How to NOT get your music reviewed in a magazine (Chris Mills is venting)

By Chris Mills | March 11, 2010 at 12:25 am | No comments | Uncategorized

We’re to the point with the print magazine where a lot of local artists are asking what it takes to get on the cover of Demencha, or even just a review on the inside. With our zine, some sure-fire ways to get covered in Demencha would be to put out music on a consistent basis and/or put out really fucking good music (duh) and/or pack out shows and/or be somebody that doesn’t necessarily have a record out, but has a lot of potential and/or be somebody that has an undeniably sharp opinion on something that revolves around music culture (like Mac Lethal does with the current issue we have out now).

I tell this to EVERYONE who’s trying to get coverage in Demencha: I will listen to your music. I’ll probably try to even come to one of your shows. If I think your music/shows are great, there’s a really good chance we’ll cover you either in the magazine or on this blog you’re reading now. But if I think your music/shows aren’t so great, we probably won’t cover your music at all, cut and dry. The reason for us taking this stance is because we generally like to stay away from writing negatively slanted reviews on local artists (if you’re Lady Gaga or the Ting Tings, of course, you’re fair game to getting dissed). It saves a lot of headaches this way, and we are generally about giving ink to the good things that Kansas City’s music scene has to offer.

HOWEVER, here are some additional sure-fire ways to shoot yourelf in the foot when approaching a magazine editor about getting pub, dap, ink, whatever, in no particular order:

1. If it turns out after listening to your CD that said editor is not necessarily crazy about your music, please act professional about it, be an adult and don’t take it personally.

2. DO NOT say any of the following things to said magazine editor:
“What do i have to do to get in the magazine?”
“How much does it cost to get on the cover of this magazine?”
“When you gon’ put me in yo magazine?”

3. And pleeease…please, please, please…do not use any variation of the phrase, “Put that in your book.”

Last but definitely not least, DO NOT MAKE YOUR MUSIC FOR MUSIC JOURNALISTS/CRITICS ETC. That’s why I almost enjoy writing about the street rap dudes in KC more than I do the indie-hip-hop guys. Most street rap guys don’t make their music for music journalists/critics, etc. Some of the guys on the other side of KC’s hip hop scene seem to, at times, make music in hopes that it will get a positive review from some writer.

End of Rant.