It used to be that releasing a cover song was a complete pain. Firstly, you had to track down the publisher. Then you had to pay them up front per release you were going to create. Before digital, this meant paying the publisher per pressing of a CD, single or 12 inch you were going to make, regardless of sales.

For instance, if you were going to press 200 copies of your new cover version of 'Unknown Legend' by Neil Young, you'd have to get hold of the publisher, tell them your intentions, and then pay them 200 times how much they wanted per song. Now we're talking pennies here per song, and with only 200 copies not too much money at all. But there's still all the hassle. And you may sell none of them. And if you're doing a whole bunch of cover songs you could give up before you've even started.

Fast forward a bit and we've got the digital age. And lots more stuff to worry about - one of the main ones being 'found out' if you did something you shouldn't have done and having your song removed from iTunes, or the worry of having a publisher knocking on your door and saying 'stop it'.

Well, I'm pleased to say it's a whole lot easier now as we have discovered. Using a service called 'Limelight' you can easily pay for a license for digital and physical releases, and can choose from very small quantities to much larger ones.

In fact, it took us about 10 minutes using Limelight to sort out our digital release of 'Unknown Legend'.

So basically, if you're thinking of doing some cover versions but have previously been put off because it all sounds like too much hassle, worry no more. It's a cinch.

After a couple of failed attempts on getting our band Georgia Wonder on Wikipedia, we finally succeeded and learned a bunch of stuff on the way. It's really not as hard as you think to get yourself on there, but there are a few things you need to know to make sure your content stays there once you've put it up.

It would haven't been possible without friends on Twitter, so come follow us over there if you find this useful.

It turns out the main reason we kept getting a 'speedy deletion' (which is a kind of instant no-comeback deletion by a Wiki editor) is simply because we hadn't created an entry that explained why we were notable. It turns out that 'being notable' is the number one criteria that Wikipedia places on any entry - notableness.

A good way to understand what this is about is to read about what it's not. If you read the Wikipedia guidelines for speedy deletion, the simplest thing that can trip a band or artist up on is simply not telling Wikipedia what's so special about themselves. You can be deleted simply because:

7. An article about a real person, organization (band, club, company, etc.), or web content does not indicate why its subject is important or significant.

This means you can't just type up a small biog about your band and post it up. It will be taken down immediately for not stating, with references, why your band is notable or special. Do not fear - your band probably IS notable or special for something. In fact, anything that's happened to you that is remotely interesting and can be backed up with a web link could be considered notable. You just need to remember contests you've won, appearances you've had, mentions you've had in the press, on websites, pretty much anything you can think of which can be VERIFIED by a Wikipedia editor.

So, the first thing you should do is gather together a list of all the mentions there are of your band across the internet. Make an exhaustive list, and with each mention take down the date it went live, the name of the article, the name of the site, and anything else you can find. You're going to need this to build your story and create reference links. The mindset you need to get into is this - every single sentence you write about your band is going to have to be backed up with some evidence - and we're not just talking about a link back to your own site here - we're talking hard facts from a reputable source.

OK, some sources are more reputable than others, but the difference between quoting yourself from a BBC website article or the same thing from something you wrote on your own site is night and day. Try and collect a list of the most influential links you have, and create sentences based on those links - then you can refer back to them, meaning that each 'claim' or sentence you have written can be checked by a Wikipedia editor.

At the end of each Wiki page are a list of all the references that the main body of the page takes it's content from. Understanding that every single sentence has to be backed up in this referral list is the key to understanding how Wikipedia polices itself. If you can't back it up, don't bother writing it - it will end up being deleted at some point. If you haven't registered at Wikipedia then now is a good time to go do it! So when you've collected a list of stuff, you're ready to build your Wikipedia page.

To see how a Wiki page is constructed, have a look at ours and press the EDIT THIS PAGE tab at the top.

The first and easiest block of code you're going to want to copy and put into your own Wiki entry is the block of code which creates the Infobox (the box to the right of your Wiki entry).

Stick this at the top of your entry and change all the info over to your own band:

{{Infobox musical artist | Img = GWblackwhite.jpg | Img_capt = Stephanie Grant, vocalist with Georgia Wonder | Name = Georgia Wonder | Background = group_or_band | Genre = [[Folk-rock]]
[[Rock]] | Origin = [[Portsmouth]], [[Hampshire]], England | Years_active = 2002 - present | Label = Georgia Wonder Records | URL = [http://www.gwonder.com/gwonder/ http://www.gwonder.com] | Current_members = Stephanie Grant (vocals)
Julian Moore (music) }}

That's all fairly easy to follow. Unfortunately, creating references to each sentence is a bit of a chore and can make for some nasty looking mess - the references are actually written in the middle of the pages and it is the Wikipedia website that takes them and makes them appear nice and neat at the bottom of each Wiki entry.

