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Table of Contents
1. PRE-RAMBLE
2. INTRODUCTION
3. SITES WHERE YOU CAN GET YOUR MUSIC REVIEWED
4. RADIO SHOWS THAT WILL PLAY YOUR MUSIC
5. ONLINE SERVICES THAT WILL HELP SELL YOUR MUSIC
6. SITES WHERE YOU CAN UPLOAD YOUR BAND'S MP3 FILES
7. SITES WHERE YOU CAN PROMOTE YOUR BAND FOR FREE
8. HOW TO SUBMIT YOUR MUSIC FOR REVIEW? by Jodi Krangle
9. RECORDING TIPS with Lynn Carey Saylor
1.
PRE-RAMBLE
I have sent you this newsletter because
a. you have bought a copy of The Indie Contact Bible
b. your site is listed in The Indie Contact Bible
c. you signed up to receive the newsletter
d. your site is listed at Big Meteor Publishing....somewhere
e. you are selling The Indie Contact Bible from your site
To unsubscribe, simply reply to this e-mail and write "remove" in the
SUBJECT field.
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2. INTRODUCTION
The December issue of the newsletter is sure to be helpful.
Jodi Krangle of The Muse's Muse has submitted a very informative article
on "How to submit your music for review". This is a perfect follow-up
to last month's article by Lord Litter on "How to submit your music
to radio stations".
A new section makes its debut this month as well. Lynn Carey Saylor
gives her first in a series of recording tips. This monthly section
of the newsletter will be in a question-and-answer type format, so please
e-mail Lynn with any questions you may have that deal that recording
of your music. This month's question addresses ways to keep the peace
between musicians during recording sessions. Lynn has some excellent
suggestions that will help you to avoid any major punch-outs.
Joycee Sydnee Dollinger has been travelling much of November, so her
series of articles on Music Royalites will continue in January's issue
of the newsletter.
As always, there are a sizable group of new contacts listed that can
help you to gain exposure for your music.
I have now posted an archive area on the Internet. If you haven't had
a chance to read the previous issues of the newsletter, you can view
them at https://www.indiebible.com/newsletter
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"Positive Nature" is a brother who has been dedicated to his musical
calling and the Hip-Hop World better look out for him in the 2G..."
Kevy Kev (100.3fm The Beat St. Louis, MO)
Official Website
http://www.positivenature2000.com
"Voted Best Hip-Hop 2000" by CitySearch.com!!
http://stlouis.citysearch.com/E/G/STLMO/0000/05/47/cs1.html
The CD entitled 'Never Stop' is available now at CDNOW.com, MP3.com,
AMAZON.com, Tucows.com, Artistforum.com, vintagevinyl.com & IUMA.com
(which offers free Positive Nature MP3 downloads, CDs, Bio Info & Tour
Dates).
You can get cool Positive Nature Gear at:
http://www.cafepress.com/pos_nature
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Below are the contacts that were submitted to me in November. As is
the case in The Indie Contact Bible the contacts listed are sorted into
five sections.
1. Sites that will review Independent Music
2. Radio stations/shows that will play Independent music
3. Online services that will help to sell your
4. Sites where you can upload your band's MP3 files
5. Sites where you can promote your band online for FREE!
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3. SITES WHERE YOU CAN GET YOUR MUSIC REVIEWED
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Upath.com
Leonardo Calcagno leonardo@upath.com
http://www.upath.com
Canada's urban portal!
Live Club
Justin Coll justin@liveclub.co.uk
http://www.liveclub.co.uk
British site for new & unsigned bands. Reviews, radio station, live
venues listing, live band listings, email & classified adverts.
Through These Eyes
Dustin dewaddikt@hotmail.com
http://www.throughtheseeyes.net
A hardcore music site dedicated to showcasing new bands and keeping
the public informed with news, reviews, etc.
These Boots!
Tracey Newman skacrazy@hotmail.com
http://www.geocities.com/theseboots66
Web & paper based bimonthly publication from Australia. Genres: ska,
punk, hardcore. We love DIY bands!!
