The Incredible Bizzarness Of Promoting Your CD

The CD is done. It is out in the world, and soon, oh soon, I can move on to my next creation (with no idea what it's gonna be... suggestions?) But until then I have to dedicate at least part of my energy to the promotion of THIS CD. Ah!!! As an independent artist it is completely up to me how much money I wish to (or CAN) throw at the problem of getting the CD heard and reviewed. That part I can control. What I cannot control is whether or not anybody will take notice, despite having assembled a remarkable and decidedly female team (I literally just noticed this!). Of course, one can choose not to invest the money in promotion, but then - and I speak from experience here - one needs to invest in a whole load of storage for the unsold discs. There's only so many coasters one person can use, you know...So, promoted the CD must be! (Thank you, Yoda.) So far, so...well, you know.
Upon trying to get my music reviewed in Germany, though, a country that I tour fairly regularly, I was told by one journalist, that for that to happen I would need distribution in that country. Why? Not so the CD is readily available, should a wayward customer accidentally pop in on a CD store and wish to pick up a copy, oh no! It's because the Distributors are the ones who in essence fund the press by placing big and well-paying ads in the German jazz publications. And so it goes, and so it goes...and now I know, and you do, too.
Having come to terms with the fact that the jazz market appears to be a rather small entity anyway, I will continue to carve out my niche in it and do what I can to get my music out there. But I have also come to the conclusion that I am a much happier camper, if I focus on the things I can actually DO and not on the things I believe I should have done or cannot do.
Thank you to Ann Braithwaite and Lisa Reedy, my PR person and radio promoter respectively, for being on my team!!!