| 9 | Publicity of Recorded Music |
A recording contract, simply stated, says that the artist will create recordings and the label will market the recordings. An important element of marketing planning and execution by a label is promotion, and publicity is typically a part of that overall promotional effort by the label. Labels typically handle publicity for the artist’s recording career and for news and press releases about the label itself. Sometimes an artist will hire a personal publicist to handle other areas of their life and career.
This chapter is designed to give an overview of the publicity department at a record label, including its responsibilities and how publicity contributes to the success of a recorded music project.
The objective of label publicity is to place nonpaid promotional messages into the media on behalf of the artist’s recorded music project. That can range from a small bullet point in Rolling Stone to an appearance on the “Late Show with David Letterman.” Appearances in the media contribute to the success of the label’s promotional plan to put the artist in print and on the air to support the marketing of the label’s music.
The theory is that the more positive impressions consumers receive about a recording, the more likely they are to seek additional information about the recording, and to purchase it. Advertising planners use the term reach and frequency as they compile a strategy and its related budget. This means they plan an affordable ad campaign that can “reach” sufficient numbers of their target market with the “frequency” necessary for them to remember the message and act by purchasing. Publicity becomes a nice complement to that strategy without the direct costs of paid advertising.
Label publicity on behalf of a recording artist, like any positive publicity, has a certain credibility that paid advertising does not. After all, a journalist thought the artist was interesting enough to write an article about him or her or a review of the music, and a publisher thought it was interesting enough to make editorial space in a magazine or newspaper to present the story or run the review.
Advertising is the handcrafted, paid message of the record company’s marketing department designed to sell recordings. It is someone’s crafted message with the intent of getting into consumer’s wallets. However, an effective publicity campaign can create an interest by journalists in writing articles about artists and their recordings in the not-so-commercial setting of a feature article. An article in a newspaper or magazine can suggest to the consumer that there is something more to the label’s artist than just selling commercial music. Published articles and TV magazine-style stories (for example, “60 Minutes”) tend to add credibility to the artist as an “artist” in a way that paid advertising cannot.
There are key differences between publicity from the label and advertising placed by the label. Label publicists generally create and promote messages to the media that are informative in nature and do not have a hard “sell” to them. On the other hand, advertising is designed to influence and persuade the consumer to purchase CDs.
Publicity in the music business—a historical perspective
The earliest music promoters were in the publicity business at the beginning of the last century, primarily helping to sell sheet music that was heard on recording playback devices or at public performances. The title of the job during these times was that of “music pusher.” Those who worked in the publicity profession in the early 1900s relied primarily on newspapers and magazines to promote the sale of music.
In 1922, the federal government authorized the licensing of several hundred commercial radio stations, and those in the music business found their companies struggling as a result. People stopped buying as much music because radio was now providing it, and newspapers and magazines were no longer the only way the public got its news. Radio became the entertaine and the informer. But publicists found themselves with a new medium and a new way to promote, and quickly adapted to it, much in the way they did in 1948 with the advent of television as a news and entertainment form.
Today, the label publicist works with print and television for features and live appearances, while radio promotion handles airplay on AM, FM, and satellite radio, and video promotion works with stations and channels that use videos as part of their programming (Lathrop, T., and Pettigrew, J, Jr., 1999).
The label publicity department
The work of a label publicity department (sometimes called the media relations department) is very much like a sales department. Rather than selling “things,” they are selling ideas and an image. In particular, they are “pitching,” or selling story ideas to the media, attempting to stimulate an interest by the correspondent in writing or producing a story about the artist’s recording.
Staffing the publicity department
Large labels often employ a director or manager of publicity. The full responsibility of media relations and publicity rests with the director. They are accountable to the media outlets they serve, and they are also accountable to the various departments at the label such as A&R, marketing, and sales. Sometimes that accountability stretches to the artist and the artist management team.
Structurally, some managers of publicity report directly to the president/chief operating officer of the label, and they are often called director or vice president of publicity, or some similar title. Some labels align the publicity department’s accountability directly to the marketing department, while others make publicity a component of the creative services department. (Creative services typically handles design and graphics work for albums and point-of-purchase [POP] material, as well as imaging for the recorded music project.) Those who are hired as independent publicity companies for label projects typically report to the vice president of marketing.
