How to Contact Famous Celebrities, Agents, Authors, Publicists, Managers, Record Labels, or People in the Music Biz

Is there a celebrity or entertainment organization you want to reach, but don't know how to reach them?

Kendrick Lamar- Yahoo on the Road Tour- Cincinnati Ohio

©Angela Reuss 2013

Look no further. I've got you...


In my other post "Secrets in the Music Biz", I talk about how people in the music and entertainment business keep secrets, connections and opportunities from each other. However, there will be NO SECRETS kept here. One secret I would like to reveal to you today is how to reach any Celebrity, Agent, Record Label, Author, Producer, Publicist, etc.

Most people would give anything to be able to reach a famous celebrity, record label, or artist. Normally, you have to know someone who knows someone, that knows someone, to obtain these connections. Finding or meeting such people can be like finding a needle in a haystack. Obtaining the information or connections to meet these people can seem like only a dream or something that's out of reach. However I'm here to tell you that you don't have to wish or hope anymore.Where there's a will there's a way... and my will has made a way for you and your will. 

Now, I know there's going to be a select crowd of people that hate me for 'letting the cat out of the bag' and giving this information so freely. But I don't care. Like I said, there's no reason to have secrets in the music business. In fact, it's pretty childish to hold such secrets and try to keep the next man down.

Anyway, a couple of years ago, I found out how to get in touch with virtually any famous person (or their agent)...whether it's Selena Gomez, Will Smith, Kim Kardashian, or Snoop Dogg <-my all time fav by the way. 

I'm going to give you this information in hopes that you will use it responsibly. Don't ruin it for everyone else that has a legit reason for reaching out to celebrities. 

Therefore, before we get to the good stuff, let's go over a little of what to do when you contact these people. 







Tips for contacting celebrities:

1. Make sure that you are prepared and have all of your affairs in order prior to contacting celebs or their agents. This is for your own sake. I say this because, if you're a crazy obsessed fan trying to snag a lock of hair, you might get hung up on, or ignored. (Trust me, they know who you are). Not to say that a big fan can't get an autograph from a famous person. I'm just saying be tasteful in the correspondence. 


The same goes for music artists and authors with incomplete or shoddy work, or someone that has not yet captured a descent following. (If you haven't gained a following, go back and re-evaluate your work. Numbers don't lie, but friends and family do - aka -Most people don't like hurting feelings.) If you're an artist, author, or organization, you want to make a good impression with your name, brand, or opportunity on the first communication.

I'm not trying to discourage you, I just want to make sure you don't shoot yourself in the foot before you give yourself a chance. 


2. When you contact a celebrity, or their agent, speak professionally. Arrogance in your music and or writing is one thing, but doing business in person is another. These people are busy, with a business to run, and they don't have time for the rigamarole. Be straight forward, direct, friendly. (Think how you would speak to a perspective client that's interested in doing business with you.)

3. If you want to stand out among the droves of others and make a successful connection, try to have something awesome to offer, whether it's a media outlet (TV, radio, well known podcast, etc.), or interest in booking for a show or speaking engagement, or sending them something awesome like brand swag, T-shirts, Hats, Key chains, etc. It's best to find a way to benefit them first to show you respect and appreciate them.

4. Don't ask for hand outs, free features, or free information unless it's for a good cause, like cancer, feeding the poor, etc. (I'm sure most of you already know this, but I would be wrong if I didn't include this information.)

5. There may be several channels that you have to go through to get to the right person. You may get a yes, and you may get a no. Don't take it personal either way, because it's not personal. It's just business. Keep in mind that famous celebrities and their agents are human too, and life in the fast lane for them can be overwhelming as it would be for anyone.




Now that we've got all that out of the way, let's get to the main reason you came here in the first place.

I came across this awesome resource a couple years ago. It's called Contact Any Celebrity. It's an online directory where you can find contact info for any famous person. There is also a print book version of this directory. The online version is better though, because they update the database directory regularly. 

You might be thinking this will cost out the yin-yang, because obtaining information like this can be invaluable... But this is not true. Surprisingly it's actually very affordable. For starters, you can get a free 3 day trial, but if you want to pay for a membership, it's $37 per month. There are some other options. You will have to choose what works best for you. They also have a money back guarantee. But the other cool things about having a membership are: 


*If there's someone not listed in the database, they will research it and get back to you within 24-48 hours with the correct info.

