How to Help Spread the Word

Download the Fiction Plane banner from the official website and add it to your email, web page, etc. If you're not able to do that, at least add a signature to your email that lets people know that you support the band. It could be something as simple as the web page link; it could be a raving review. Add your personal touch to it. (And use good judgement...your boss probably will not appreciate your good musical taste as much as you may think.)

Do you have any of the free small Fiction Plane web page fliers that are often handed out at the shows? They come in handy when meeting people who ask, "Who's Fiction Plane?" FOR EXAMPLE: I'm out of town in a nice hotel, and at 12:30 am the fire alarm goes off. I grabbed my backpack, my shoes, and my Fiction Plane CD (priorities!!) and headed downstairs. (I wish I'd been wearing my FP t-shirt, but that's hindsight.) Once outside, to break the tension, I started asking those around me what they had thought was important enough to bring out of the room. Some brought jewelry, wallets, etc...one lady brought her curling iron...and I flashed my Fiction Plane autographed CD. Well, that got a laugh, but it also piqued some interest...and I ended up handing out a few of the fliers that I keep handy in my bag. It was only a handfull, but it may spark some interest! You never know who you'll reach!

Google has a new (beta) news service that emails you daily with news pertaining to your specified keywords. Set up a Google alert for "Fiction Plane" (and use the quotes) to help Google keep Fiction Plane in their daily search logs!

And more on Google...the new toolbar has a rating feature where you can vote :) or :( for pages...you know the drill by now! Download it, hit fictionplane.com daily, and VOTE!

Network, network, network. Keep your long-distance friends in contact and updated on your favorite band. Friends of mine have attended shows in Ca, SC, NYC, and London. From there, when they're addicted as well, they'll spread the word in their hometowns.

Start a fan site for Fiction Plane! Sure, a lot of it will be repetition, but the more sites, the more chances of hitting them on the web, and more chances of folks seeing the band. Link your page to any and all other Fiction Plane web sites, and don't forget to register it with Google, Yahoo, Excite, and the like. (Yes, this can be free...there are free home page and web page sites like Angelfire out there that you can use to create your own fan site.) AND...

If you're posting links to the Fiction Plane official site on your web page (or on other web pages, like boards or blogs), use the link listed on the Fiction Pilots page. It's listed under "Available Promotions" ...this link connects to Fiction Plane through a tracking program. And if you're hitting a tracking program more often...what does that mean, kids? You know the drill...more Internet traffic could equal more record company time and resources for promoting the band!!! (Y'all know this by now.)

Email XFM and beg them to play Fiction Plane! Per Joe's request (see the Fiction Plane web page), all Fiction Pilots are to contact XFM in London to request Fiction Plane's music (the request did not, regrettably, include which song to request). Here's the information on how to contact them for free: you can e-mail them here or you can fill in the form at the link above. See $$Coach$$ for the phone number if you want to call overseas (kids, if you're under 18, get your parents permission before you call).

When you're taking a long road trip, show your support to fellow travelers! Write "WWW.FICTIONPLANE.COM" on a piece of paper (use large, black lines to make them readable at a high rate of speed) and tape to your window. (If you have any, white shoe polish works as well, and is easily removed from windows with some scrubbing.) If flying, put the web address on your luggage in a creative way so that the folks stuck in line behind you just have to ask you why in the world you have a web address on your luggage.

Keep Fiction Plane in mind in your daily web browsing.  We've already discussed using Google to scan for Fiction Plane regularly (either through browsing, the toolbar, or the News Alerts), but where else do you browse daily? What about eBay, Amazon, CD Now, Rolling Stone, Barnes and Noble ...and other sites with large search engines? If there's a search engine involved, you can bet that someone, somewhere, is keeping statistics on what you're browsing for. So when you go to target.com to check the price of the new fall dorm accessories, also search for "fiction plane." Yes, we know that Target carries FP's latest release...but it can't hurt to give them a little more exposure, and it takes so little of your time.

Set up a "wish list" on Amazon.com and Amazon.co.uk with Fiction Plane's "Everything Will Never Be OK" in it. (Never mind if you already own the disc...go with me on this...) Be sure to click to allow Amazon to email you. That way, when Fiction Plane's new EP hits Amazon (if it does...cross your fingers), you'll be alerted to a "similar" item to your wish list.