Here and There
Michael Sullivan BOOKERMPS@aol.com
http://members.aol.com/bookermps
We are reviewing anything and everything that comes our way, and then
posting it with information on how to find those "hard to find cds,
that Sam Goody doesn't seem to ever have in stock.
Totalentertain.com
Bobby Roberts bobby@totalvideogames.com
http://totalentertain.com
We are starting up a NEW TALENT section. WE get 30,000 hits a day and
over 1.5 million a month. Please email me if you are interested. Thanks.
Beanz Baxter Magazine
Bevan info@beanzbaxter.com
http://www.beanzbaxter.com
Australia's leading punk-rock music zine. Printing bi-monthly with a
print run of 1500+ copies we'll make sure everyone in the 'scene' reads
your review!
dcska.com
Michelle dcskagirl@dcska.com
http://www.dcska.com
ska site for the dc area and its citizens, reviews, showdates, interviews,
multimedia, online store.
*****************************************************************
There was a mistake in the last issue of the newsletter. The BardsCrier.com
subscription address was listed as subscribe@thebards.net. It should
have been subscribe@bardscrier.com
*****************************************************************
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"How To Promote Your Music Successfully on the Internet" by David Neuve,
shows you powerful Internet marketing techniques to help sell your music
merchandise online!
Check it out at BEST MUSIC BOOKS
http://www.bestmusicbooks.com
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4. RADIO SHOWS THAT WILL PLAY YOUR MUSIC
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128 Autopsey
Captin Scrim autopsey@hotmail.com
http://www.128autopsey.homestead.com
Online radio station and zine specializing in independent hardcore/death/grind
and punk.
The Beatscene
Jim Gellatly jim@puremix.com
http://www.beatscene.co.uk
The Beatscene is a new music show broadcasting at http://www.puremix.com.
Darker Than The Bat
Peter-Jan dttb.pjvd@pi.be
http://www.proservcenter.be/darkerthanthebat
We try to be a help for young and new bands by doing CDreviews, interviews
and giving them airplay in the gothic/electro/EBM/ industrial/darkwave/ethereal-scene
Supersphere
jason jason@supersphere.com
http://www.supersphere.com/Club/Archive/?ID=9
We stream media over the web, which is free to the user. We have over
600 shows.
Student Radio Initiative
Music Director sri@uwec.edu
http://sri.uwec.edu
Maintaining a quality student-owned, student-operated free format radio
station and serving as a cornerstone for cultural diversity, communication,
student involvement and student development.
One Step Beyond
Jay Wulff jay@wlir.com
http://www.SkaRadio.com
Ska-Punk-Indie Radio show on NYC commercial station and awesome website
too!
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VersusMedia focuses on designing unique websites for artists, record
labels, venues, and any other form of media that supports them. Don't
just add your band to another music database, have VersusMedia create
your own web presence. We also offer our extensive music industry knowledge
for audience targeting and promotion. Tired of fighting the industry
alone? Let VersusMedia fight the battle for you.
http://www.versusmedia.com
music@versusmedia.com
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5. ONLINE SERVICES THAT WILL HELP SELL YOUR MUSIC
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***note: The online vendors and labels listed below are those that offer
artists a NON-exclusive contract, meaning, you can join up with as many
of these services as you like.
DWM Music Comp
Don Madsen donmadsen@DWMmusic.com
http://www.DWMmusic.com
DWM Music is devoted to bringing the work of independent musicians focusing
on American-styled, roots/early rock based music to audiences world
wide.
Crazy Otto Music
Bryan Eagle beagle@crazyotto.com
http://www.crazyotto.com
Crazy Otto Music is an new indie label specializing in Ragtime, Dixieland,
Blues and early American music.