Staff publicists work for the director and handle the day-to-day planning, coordination, and execution of the work of the department. Labels that have a large roster can stretch the time and energy of staff publicists, and sometimes the limitations of staff time require the employment of independent publicists. It is not uncommon to find that staff people are handling ongoing publicity efforts for several active artists at the same time.
Large label publicity departments sometimes hire independent or freelance publicists because these publicists have relationships with key media gatekeepers. They are hired because they have important contacts that the label does not have, and they can be effective in reaching these media outlets on behalf of the artists of the label. In some ways, this is similar to the use of independent radio promoters by record companies to reach programmers that are key to securing airplay for a recorded music project.
Independent and smaller record labels sometimes handle publicity in-house, but they often hire a publicity firm on a project-by-project basis, or pay a retainer fee in order to have access to their services as they are needed. The cost of paying an employee to handle publicity at a small label becomes a financial burden at times when business is slow. During down cycles in the record business, even the major labels have laid-off entire publicity departments and hired independent firms to handle the work for them.
Tools of the label publicity department
The publicity department creates and distributes communications on a regular basis, so the maintenance of a quality, up-to-date contact list is critical to the success of that communication effort. Some publicity departments maintain their own contact lists; some use their own lists, plus lists through a subscription service; others rely entirely on subscription database providers.
An example of a subscription, or “pay” service, for media database management is Bacon’s MediaSource. Bacon’s updates its online database daily with full contact information on media outlets and subjects on which they report. The value of maintaining a quality database by the publicity department is that the information enables them to accurately target the appropriate media outlet, writer or producer. Services like Bacon’s can literally keep a publicity department on target. Most labels and their independent publicist partners maintain several lists within their databases to assure they are not sending news releases to people who are not interested in the subject matter. These lists are used to send out press releases, press kits, promotional copies of the CD for reviews, and complimentary press passes to live performances.
The most effective way to reach media outlets is through email, because “it’s inexpensive, efficient, and a great way to get information out very quickly” (Stark, Phyllis, personal interview). Though some outlets still prefer faxes, the challenge with them is to program the machine for delivery at a time that is convenient so that home-based journalists are not awakened in the middle of the night with the alert on a fax machine. A few media outlets still prefer regular mail, but the immediacy of the information is lost. An effective publicist learns the preferred form of communication for each media contact. Bacon’s MediaSource provides some of that information but it is always preferable to check with the journalist.
Internet distribution of press information from a label requires the latest software that will be friendly to spam filters at companies that are serviced with news releases. A spam filter is an electronic filter used by many large companies to prevent the sending of unsolicited email to company employees. The most reliable way to assure news releases and other mass-distributed information are received by a media contact is to ask about any spam filters, and ways to bypass them.
Press releases are a standard tool in public relations; one that works better than letters or phone calls (Spellman, P., 2000). The press release is used to publicize news and events, and is a pared-down news story. Following are five examples of when a press release should be used:
1. To announce the release of an album
2. To announce a concert or tour
3. To publicize an event involving the artist or label
4. To announce the nomination or winning of an award or contest
5. To offer other newsworthy items that would be appealing to the media
The press release should be written with the important information at the beginning. Today’s busy journalists don’t have time to dig through a press release to determine what it is about. They want to quickly scan the document to determine whether this is something that will appeal to their target audience.
The anatomy of a press release
The press release needs to have a slug line (headline) that is short, attention-grabbing, and precise. The purpose or topic should be presented in the slug line. The release should be dated with contact information including phone and fax numbers, address, and email. The body of text should be double-spaced.
The lead paragraph should answer the five W’s and the H (who, what, where, when, why, and how). Begin with the most important information; no unnecessary information should be included in the lead paragraph (Knab, C., 2003a). In the body, information should be written in the inverse pyramid form: in descending order of importance.
The artist bio provides a window into the artist’s persona, and sets the artist apart from others. Before writing the bio, an examination should be done on the artist’s background, accomplishments, goals and interests to find interesting and unique features that will set the artist apart from others. (Knab, C., 2003b) Keep in mind the target readership of the bio. Some busy journalists may use portions of the bio in a news story. The bio should be succinct and interesting to read (Hyatt, Ariel., 2004). Create an introduction that clearly defines the artist and the genre or style of music.