*When you sign up they give you 4 bonus books: 

• Celebrity Leverage: Insider Secrets to Getting Celebrity Endorsements, Instant Credibility & Star-Powered Publicity
• Secrets to Contacting Celebrities:101 Ways to Reach the Rich & Famous
• The Lost Secrets of Fame & Fortune: How to Get (& Keep) Everything You Desire
• Help from Hollywood:How to Hold a Celebrity Autograph Auction & Raise Tons of Money for Your Cause

*They also donate a portion of your membership fee to Make a Wish Foundation and The Trevor Project. 


To try it out, Just click here Contact Any Celebrity





I think it's worth a try. If anything, you at least have the free 3 day trial, so you don't have the risk. I've personally used this resource, and it does work. Otherwise, I would not be recommending it to you.


Other than using this resource, my recommendation would be to start putting yourself around others with local people in your city that are in the music and entertainment biz. It's always good to build relationships with people you cross paths with in this crowd. You never know when you end up knowing someone, that knows someone...

So now you know. Contacting famous people is no longer a secret.

Fascinating, Isn't it?

Secrets in the Music Business

Why are people so secretive about information in the music biz?

Everyone always seems so threatened that someone else might gain the upper leg because of some piece of knowledge, or connection - This has been my experience in the Hip Hop world. Everyone is so damn cut throat - for no good reason.


For the ones who feel like this, let's set the record straight...


Everyone's brand is different. It's not like someone will take something from you by being successful. There is enough success to go around. The difference between a successful person and someone who has not yet reached success is that one person gained the know-how before the other, or that one person is more determined than the other.

Either way, you are both capable of having the same kind of success because your brands would be different. It's not like people don't like more than one artist, bar, club, dj, producer at the same time.  People are allowed to like Snoop Dog, Eminem and Frank Sinatra all at the same time. The same person that would go out and buy one artists album would go out and buy the other's too. So get the word competition out of your mind. THERE IS NO COMPETITION!

The only competition you have is yourself- the competition to be better than you were before. It's not like you're at the spelling bee and there can only be one winner- and we aren't kids anymore.


Think of music like food.

Food comes in all different shapes, sizes, textures, colors, tastes, and flavors.

Now think about music and how it comes in all types of genres, sounds, beats, medleys, rhythms, voices, themes, lyrics, artists, etc.

People and DJ's enjoy music like they do sitting down to a meal at dinner time. You've got your plate with steak, asparagus, mac & cheese and a dinner roll. - Great, now I'm hungry for all of the above.

With music it's the same thing. You've got your Eminem, with Missy Elliot, Taylor Swift, Frank Sinatra, Snoop and some Kendrick.

DJ's are the 'chefs' of the music biz, serving up a 100 course meal so you can have an awesome dinner.

So stop trying to take the next man out and be better than him. Why?

1. Because no one is better- everyone is unique
2.You can't stop someone from being successful.

Everyone has a purpose, everyone has a brand, and everyone has a specific flavor (like cheese- there might be different variations of it, but they're all cheese). You've got your American cheese, blue cheese, cheddar cheese, cream cheese, feta cheese, mozzarella cheese, Swiss cheese, etc... Like hip hop, you've got different variations of it, but it's all hip hop.


People don't want to eat the same cheese all the time; they don't want to eat at the same restaurant all the time, and they sure as hell don't want to listen to the same music all the time. For crying out loud... there's so many categories of rap and hip hop, it's ridiculous. Check it out.

So swallow your pride and get over it! Stop trying to take the next man out! The only person you are hurting by doing that is yourself, because you lose what could have been an awesome relationship. You lose your happiness by feeling jealous. You lose the game because you focused on taking the next guy out instead of using that time to make yourself a success.

Let's raise each other up instead of bringing each other down. There is enough of a market in the music biz for everyone. Your primary worry should be to do enough marketing to get yourself in front of people. People are hungry for something new and awesome, like the new mushroom bacon burger at Wendy's, a new pair of Jordans, or a new movie when it hits theaters. New music is no different. So relax, and make good music, have a professional product, build your brand, market yourself, be good to others, and you will be successful.


If you like what you're reading, subscribe and stay tuned because there is wealth of information I will be revealing to you about the music biz in upcoming posts.

The Entertainment Biz- What's the Secret?

A few years ago a friend of mine from Memphis who is a producer/manager in the music biz  was sitting around a table with about a dozen people. He says:

"People always ask me: What's the secret?"

"The secret is be yourself".

