How To Become Famous? Hack Your Hit

Hack Your Hit: Free and cheap marketing tips for musicians

Writer: Jay Frank; Published by Futurehit, Inc. Nashville, TN

Jay Frank’s second book, Hack Your Hit, is scheduled for release Jan. 31, 2012. His first book, Futurehit.DNA garnered excellent reviews. It was a long form discussion of how to make a song “more hitworthy” and easier to discover based upon historical changes in the technology that control how we listen to music.

On Hack Your Hit, the author has returned with a punchy writing style and 41 short chapters that each reveal a single marketing tip. Ideas range across social media and even things as simple as why male artists should use images of pretty women. Frank succinctly advises, “Hot chicks get clicks.” He also preaches the wisdom of sending handwritten thank-you notes. Why? “Because it makes an impact, and one that gives you a crucial edge. To be memorable above all other artists, you must do the things that 99% of the other artists don’t, and one of those things is sending thank-you notes.”

But there are also buckets of implementable ideas based in the digital realm. Frank offers a healthy serving of innovative ways for an artist to speed up the career growth process and discover those fans that are most likely to be attracted to your music. Twitter, Facebook, Google Alerts and Google Search are some of the frequently mentioned players. Tips for cultivating Superfans, getting maximum impact on Facebook, Twitter and Youtube and strategic ways to utilize Google’s incredible search results are expertly harnessed to boost sales and visibility.

The real power in Hack Your Hit however, is its premise. The sheer quantity of great ideas gathered in one place, elevates the work to a valuable resource and more importantly, an inspiration. As the author humbly notes in the intro, “…the best hacks are not all mine.” Regardless, the savvy reader/musician will find Frank an invaluable guide as together they methodically pick and choose those ideas that fit best their unique situation.

And if anyone doubts the writer’s devotion to self promotion, page 76 should wipe away any such thoughts. Here, while telling his readers they must have a gimmick, he instructs them how to describe his book, asking them to “memorize it and use it as a secret handshake for other musicians.” In fact, Frank promises, “If you post that phrase on your Twitter account, I’ll send you a secret link to download a free bonus hack chapter not included in this book.”

So let’s see if it works? Here’s the twitter-ready phrase, and it’s a fitting end to this review.

“Man, you gotta read Hack Your Hit! There’s a ton of great secrets on how to become famous.”