Pharaoh Intl Records
Tom Woodard tsmith3@conc.tds.net
http://members.tripod.com/~Pharaoh_Intl
Independent record label (non-exclusive agreements), BMI & ASCAP publishers,
& indie trade publication ("Country Note Connection").
buzzemporium.com
Jeff Lawrence jeff@buzzemporium.com
http://www.buzzemporium.com
buzzemporium.com is an online distributor of indie music. We offer a
FREE monthly newsletter featuring our "buzz artist of the month". A
great way to get free promotion for your band!
Your Music Career
Don Reed donreed@affinitymusic.com
http://www.yourmusiccareer.com
Knowledge and understanding of the recording and music industry can
be the key factor that could lead you to a successful recording career.
A new site has been developed to educate talented individuals that are
serious about their music career. It has been composed by producers
actively involved in the recording industry.
MaraRecords - Brazilian Music Vinyl Record Store
mrec@bigfoot.com
http://www.mararecords.com
World's Best Brazilian Music Seller Since 1998, we carry Brazilian Lps,
Groove, Bossa, Jazz, Soul, Funk, and Rare Records
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Join the Indie revolution! "Booking, Promoting and Marketing Your Music"
by Nyree Belleville, provides the step-by-step tools that you need to
make a good living as a musician and performer.
Purchase it now at BEST MUSIC BOOKS!
http://www.bestmusicbooks.com
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6. SITES WHERE YOU CAN UPLOAD YOUR BAND'S MP3 FILES
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Marcom Music
marcommusic@netzero.net
http://www.marcommusic.com
1) Accepts MP3's in the following categories Light rock, pop, country
& western, modern jazz, orchestrations, and folk (willing to expand
categories to other types).
2) Will handle the sale of Independent CDs on a 30% commission basis.
Full details can be found at http://www.marcommusic.com/mp3_submission.html
3) Would like all indies interested in promoting their music to submit
at least one mp3 to the Central Database of Free MP3 Music (especially
if they desire to list and sell their CD from the Marcom Music on-line
catalog).
Celtic Muse
Marc Gunn, Bard joinmuse@thebards.net
http://www.CelticMp3s.com
A weekly ezine of free downloadable music from Celtic artists. Each
issue is short and too the point, designed to get you to the music you
want to hear as quickly as possible.
Angry Ryan's Music
Ryan Gurnett angry_ryan@beatmail.com
http://www.mp3cities.com/user/chode37
This site helps promote music from the Buffalo, NY area.
Adopt A Band
Alessandro Bologna alessandro@adoptaband.com
http://www.adoptaband.com
A new deal between musicians and their audience- independent bands give
their music for free in MP3 format in exchange of a voluntary contribution
from their fans.
----------------------------------------------------------------------
"The Expressive Guitarist" is a new, accelerated, unique, and proven
approach to developing your own style of guitar playing and understanding
how to achieve your guitar goals.
Purchase it now at BEST MUSIC BOOKS!
http://www.bestmusicbooks.com
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7. SITES WHERE YOU CAN PROMOTE YOUR BAND FOR FREE
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Reno Bands
Michael Tremonti16@aol.com
http://www.Renobands.com
Reno bands is a service that offers independent musical artists with
free places to post links to their site add pictues tour dates and much
much more.
tinfoil.music
Joe McGuire theguy@tinfoil.net
http://music.tinfoil.net
A free service to allow bands, musicians and the musically inclined
to post information and mp3s and talk to fellow musicians.
------------------------------------------------------------------------
The "Guerrilla Music Marketing Handbook" by Bob Baker is your guide
to independent music success secrets, featuring over 175 ways to thrive
and prosper with your own band or record label. Goal setting, networking,
lists of distribution channels, offbeat promotional ideas. It's all
there!
Find it today at BEST MUSIC BOOKS!
http://www.bestmusicbooks.com
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8. HINTS ON HOW TO SUBMIT MUSIC FOR REVIEW
by Jodi Krangle of The Muse's Muse (www.musesmuse.com) (c) 2000, Jodi
Krangle. All Rights Reserved. Used By Permission.
