I'm a professional freelance writer with over ten years experience in a demanding and changing music industry. I specialise in developing creative and marketing strategies for a wide range of clients. If you're an artist or distributor, or run a music website or label, I can help.
Here's a quick guide as to the kind of things I do:
Your web presence should keep pace with your busy creative life. Visitors will return time after time, opening a dialogue which builds loyalty and mutual benefit. You don't need pages and pages of material or the cyberspace equivalent of War and Peace — little and often is better than every now and then.
Music Industry clients who benefit from my news updating service include: BILL BRUFORD, KING CRIMSON, ESOTERIC RECORDINGS, and PORCUPINE TREE.
FEATURES and REVIEWS — Credits for my album and book reviews and feature articles include Q/Mojo Specials, Classic Rock, The Crack, Record Collector, Classic Rock Presents Prog and BBC Music.
Whether it's a 120 word album review or a 3,000-plus word feature, I turn in finished copy on time and on budget. See my BBC MUSIC reviews here. Check out the PUBLICATIONS page on the site to see my most recent articles. Take a look at the BOOKS section to find out more about my writing.
CATALOGUES — If you're selling music online, you'll offer visitors to your site samples. However, samples are only part of the picture. Bespoke summaries and context-placing overviews can help convert an interest into a purchase. See an example of my CATALOGUE notes right here.
SLEEVENOTES — I produce detailed sleevenotes for reissues and archive albums. Whenever possible I like to interview participants and principals, weaving their narrative into the history of the record and its making. Clients have included major labels including Virgin, EMI and UMG, as well as independents such as DGM, Panegyric, Inner Knot, Esoteric Recordings, and Voiceprint. See the SLEEVENOTES pages for the titles.
PR/SALES NOTES — My PR service includes press releases and sales notes which cover biographical information, a lively, knowledgeable description of the music, and points of interest for reviewers and editors.
As a music obsessive, my head's full of knowledge about popular — and obscure — music spanning the last 50 years. It's a wonderful resource for fact checking, interviews, career summaries, genre overviews, and editorial assistance.
I specialise in '60s and '70s classic rock, underground/progressive scene, British jazz, jazz-rock, folk music, folk-rock, classic rock, post-rock, country music — the list goes on. Whether it's Shirley Bassey or Captain Beefheart that interests you, I can help!
I'm based in Whitley Bay, up in the North East of England, but I'm only a mouse-click away. Email me at sid@sidsmith.net or contact me via Facebook and Twitter.
