)
• Press Clips - Collect your best press clippings (if available) and collate them onto one sheet, maximum.
• Equipment List - A listing of your musical and PA equipment, for use in planning live shows.
• Song List - A listing of all the songs you play in your live show. Typically used by cover bands.
• Gig List - A calendar of your upcoming gigs.
• Swag - Stickers, posters, candy, trinkets, T-shirts, buttons, novelties, etc.
• Other - Video, additional (live) recordings, stage plots, contracts, press releases, endorsements, lyric sheets, lead sheets, flyers, etc.

Now we'll turn to examining which ingredients need to go into the packages you send out. Note that you probably can't err by sending everything - no one really minds getting a free T-shirt (especially radio personnel or reviewers). But if you want to conserve funds and target effectively, consider the following situations.

Clubs/Gigs

Necessary: Cover Letter, CD, Bio, Photo, Folder, Press Clips, Equipment List, Song List (if cover songs)
Optional: Swag
Other: Live Recording, Live Video, posters, flyers, stage plot

Notes: When submitting for a live gig, your job is to convince the reader you know how to put on a show and bring in a crowd. A live recording or live video is the best proof.

Reviews

Necessary: Cover Letter, CD, Bio, Photo, Folder, Press Clips
Optional: Swag

Notes: When submitting for a review, whether online or in print, the recipient must write a story about your music. Therefore, you can make his/her life much easier by providing a full bio, photos, and a notice that additional background material is available at your website.

Radio

Necessary: CD, Bio
Optional: Photo, Swag, Press Clips, Folder, Cover Letter

Notes: Radio needs your CD, first and foremost. You can condense your bio and photo into a "One Sheet", a single page which usually contains a small picture, song titles, song run times, UPC (bar code) information, and artist/label contact info.

Labels & Managers

Necessary: Cover Letter, CD, Bio, Photo, Folder, Press Clips, Equipment List, Song List (if cover songs)
Optional: Swag
Other: Live Recording, Live Video

Notes: When submitting for a label or manager, you must be prepared to showcase ALL - your live show *and* your recorded music. A label or manager needs all of that to see if you can perform strongly both on the road and in the studio.

Songwriting & Publishers

Necessary: Cover Letter, CD, Lyric Sheets, Bio
Optional: Swag (rarely)
Other: Lead sheets

Notes: When submitting a song for publishing or recording by another artist, focus on the song and lyrics, not the songwriter. In this case, the writer is in the background and the song is out front. No need for fancy photos and extensive literature.