Sleeping Village Submission Guidelines: What to Send and Where to Send It

You're requesting a review at Ye Olde Sleeping Village, and you want to do it right. Why? To avoid being shuffled into the deepest recesses of the promo pit. If you want to maximize your chances of being reviewed, the following is a brief breakdown of what you need to send, and where you need to send it. Hence: submission guidelines. 

Once you've compiled the following info into a tidy package, shoot an email to sleepingvillagereviews@gmail.com, and--this is important--have a subject line that includes your band name and something indicating that it is, in fact, a review request. If you send via Instagram or Twitter or Facebook, I will direct you to our inbox. I do so for two reasons: firstly, it’s an easily searchable, and secondly, it affords you the opportunity to send the items discussed below. That said, I do appreciate DM's--especially if we have talked before! If we haven't talked before, reach out any time!

Most importantly, if you are uncertain about anything in regards to the submission process, please, please don’t be afraid to ask! ​

1. The music. 
Here's the deal: You need to give it to us.* We do this for free, so we sure as hell can't afford to buy all the music in order to review it. Different sites all prefer different formats, but here’s what works best for us: downloadable MP3s with all the accurate metadata, or bandcamp yum codes. In regards to the former: Unknown Song by Unknown Artist will not do you any favors. In regards to the latter, you get 'em for free, so use 'em! Do not send youtube links, they are remarkably inconvenient. Ultimately, I highly recommend you use bandcamp for a wide bevy of reasons, so this is usually the best solution.

2. Images. 
An album cover.

3. Info about your band. 
This is the most subjective of the elements required. In short, you need to BRIEFLY introduce your band, influences, mission statement, and anything else you feel is ESSENTIAL to your band’s identity. Here, think carefully about how your bio fits with your music. If you are a lo-fi black metal loner, make sure your introduction reflects that aesthetic. It’s also incredibly helpful, from the reviewer's perspective, for you to list location, band members, and their respective instrument(s). For more info about writing an effective bio, look here.

4. Various info
Label name, release dates, pre-order info. The reviewer needs to be able to access (presumably accurate) information about your release.

5. Social media
Links to all social media accounts. We will tag your band profusely, and if we don't know how to get in touch, it's gonna be hard for us to get the word out should a review be published.

6. The timing
Ideally, all this will be sent out a month ahead of your release. It is simply impossible for an unpaid reviewer to digest your music, write a thoughtful review, and post it within a 24 hour window. If you want reviews, you need to ask for them early.

​And that'll do it! We slumbering scribes are looking forward to hearing what you've got.

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*you’d be shocked how many people ask for reviews without sending the music. Shocked, I tell you!