Another of the primary tools of the department is the press kit they develop on behalf of the artist and the recorded music project. Typical components of the kit include:
A press release announcing the release of the CD
The artist’s bio, which is often created by someone hired by the label for this specific purpose
The CD that contains the single or the album
High-resolution color jpegs of the artist on disc
A “cut-by-cut,” which is a paper attached to the press release listing of the tracks included on the CD with the artist’s personal comments about each track
A discography
Sometimes it also includes an electronic press kit (EPK), which is a VHS or digital video recording of the artist’s music video and also shows them discussing the music and the project. This helps journalists get a sense of what the artist looks like and how they relate other than through their music
Clippings (tear sheets): articles printed or video stories created by other media
Journalists say that the most useful parts of the press kit, sometimes called a pitch kit, are the CD, the cut-by-cut, and the photos.
A cover letter is included with the press kit and should be personal to the journalist. The purpose of the letter must be very clear in the first paragraph of the letter, and it should be specific, not general. From the journalist’s perspective, answer the questions: “What do you want?” and “Why is this important to me?” Otherwise, the label publicist risks having the journalist set the kit aside to, perhaps later, figure out what it is all about. And later may never happen.
A good photograph can generate a lot of publicity. It can be the most striking and effective part of a press kit. A good quality photo has a much better chance of being run in print media and is worth the extra effort and expense. An experienced professional photographer can bring out the true personality of the artist in a photograph. Sometimes, location is used to help portray the artist’s identity, but studio shots are easier to control (Knab, C., 2001c). Publicity shots are not the same as a publicity photo. A publicity shot is one taken backstage with other celebrities, or at events. The publicity photo is the official photographic representation of the artist. Publicity photos should be periodically updated to keep current with styles and image. But, once a photo is released to the public, it is fair game for making a reappearance at any time in the artist’s career, even if they have moved on and revamped their image.
The music video also becomes an important part of the continuing effort of the publicity department to promote the album as consecutive singles are released. Though many labels have video promotion departments, the artist’s music video is also a valuable tool used by publicists in securing live and taped appearances in television programs.
Working with the artist’s image
Any aspect of the entertainment business relies on the created perception of the artist or event. After all, it is show business. It is important to the label to know the perception of the recording artist in the minds of music buyers. One of the most important contributions a label publicity department can make towards defining the public’s perception of the artist is carefully helping the artist develop their image.
There are several key items that contribute to the image of the artist. Among those are:
The name chosen by the artist
Physical appearance of the artist
Their recording style and sound
Choices of material and songwriting style
Their style of dress
The physical appearance of others who share the stage
The kind of interviews done on radio and TV
Appearance and behavior when not on stage (Frascogna, X., and Hetherington, L., 2004).
Some labels will hire hair stylists and clothing and costume consultants, some will pay for dental work, and some are rumored to pay for cosmetic surgery in order to polish the artist’s image to prepare them for their expanded public career (Levy, S., 2004).
Hiring a media consultant is a judgment call for the label, and they may or may not feel that an artist should receive training. What a media consultant does is train artists to handle themselves in public interviews. Working with the artist, the consultant prepares the artist for interviews by taking the unfamiliar and making it familiar to them, teaching them to know what to expect, and giving them the basic tools to conduct themselves well in a media interview. The debate comes from critics who say media consultants go too far by preparing artists with suggested answers, and thereby create cookie-cutter interviewees with nothing new or interesting to say.
Publicists and others at the label should take care not to compromise the unique qualities an artist has by developing an image that isn’t consistent with who the artist is. The values the artist has should be apparent in their music and public image in order to tighten the connection with record consumers who share those values. Ideally, the label and the artist manager will work with the artist to help them define who they are personally and creatively, and then coach them to an image that is commercial but not artificial.
For established artists, care must be taken not to radically change their image. Fans are quick to pick-up on efforts to radically re-tool an image, and the result can ultimately turn fans away from an artist.
Evaluation of publicity campaigns
Top management and artists themselves will seek feedback about the effectiveness of a media campaign on behalf of an album project. Clipping services are available that will search publications and television shows for copies of articles or video clips that will demonstrate the news item connected with the media. AristoMedia, an independent publicity company in Nashville, often uses Google as an efficient way to check the impact of its news releases a few days following dissemination (Lathrop, T., and Pettigrew, J, Jr., 1999). It is good for artist relations to present the artist and manager with a box of news clippings to indicate the successful efforts of the publicity department in securing media coverage.