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Getting the attention of music reviewers can be almost as difficult
as breaking into a bank - and let's face it - sometimes far less profitable.
But a good review is worth its weight in gold. So how does one go about
getting reviewers to give your particular package the time of day? I
receive quite a few of these packages myself so while I'm no expert,
I do have a few suggestions:
BE POLITE WHEN MAKING A FIRST CONTACT: This may sound like it's too
obvious to mention, but trust me - if you contact a potential reviewer
by demanding their submissions address because you are simply the best
thing that has happened to music since the microphone and the reviewer
would be out of their mind to pass you up, you're likely to be disappointed
at the response you receive. Sure, every artist deserves a chance. But
you're biasing a reviewer against you right from the start if you use
that tactic. Reviewers despise being taken for granted. Never assume
you *deserve* a review - ASK for one.
Your initial contact should be polite and brief. A simple, "Hello, my
name is (so and so) and I'm interested in a possible review in your
(publication/web site). Would you be able to supply me with the proper
contact information so that I can send you my CD?" will be kindly received.
Even if it takes the reviewer a little while to get back to you - whether
it's by regular mail, e-mail or through the feedback form of a web site
- their reply will usually be helpful.
One last word on the subject of "first contact": PLEASE don't send an
e-mail with your web site address and only a "Check this out!" line
for clarification. You don't want to know how much spam e-mail I receive
in a day and messages like that simply make me feel as if I'm being
asked to check out the latest in cheesy porn. I delete such messages
on sight and I honestly don't know many reviewers who pay them any attention
either.
LEAVE THE KITCHEN SINK AT HOME: Your package should include an intro
letter that addresses the reviewer by name whenever possible, a bio
that's hopefully no more than a page long, a CD (CDs are the preferred
medium these days. I'm afraid you're kidding yourself if you think otherwise),
no more than three reviews in other publications and/or web sites, and
that's about IT. Pictures are nice but they don't really matter as far
as most publications are concerned. If a publication requires further
material, you'll be contacted for it. Frankly, for myself, I'd rather
give other reviews a complete miss. I rarely pay attention to them.
I prefer to make up my own mind rather than read others' opinions before
I've even had a chance to listen to the music myself. But I think that's
really dependent on the type of publication you're sending your package
to. Some publications and/or web sites might feel that favorable reviews
elsewhere lend more credibility to the artist - which is one of the
reasons you'd be asking for another review in the first place, right?
Just because I disagree with that sentiment, doesn't mean that all reviewers
will feel as I do. However, keep in mind that if you include too much,
you run the risk of it all being ignored. After all, it's the MUSIC
that really counts.
That said, the presentation of the CD itself is probably the most important
element of your package. It's that CD that will give the reviewer their
opening impression of your music - and (unfortunately or fortunately,
depending on how you look at it) your professionalism. That doesn't
mean you have to have spent thousands of dollars on your presentation,
a huge CD insert, a gorgeous color cover, etc. That just means that
your "look" should be consistent. Some of the packages that impress
me the most are the ones that have an actual design in mind carried
through from the CD to the stationary the cover letter is printed on
and further. If you're not getting a professional printing of anything,
a color inkjet printer creating your own letterhead along with a similarly
designed CD covering sticker, will work quite nicely. Simplicity is
often the best way to go. Above all, avoid sending in a blank, recordable
CD with black marker written on it. Your contact information should
be on both the CD and the insert and/or cover. No matter *what* you
do, make sure your contact information is easy to find. The insert certainly
doesn't need to be in color but there should *be* one if at all possible.
The insert is the perfect place to put contact information, credits
(the reviewer is often fascinated by who did and wrote what, I know
*I* am!), anecdotal information, etc - the things that make you special
and different from the other folks the reviewer will be listening to.
I know what you're thinking. "Why not just include that stuff on a separate
sheet of paper inside the package?" Well, for the same reason that your
contact information NEEDS to be on the disc itself: the reviewer may
not actually be taking the entirety of your package around with him/her
(in fact, it's pretty unlikely!). The CD might become separated from
the rest of your package and for that reason, you want it to be able
to stand on its own as a professional piece of work, whether it retains
its case or not. You want the reviewer to be able to contact you from
that CD alone.