Some of the people seemed to have a bit of a puzzled look on their face. When he said this, I realized that I had already begun living the 'secret'...

I had became myself- finally, and I was loving it.

Here I was a female in a man's world of Djing. I had a goal, and as time progressed, I became more and more myself as I narrowed my sight at what I wanted, and went toward what drew me.

I created a Dj Koolaide's world. A world where all good music was treated equal, no matter the background, financial status or social following of the artist. It felt good to help people and be in control of went over the FM airwaves and on the internet.

In the past, I went through emotional abuse and adversity. I stuck to drab and neutral colors of clothing. Needless to say, I wasn't very confident. However, time progressed and started to follow what was pulled me and what was in my heart, I came out of my shell more and more.  I began wearing bright vibrant colors of the rainbow. The colors and the name Koolaide means a lot to me. All of the metaphoric meanings it has- Flavors, Diversity, Smiles, Fun, Sweet, Colorful, Vibrant, and most of all, Passionate. Another artist friend of mine said my flavor was Passion fruit. He's probably right because my passion for music and helping others is strong.

I lived the 'secret'. I became myself. My brand flourished. With this crazy brand, I became somewhat famous, which was really never my intention, but it happened. It was a crazy and wild feeling. But the only problem was, I wasn't making enough money to compensate for the fame. Awards, Accolades and Acknowledgement came, and I gratefully accepted. But then came the reality of when is the money going to come? The fame was spinning out of control and I couldn't afford to keep up with it. Crazy huh?

As everything was coming to a head, I was notified that the radio station I had my show out of was closing down. It was then I decided it was time to finish my book, and now I'm writing this blog.. while still living the secret- just simply being myself.

I plan to go back to the music biz because I can't stay away for too long. I love it too much and it's a very big part of my roots. I just needed a break from it for a little while so I can come back at it from a different angle. I'm going to continue living the 'secret' and sharing of myself and my findings with you on this blog. Hopefully, while sharing of myself, you can find yourself too ;)

Are you living the secret?

Do you feel comfortable being yourself? If not, maybe it's time to do some soul searching and find out exactly what you want, who you are, and what you want in life. Once you figure that out, the rest will fall into place.

There's a lot more that goes into success other than just believing in yourself. You have to put the belief into action, one step at a time and not stop at signs of failure. Failure is just another sign that you are getting closer to your success ;)

Amazon Seems to Not Comply with Their Own Guidelines When it Comes to Reviews

Round & Round with Amazon Customer Service We Go! Yippee!!

Reporting a "Competing" Author on Amazon for Giving You a Fake Bad Review Apparently Doesn't Make Matters any Better...

When you get a fake bad review, you may research and find other blogs say to just report it and Amazon will remove it.... Ohhhh if it were only this easy...


I can't even begin to describe my frustration with Amazon customer service. Their responses don't even seem human and it's not just me that feels this way. The poor quality of their customer service is further verified in David Gaughran's blog. This is my third attempt at trying to get some kind of answer as to why they haven't removed a review that was in violation of their very own guidelines. Those who know my history from some of the writings in this blog, know exactly what I'm talking about.

If you've had a similar issue with Amazon's customer service, you are not alone. I'm including the correspondence I had with Amazon's customer service reps.  Also, even though I don't agree with this supposed Author's tactics, I will protect her privacy within this blog. Therefore, you will see some areas will be left blank.

 

CORRESPONDENCE 1:

ME:

 Subject: This review is in violation to one of your community guidelines

(This is where I copied and pasted the review in question)

This review is by another author who has a book in the same Amazon category/genre as mine. I believe that she may feel threatened by the fact that my book has done better than hers, not that mine is a best seller, but I'm sure you've seen it all and know how some people can be extremely petty.

I'm pretty sure that this to be in violation of your guidelines because it is a "Sentiment by or on behalf of a person or company with a financial interest in the product or a directly competing product (including reviews by publishers, manufacturers, or third-party merchants selling the product) "

Here is the ASIN for her book .....

As you can see her book is in relation to mine by means of categories/genres, such as parenting & relationships, and child care. Therefore I am requesting that the review be removed.

Thanks so much for your time. Have a great day!

AMAZON CUSTOMER SERVICE (Canned Response) :

I've read the review titled "......." I understand your concerns, but the review doesn't violate our posted guidelines, so I'm unable to remove it in its current format.