Target marketing through the publicity plan
Label publicity, as in any part of the marketing process, must keep its focus on the target market for the recording. The starting point is to get a clear understanding of what that target market is and how publicity fits within the project’s marketing plan, then to develop a plan to reach the market through publicity. The plan created by the publicity department is coordinated with the other departments within the label. For example, A&R will define the artist, the music and the genre. Marketing will provide the overall plan that will include sales objectives, the target market, the marketing communications plan, as well as an estimated release date for the single and the album. Radio promotion will provide its timeline to work the record to radio, and let publicity know if the music will be promoted to multiple formats. That helps the publicist know where to place their efforts. Sales will give its timetable so that publicity efforts will be timed to maximize sales at retail.
Reaching the target audience with press releases requires an understanding of the actual audience of the media. For example, Table 9.1 outlines the media type and its intended audience.
Trade publications, like those noted above, offer the benefit of setting up a recorded music project to garner the interest of radio and video channels. New artists especially require a major push by publicity to create that invaluable buzz among the electronic gatekeepers of radio and television. The trades must be worked before the release of the album, and radio should be worked prior to the release of the first single. Press releases can be sent to trade publications in the hopes of getting an article or at least a blurb about the upcoming release.
Table 9.1 Media and target examples |
|
Media |
Targets and examples |
Daily newspapers |
General readers from a national, regional, local base |
Lifestyle, entertainment magazines |
Broad national readership with a certain editorial focus People, Entertainment Weekly, Cosmopolitan |
News weeklies |
Young, urban, sophisticated, culturally aware readers Village Voice, SF Weekly, Boston Phoenix |
Music and pop culture magazines |
Young, affluent adults with strong interest in … music Rolling Stone, Spin, Vibe |
Genre-based music magazines |
Customers of chain record stores Country Weekly, The Source, Flipside |
Promotional magazines |
Customers of chain record stores Pulse, Request |
Magazines for music hobbyists and pros |
Players of instruments, recording engineers Guitar World, Mix, Musician |
Magazines for record collectors |
Collectors and aficionados of oldies and rare discs Goldmine, DISCoveries |
Trade publications |
Music industry professionals Billboard, Radio & Records, Variety |
Fanzines |
Pre-teen and teenage fans of new artists Tiger Beat |
Source: This Business of Music Marketing and Promotion, Lathrop and Pettigrew, 1999. |
|
The savvy publicist researches the magazines, newspapers, fanzines, and so forth before submitting materials for publication. The types of stories, reviews and features that each publication prints should be noted. Then, only those that match the target market and that regularly feature the types of stories being pitched should be approached. Nothing aggravates a writer or editor more than someone pitching inappropriate material to their publication. It is generally easier to get placement in a niche magazine than a more general publication. Genre-based music magazines are more receptive to publishing suitable material, and there is less competition than one would find with a general-reading publication such as People.
Peter Spellman says, “the first ingredient for a successful publicity plan is a clear idea of your market audience: who they are, what they read and listen to, and where they go. Each style of music is a subcultural world … your job is to understand this world” (Spellman, P., 2000a). The publicity plan is designed to coordinate all aspects of getting nonpaid press coverage, and is timed to maximize artist exposure and record sales. The plan is usually put into play several weeks before the release of an album. Spellman also says that “your publicity objectives can only be realized through successive ‘waves’ of media exposure” (Spellman, P., 1996b) because of the short attention span of the public. Each wave needs a promotional angle: an album release, announcement of tour dates, or anything newsworthy.
Table 9.2 The publicity plan |
The publicity plan |
• Set publicity goals |
• Identify target market |
• Identify target market |
• Identify target media |
• Create materials |
• Set up timetable w/deadlines |
• Pitch to media |
• Provide materials to media |
• Evaluate |
| Source: The Publicity Handbooks, David R. Yale, 2001. |
The publicity plan starts with goals: awareness, motivation, sales, positioning, and so on, and priorities are established (Yale, D. R., 1993). The marketplace is then researched, and media vehicles targeted. The materials are developed and the pitching begins. Lead time is the amount of time in advance of the publication that a journalist or editor needs to prepare materials for inclusion in their publication. A schedule is created to ensure that materials are provided in time to make publication deadlines. Long-lead publications are particularly problematic for the publicist as they need to have materials prepared months in advance of the release date, and sometimes those materials are not yet available. If an artist suddenly breaks in the marketplace, it is too late to secure a last-minute cover photo on most monthly publications.