AS A RECAP:
Things to send in your package:
* A brief cover letter addressing the reviewer by name (a MUST)
* A bio (1 page!)
* A CD (tapes are a thing of the past, folks!) - preferably with an
insert of some kind.
* Up to 3 reviews if you really feel you need them (try to keep this
on one or two pages)
- Keep the "look" simple and professional. You don't have to spend a
lot of money to accomplish this!
- Make sure your contact information is on EVERYTHING.
Keep in mind that if your CD itself is a nice little package all on
its own including inserts, you may not need the bio or the reviews and
could probably get away with just sending in the CD and a cover letter.
If you have a web site and include the url to that site in your cover
letter, the reviewer can find out tons more information on you should
they wish to. As mentioned earlier, sometimes simple is best.
BE PATIENT:
I don't mean to say that you shouldn't ever re-contact the reviewer.
Not at all. Remind the reviewer you're around! Just don't do it every
day. Wait a couple of weeks between contacts. Reviewers have a lot of
demands upon their time and are frequently several weeks - or even *months*!
- behind in their reviews depending on the publication(s) they write
for.
BE POLITE:
I mentioned that once before, didn't I? Probably because I consider
it to be very important. The way in which you treat people will reflect
upon your professionalism even more so than the look of your CD. It
takes years to build up a good reputation and only a few minutes to
completely destroy it. As with anything in the music business, you never
know when someone you were kind to will be in a position to return that
kindness. It's all about relationships. Make sure you're the sort of
person who fosters good ones and it'll all come back to you.
How does this relate to tips about getting reviews? Above all, try to
be pleasant. It may not seem like much, but believe me - the reviewer
appreciates it a great deal. Don't demand to know why your CD wasn't
chosen for a review and/or spotlight if you are told that it wasn't
- not unless you actually want to hear what the reviewer has to say.
And if that reviewer *does* let you know why, don't bad mouth him/her
for telling you. You asked! I prefer not to review CDs that haven't
impressed me, for whatever reason. I don't like the idea of putting
up a lukewarm (or even BAD) review on a web site where people can be
referring to it forever. I don't feel that's fair to the artist. In
other words, if I'm not giving you a review, don't consider it a rejection.
Consider it a kindness. Move on and keep in contact with the reviewer.
It might be that a future release of yours will be better received.
I hope these hints have helped. Meanwhile, good luck with your music!
=============================================
Jodi Krangle is Proprietress of The Muse's Muse Songwriting Resource
@ www.musesmuse.com Join her for weekly chats Mondays @ 9PM EST! Drop
by http://www.musesmuse.com/musenews to find out more about the Muse's
Muse free monthly e-zine.
============================================
------------------------------------------------------------------------
How To Be Your Own Booking Agent and Save Thousands of Dollars by Jeri
Goldstein teaches you how to book tours creatively, make efficient cold
calls, develop an effective press kit, sharpen your negotiation skills,
find funding resources, access the media, maximize record company relationships,
expand your audience.
Buy it today at BEST MUSIC BOOKS!
http://www.bestmusicbooks.com
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9. TIPS ON RECORDING with Lynn Carey Saylor
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This week's question:
"What techniques have you used, or seen used in order to break the tension
that inevitably arises between band members after weeks or months of
recording?"
Lynn:
In my opinion, the most important factor in keeping the band members
from "going off the deep end" after long periods of time in the studio
is the Producer. There is certainly a reason that most bands (even though
they may be musically capable) don't produce their own records. For
one thing, the Producer keeps everyone "on task" in order not to waste
expensive time in the studio. There's nothing quite like a record company
executive breathing down the band's back about why they are going over
budget to make the band start taking it out on each other.