However, as the author of this title, you can provide feedback about this review by voting or commenting on it. To vote, click the "Yes" or "No" buttons next to "Was this review helpful to you?" To comment, click the Comments link at the bottom of the review.

We try to encourage our customers to give their honest opinions on our products while staying within our guidelines. As a retailer we are interested in cultivating a diversity of opinion on our products. Part of that is allowing our customers to air their honest thoughts on items they have received. Here's a link to our guidelines for reference:

http://www.amazon.com/review-guidelines

We appreciate your understanding. We hope to see you again soon.

CORRESPONDENCE 2:

ME:

How is this review not in violation with your terms? 

The review in question is not just a review, there's an ulterior motive behind it. I don't think I'm being paranoid or petty here. I'm sure this is in violation with your guidelines because:

The reviewer is also an author, with a book in the same genre (direct competition). Here is the ASIN for her book: ..... .  Her name on the review as well as the name on her book is _____. Her book is not doing well. She's telling people not to buy my book which happens to be in her same genre (direct competition).

This author didn't even buy the book she reviewed, she downloaded it for free when I shared the link on a social network during a free promotion. She also went so far as to put the same review on another website in which is also in (direct competition) with her book. This seems very much in violation of your review terms.

On the amazon website at this link that you sent me (http://www.amazon.com/gp/community-help/customer-reviews-guidelines), under the section of "What's not allowed" it states:

What's not allowed: "Sentiments by or on behalf of a person or company with a financial interest in the product or a directly competing product (including reviews by publishers, manufacturers, or third-party merchants selling the product)"

Which means that this review in question is in violation of your guidelines. 

Please help me out here. If the review was from someone who wasn't an author with a book in the same genre as mine, I would understand and accept that. But that is not the case in this instance.

I hope this explanation makes things more understandable. Thank you so much for your time.

AMAZON CUSTOMER SERVICE (Canned Response) :

Thank you for letting us know of the reviews on your book . We'll investigate the reviews on this product and take the appropriate action.

Thank you for taking the time to let us know about this.

We hope to see you again soon.

CORRESPONDENCE 3:

ME: 

3rd attempt, Still no resolve. Can you please help?

I'm hoping you can help me out. I have been unsuccessful in getting an explanation as to why this illegitimate review that was written by another author with a "directly competing product" has not been removed. The review is clearly in violation of amazon's guidelines.

I feel as if the the last 2 people who replied to my messages do not understand what I'm saying, or didn't even bother to read my messages. All I got were canned responses. The last response was a very generic one saying something to the effect of: "we will look into it."

So I'm attempting to reach out again in hopes of reaching a person that will take the time to actually read this and at least explain to me why no action is being taken on this.

I have worked 3 long hard years on the book in question, with professional editing, marketing & cover design. I am a legitimate author. It's really frustrating to be disregarded as someone who is not legitimate. I'm writing to you for a legitimate reason. 

Will you please take a minute to read the previous correspondences below, so you will understand what is going on? 

(This is where I pasted the previous correspondences)

^^^^ The above responses did not address the concerns of the Amazon Review Violation even though I have made the information regarding the violation clear. Can you please help me out here?

Thank you for your time.

I didn't think it would be this hard to get Amazon to regulate things that are in violation of their guidelines. Seriously though; They have no problem removing legitimate reviews, so why can't they remove reviews that are in violation of their guidelines?

Is all this rigamarole really necessary just to get a fake bad review removed? Lawd have mercy!

Well, maybe one day Amazon will have a better customer service department... in the meantime, I will be awaiting another response and looking into other publishing options. Hopefully this response will actually be human... that is, if I even get a response. If I do, I will update this post.

Update:

I received a response from Amazon. Here is what they said...


Hello Angela,

I've looked into this review on your book and researched your previous correspondence with my colleague.

This review is within our posted guidelines. We won't remove the review in its current format, and we aren't able to consider the removal of this review any further. I'm sorry for any additional concerns this may cause. Please take a look at our Review Guidelines for information about acceptable review content:

http://www.amazon.com/review-guidelines

Thank you for your understanding.
Best regards,
Bryce.R

 

So let me get this straight... They gave me a link to their own guidelines in which were violated and they aren't going to do anything about it?  It's all very contradictory and lacks business integrity. I know I'm supposed to detach my emotions from business, but this whole ordeal makes me feel very upset, frustrated, and like I'm going crazy.

Do these people not have any damn common sense? Why do they avoid questions? Why do they not acknowledge the problem? Maybe I am just going crazy... You tell me.