Pitch letters are then sent out to media requesting publication or other media exposure. The pitch letter is a carefully thought-out and crafted document specifically designed to grab the interest of a busy, often distracted journalist or TV producer. It is never mass-mailed, but is specifically tailored to each media outlet being contacted (D’Vari, M., 2003). The pitch letter should begin with a few words presenting the publicist’s request, and then quickly point out why the media vehicle being contacted should be interested in the artist or press material. Prep sheets are also developed and sent to radio so that DJs can discuss the artist as they spin the record. As the publicity plan unfolds, it is necessary to evaluate the efforts through clipping services and search engines (see section on evaluation of publicity campaigns).
A budget for the publicity campaign is developed based on the objectives of the project and the expectations of the label for the part publicity will play in stimulating interest in the artist’s music. If this is the first album for the artist, the development of new support materials may be necessary, such as current photos and a bio. If it is an established artist, budgets could be considerably higher, in part because of the expectations of the artist to receive priority attention from the director of publicity.
Table 9.3 Example publicity timeline for a major label |
|
|
Example publicity timeline for a major label |
|
Time frame |
Publicity task |
Upon signing the artist |
Schedule meetings with artist |
During the recording |
In-studio photos |
Also during this time period |
Schedule media training if needed |
When masters are ready |
Hire bio writer |
When advance music |
Send advances to long-lead publications |
Advance Music—one month out |
Send advances/press kits to key newspaper and TV outlets |
One week out |
Service final packaged CDs to all media outlets |
After release |
Continue securing coverage and providing materials to all media outlets |
|
Source: Amy Willis, Media Coordinator, Sony Music Nashville | |
Table 9.4 Preliminary publicity timeline for indie artist Prototype
Publicity costs include the expense of developing and reproducing materials such as press kits, photos, bios, and so forth, communication costs (postage and telephone bills, contact lists), and staffing costs. The minimum cost for an indie label would run about $8,000, with $3,000 of that for developing press kits and $2,800 for postage. Adding an outside consultant to the project would add another $1,500 or more per month. For major label projects, an outside publicist can be hired for six months to provide full support to a single, and album, and tour publicity for $25,000, which includes out-of-pocket costs such as postage, press kits, and other related expenses.
An equally important part of the plan is to budget adequate time to support the album based on when it will be released during the annual business cycle of the label. If the in-house staffing is adequate—given the timing of the project—the plan can be created. If, however, the publicity department is overloaded, the director may consider hiring an independent company to handle publicity for the project. This seemingly removes the burden from the director, but it adds oversight duties since the director must be sure the outside company is working the plan according to expectations. The ultimate success (and failure) is still the responsibility of the director of publicity.
Major entertainment television news shows, including syndicated news shows on major network affiliates, are most often interested in major acts. They see their viewers as people who want to know about the latest information on their favorite recording artists. Stars that are easily recognizable are those most often sought for their entertainment news stories. This creates a genuine challenge for the record label that is trying to publicize a new artist with consumers. A new act with a new single or album must have an interesting connection with consumers that goes beyond the music in order to compete with the superstars who will always get airtime. There are many more new artists looking for publicity than there are established artists, and it forces the best label publicists to be as creative as they can be on behalf of the few new acts.
For television interviews with new artists, a sit-down interview with the artist often is not enough. Television shows look for that added dimension to a new artist that makes them interesting to the viewers, and they often look for the nontraditional setting in which to present the story. Though at times it is overdone, connecting an artist with their charity work becomes an interesting angle for television.
The challenge to the label publicity department is to find those key personal differences that make their recording artists interesting beyond their music. Label publicists are sometimes criticized for citing regional radio airplay, chart position, or label financial support as the only positives that make their newest artists stand out. Those in the media say they look for that something special, different, and newsworthy that gives an angle for them to write about. In that light, it puts the responsibility on the label publicist to find several different angles to offer to different media outlets to generate the interest needed to get a story placed. Writers for major media want their own angle on an artist when possible because it demonstrates to media management that an independent standout story has been developed, making them different from their competition. Sometimes, though, the story angle about an artist is different enough that it stands on its own and most media will see the value it has for their audiences. Entertainment writers and producers are often self-described storytellers, and delivering that unique story to them is a continuing challenge to the successful label publicist (Pettigrew, J, Jr., 1997).