There is also another thing that the Producer can do to help the band
avoid conflict. After the initial tracking of the song where all band
members need to be present, there is usually much time spent on the
"overdubbing" of parts by the individual players in the band. Overdubbing
encompasses both the fixing of specific notes or sections of the player's
parts on the initial track as well as all the additional parts that
the player wants to overlay onto the song, so time spent in overdubbing
can be quite extensive. Most Producers will bring the band members in
one at a time to concentrate on their own respective parts without the
other band members sitting in the control room to critique everything
that the player does. When the producer and the band member are happy
with the added or fixed parts, then the rest of the band can come in
to listen and have their opinions heard. That's the time for discussion.
Let each player or singer do their thing without distraction by the
other members and then everyone can come together to listen and perhaps
make suggestions. The old adage, "too many cooks in the kitchen" applies
when the entire band remains in the studio during the overdubbing process.
For bands who live in the city where they are recording, it is usually
not a problem to send them home or at least out of the studio to entertain
themselves when they are not needed. For bands that are from out of
town, however, that obviously becomes much more difficult. So my advice
on that is to make sure that the place the band is staying has plenty
of things to entertain the band or is located in an area that offers
many things to do. In L.A., for example, two of the more popular places
bands often stay is the Roosevelt Hotel on Hollywood Blvd. and The Oakwood
Apartments in Burbank. The Roosevelt because it is in the center of
Hollywood close to many famous clubs and other points of interest and
the Oakwood because it has tennis courts, swimming pools, exercise rooms
and even a convenience store located within the complex. The studio
itself should also have things to entertain the band and most do. At
our studio, for instance, there are video games and hardware units such
as Playstation and Nintendo 64 in each lounge, large screen TV's with
stereo and VCR and a ping pong table available to help alleviate the
stress and the boredom.
If each band member feels "in control" of their own creativity and free
from multiple opinions and bickering while he or she is involved in
the creative process AND has sufficient means of entertaining themselves
while other members are doing their thing, then the result is usually
a successful one with a minimum of difficult moments of high anxiety
and tension.
====================================================
Lynn Carey Saylor is a singer/songwriter/guitarist and co-owner of the
Los Angeles area recording studio, Skip Saylor Recording. Grammy Award
winning records such as k.d. lang's "Ingenue," Guns n' Roses' "Use Your
Illusion I and II" and the track, "Wishing It Was," from the 8x Grammy
Award winning and Album of the Year Santana release, "Supernatural,"
are a few in a long list of gold and platinum records that have been
mixed and/or recorded at the facility.
In early 2000, Lynn founded the Web site, GuitarGirls.com, which seeks
to promote up and coming female singer/songwriter/guitarists with her
GuitarGirls Contest as well as to pay homage to such successful female
artists as Sheryl Crow.
Lynn has a degree in Communications (Radio, Broadcast and Film) and
a music minor from the University of Nevada, Las Vegas. She is also
a member of the Screen Actors Guild with television commercial and film
credits.
If you have a question that you would like Lynn to answer in upcoming
issues, please e-mail her at: Guitargirlsmail@aol.com
===================================================
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It's no secret that the Internet is a great way to get your music out
to the world. There's only one problem. The Internet is so big it would
literally take you thousands of hours to find all of the places and
people that are interested in your music and are willing to help you
and your band out. A solution is finally here. It's called the Indie
Contact Bible.
The 2nd Edition is 360 pages and contains:
2200 publications that will review your CD
1600 radio stations will play your music
250 services that will help you to sell your CD
300 sites where you can upload your music files
150 sites where you can promote your band (for FREE!)
Check it out today at: http://www.indiecontactbible.com
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Just a reminder that past issues of this newsletter can be viewed at:
https://www.indiebible.com/newsletter
If you are interested in advertising in the next issue please contact
me at bigmeteor@home.com or (613) 596-4996. Ads are only $25 for 10
lines. If you advertise for five issues, your ads will only cost $20
each. The newsletter goes out to over 3200 people and is growing rapidly!
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