I'm a big fan of using email to promote my music. I'm not great it, but I recognize it's value and do my best to offer value to you with each of my newsletters. Nevertheless, Kat asked me recently what mailing lists I have, so she could better understand what she was subscribed to. So I thought I'd offer a short break down.
First and foremost is my the Marc Gunn Newsletter (aka Marc's Musings). I've published the newsletter for well over a decade. You can even read past issues right here. It is currently published via Reverbnation and comes out at least twice a month. Subscribe here.
The Celtic Music Magazine has been published regularly longer than any other newsletter I've had. Past names of it include: Celtic Muse, Celtic MP3s Weekly, and Celtic MP3s Music Magazine. It's once again a weekly ezine that highlights the latest episode of the Irish & Celtic Music Podcast. I also share new Celtic CDs that are released by indie Celtic bands and sometimes Kickstarters of Celtic projects. You might also find Celtic travel news. Subscribe and read past issues here.
The Brobdingnagian Bards Crier is the oldest newsletter I publish. It's the newsletter of my old band. Since we don't gig much these days, I don't publish it very often. Maybe once a quarter, if that. Though I should get a new one out soon since we're off to DragonCon in just over a month.
Cat Drinking Tails is published by my cat Torre for my Irish Drinking Songs for Cat Lovers series. It features cat music-related news and small glimpses through the eyes of my cats. I would love to publish it on a monthly basis, but I just can't seem to truly manage more than two newsletters.
Celtic Invasion Vacations is a newsletter for those who love to travel. I use it almost exclusively to let people know about my upcoming trips. I'd love to add travel features, but again, time… If you ever want to join me, you should sign up. You won't get many emails.
Marc Gunn's Weekly Street Team is an internet street team newsletter I started earlier this year. It's goal is to help me get more reviews for my albums. And so I will mail out album download links and then ask fans to write reviews on iTunes and Amazon which, in theory, will mean a great impact on sales on those websites. The emails are all automated and I think I only have two albums listed thus far. I really need to get off my butt and add more albums.
Marc's Internet Concerts mailing list is exclusively created so I don't have to send a zillion emails to promote my latest internet concert through my regular mailing list. Some folks don't or can't watch that way. So I don't want to annoy them. Instead, I have this list. It sends out three emails before each show to remind you. Of course, you'll note that I've not scheduled a show in a while. Aside from time, I figured I would set the next concert as an unlisted Milestone on my Patreon page. Shh. Don't tell anyone. When we hit $400, I'll do the next show.
I started Song Henge in 2006 as an email newsletter. Every month, I mail out a download for an album of Celtic music by bands featured in the Irish & Celtic Music Podcast. This is a members-only newsletter that is now also a part of the podcast's Patreon levels. The money goes towards supporting the podcast.
Celtfather Weekly was actually started at GenCon last year. It's managed through Aweber which means I can use autoresponders to send out automated emails and all that fancy stuff. But I was gonna use it as my main weekly mailing list. Until… I found by using my Reverbnation list, I was hurting my rankings on that site. And I like telling everyone that I'm the #1 Celtic Artist in the WORLD! Since then, I've mostly abandoned the newsletter as I brainstorm how I should or should not use it.
The Irish & Celtic Music Podcast won in the Podcast Awards in 2009 and 2010. That's because we had a HUGE fan base and they were involved. Unfortunately, search engine changes have led slower growth of the show's popularity. Nevertheless, I still have strong, powerful fan base. And I want to win another time in the Podcast Awards. That's why I started this newsletter. They typically have daily voting in the awards. So I need people who are willing to vote daily to make this show a success. Join my Podcast Awards show and you can also help some of my podcasting friends.
I don't think I've published an issue of Autoharp Music Tips in a number of years. The list grows slowly through my autoharp music website. But again, I don't do much with it.
Technically, I own Renaissance Festival Podcast News, however, the newsletter is now published by David, one of the minions of the podcast. He sends out shownotes every two weeks after the next show goes live.
I started the North Alabama Celtic Calendar newsletter as a way to reach Celtic music fans in Birmingham and Huntsville. Unfortunately, I don't publish much because, again, time. The list also hasn't grown fast. Probably because I don't promote it.
I started the Celtic Geek Con newsletter exclusively for when I decide to actually follow through with the event. It may never happen though. It will require help and no one's stepped up to make it happen.
The Bards Crier Music Marketing Newsletter was started in about 2000 as well. I don't publish music marketing tips much any more. So it's stagnant. I keep waiting for the day when I decide to publish that music marketing book I have in my brain.
The Celtic Musicians newsletter was created as a way to reach Celtic musicians for promotional ideas and tips. But not many artists have actually signed up. And even when they do, the response is poor.
Well, that's it for now. I will add more. Especially as I fine tune the autoresponders to sell CDs. I've learned a few techniques I am hoping to implement in the future. In the meantime, feel free to subscribe or unsubscribe to any or all of these newsletters to find out what's happening next with my music.