Label publicists are often the facilitator of an artist’s appearance on popular talk and entertainment shows. Among the most popular shows include those with hosts Jay Leno, David Letterman, Conan O’Brien, Oprah, and Regis Philbin. Other television shows that publicists seek as targets for the label’s artists include the early morning shows like “Today,” and “Saturday Night Live.” Great performances on shows like these are expected of the artist, but Ashley Simpson’s ill-fated 2004 appearance on “Saturday Night Live” will probably follow her forever. (Simpson had an embarrassing performance when tracks for the wrong song were cued up and played, revealing pre-recorded vocal tracks.)
Bookings to programs like these are handled by the publicist based upon their relationships with talent bookers on these shows. It is not uncommon for a publicist to precede a pitch for an artist to appear on one of these shows by sending a big fruit basket. However, the success of placing the label’s new artist on one of these shows is also based on the ability of the publicist to build a compelling story for the artist that will interest the booker. Often the publicist will offer another major artist for a later appearance in exchange for accepting the new artist now.
The value of having an artist perform on an award show is obvious—it sells records. These slots are coveted by all the record labels, and lobbying efforts may pay off in a big way.
Comparing publicity and record promotion
The savvy labels recognize how important publicity is to the mix„ it’s almost as important as record promotion.”
— Phyllis Stark, Nashville Editor, Billboard Magazine
The preceding chapter in this book looked at record promotion and its impact on the marketing of a recorded music project. The following chart in Table 9.5 is a look at the relationship that publicity has with its counterpart in the record promotion effort for an album.
Table 9.5 Comparison of promotion and publicity departments |
|
Record promotion |
Publicity department |
Develops and maintains relationships with key radio programmers (gatekeepers). |
Develops and maintains relationships with key writers, news program producers, and key talent bookers for network and cable channel TV shows. |
Tells radio programmers that a new single or album is about to be released and to prepare for “add” date; sends promo singles and albums. Prepares and sends a press kit to journalists announcing the new single or albums. |
Prepares and sends a press kit to journalists announcing the new single or album project. |
Schedules the new artist for tours of key radio stations for interviews and meet ‘n greets with station personnel. |
Schedules the artist and sometimes the album producer for interviews with both the trade press and consumer press. |
Employs independent radio promotion people who have key relationships with important radio programmers. |
Employs independent or freelance publicists who have key relationships with important media outlets. |
Effectiveness of their work is measured by the number of “adds” they receive on the airplay charts of major trades. |
Effectiveness is measured by the number of “gets” they receive, meaning the number of articles placed, number of TV news shows in which stories run, the number of talk/entertainment shows on which the artist performs (Phyllis Stark). |
Gets local radio publicity and airplay for new artists based on the promise of an established artist making a local appearance sometime in the future. |
Gets new artists booked on major talk/entertainmentshows based on the promise of making an established artist available to the show sometime in the future. Supports local press during touring. |
Bio – Short for biography. The brief description of an artist’s life and/or music history that appears in a press kit.
Creative services department – A work unit at a record label that handles design, graphics, and imaging for a recorded music project.
Clippings – Stories cut from newspapers or magazine.
Cut-by-cut – This is a listing of comments made by an artist about each of the songs chosen to be included on an album project.
Discography – A bibliography of music recordings.
Independent publicist – Someone or a company that performs the work of a label publicist on a contract or retainer basis.
Lead time – Elapsed time between acquisition of a manuscript by an editor and its publication.
Media consultant – Trains artists to handle themselves in public interviews with the media.
Music pusher – A term used in the early 1900s for someone who was promoting music.
Press kit – An assemblage of information used to provide background information on an artist.
Press release – A formal printed announcement by a company about its activities that is written in the form of a news article and given to the media to generate or encourage publicity.
Slug – A short phrase or word that identifies an article as it goes through the production process; usually placed at the top corner of submitted copy.
Talent bookers – These are people who work for producers of television shows whose job it is to seek appropriate artists to perform on the program.
Tear sheets – A page of a publication featuring a particular advertisement or feature, and sent to the advertiser or PR firm for substantiation purposes.
A special thanks to Tom Baldrica, Bill Mayne, Jeff Walker, Phyllis Stark, Ed Benson, the folks at Starpolish.com, and the CMA for their assistance in providing added information and insight into this chapter.
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