HOBBite#1: Cover Letters/Emails
Ah the dreaded cover letter or email to a producer to introduce yourself and hopefully get a booking is always a source of stress - you want to sound interesting and funny but not like an idiot, be professional but not boring!
Below are 10 helpful tips to make sure you dont make common mistakes and also give the information thats needed to make a good impression.
1. Remember Burlesque is an industry and you are asking for a job so make sure you do the basics you would for any other job - be polite, use a spelling and grammer check, use capital letters where needed and write in proper sentences not text speak. Terms of endearment such as hon, babe and lovey are a major no-no too. This may sound obvious but you'd be surprised!
2. A producer wants to know some basics that must be easy to find: where you are based/happy to travel to, what style your performances are and what you actually do, your experience, what makes you unique.
3. You want to associate yourself with a particular type of performance, that way when they need to cast that type of artist you will spring to mind so use direct language and make sure you know what catagory you fall into - if in doubt ask around.
4. Finding something nice to say about the night/venue/show you are applying for costs nothing and will go a long way!
5. Always attach 2 good quality photos - one studio and one live is ideal and make sure they are a lower res so as not to clog up inboxes. Also its good to include with a link to an online presence that isn't Facebook.
6. Never say your fee to a producer in an email unless they have asked for it. Chances are they have a fee in mind already and you may offend them or do yourself out of a job by trying to sound expensive.
7. Keep your emails short, friendly and factual, if you have other information you'd like to include - your acts, full credits etc attach a biog for them to look at.
8. If you have press quotes or professional stage training do mention them, breifly.
9. Remove 'sent from my iphone/ipad' from your footer
10. Lastly remember producers and venues get lots of emails everyday from burlesque and cabaret artists. If you don't hear back don't take it personally they are probably just busy or not looking at that time, just change your wording slightly and send a follow up email a few weeks later reintroducing yourself.
Good Luck!!