Wikipedia uses the 'ref' tag to create a numbered referenced link, as you can see in the following code we used on one of our sentences:

Their song ‘Girl You Never Knew’, taken from their debut ‘Hello Stranger’ [[EP]] was named “Song Of The Day” by [[PopJustice]] on 6th August 2008 who said it was "one Grey's Anatomy soundtrack appearance away from being an international hit single."(ref name="PopJustice Song Of The Day"){{cite web |url = http://www.popjustice.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=2824&Itemid=243 |title = Song Of The Day: ''Georgia Wonder: Girl You Never Knew'' |publisher = [[Pop Justice]] |date = 2008-08-06 |accessdate = 2008-12-20 }}(/ref)

(NOTE: All normal brackets ( ) in the code above should be < > and had to be replaced to show you this example - copy and paste the code from our own entry to keep things simple)

This ends up looking like this on the Wiki page:

Their song ‘Girl You Never Knew’, taken from their debut ‘Hello Stranger’ EP was named “Song Of The Day” by PopJustice on 6th August 2008 who said it was "one Grey's Anatomy soundtrack appearance away from being an international hit single."[2] With a pretty entry at the bottom of the page referencing the number 2: 2. ^ "Song Of The Day: Georgia Wonder: Girl You Never Knew". Pop Justice (2008-08-06). Retrieved on 2008-12-20.

So, at the end of each sentence you write, you need to add this code and fill in all the relevant details of the reference. The reference numbers are generated from the ref name of each entry - if you use the same name as a reference then the same number will be generated and you could find duplicate numbers on your page, so keep an eye out for that.

That's pretty much it for creating reference links, it's really not that difficult - it's actually more important to be prepared with all the relevant links, names and dates beforehand.

To make everything a bit more readable you're going to want to put your stuff into sections. This is very easy and simply requires the addition of some equals signs like this:

==History==

===Awards and achievements===

Words like ==History== enclosed in pairs of equals signs become headings, and words like ===Awards and achievements=== become subheadings. It's very easy to create these and is fairly intuitive.

The last thing to consider is what to do if your Wiki entry is tagged for quick deletion. Well, it actually has to be deleted by a real human being, and you can see who deleted or tagged it for deletion. If you are still constructing your page and want a bit more time to sort it out, JUST ASK the person for a bit more time, citing your reasons, and you will be moved to his sandbox - somewhere you can get your page looking right AWAY from the main site before he reconsiders it and moves it back over to the main Wikipedia site where you can be searchable.

This is exactly what happened to us. So, rather than being the impossible to fathom how the heck do we get on there it's only for the bigger bands problem that we thought Wikipedia would be, it turns out that the only thing stopping most bands and artists from getting themselves on Wikipedia is a small misunderstanding about what it is that actually keeps things from being deleted. Gather the links about yourself from the internet, write sentences that reflect each one, and you'll be up on Wikipedia in no time. That is, if you're notable.

I'm always on the lookout for tips and tricks which we can use to persuade people to interact with us. As a band just getting off the ground, it's all about Guerilla Marketing and doing the best with what you've got.

One of the main problems being a band and attracting fans is keeping their attention from the start - people have limited attention spans and on the internet you have a very short period of time, usually seconds, to turn someone from merely curious into actively involved with what you do.

This isn't about lying or being rude - we can leave that to the porn popups which do nothing but promote celibacy. This is about making sure that when people come across your website, mailing list or press release they are engaged to take action as much as possible. You only get one go at this stuff usually so every word counts. And as anyone who has read Lost In Showbiz can testify, you can often do yourself more harm than good.

So I picked up a copy of Yes! 50 Secrets From The Science Of Persuasion whilst killling time in Borders bookstore on Charing Cross Road and found it really interesting. Not all of the 50 things it details can really be applied to being in a band or having a website as some of it is more about dealing with business situations, but it is a great read and there are some things that can be applied to presenting yourself online.

I've picked out some of the more interesting points from the book, numbered so you know which points I am talking about should you buy it. I do recommend it, it's a great read.

1. Make yourself look busy and successful already by carefully choosing your words. When an already famous infomercial changed it's tagline from 'Operators are waiting, please call now' to 'If operators are busy, please call again' they saw a marked increase in calls.

The first sentence conjured up scenes of bored operators waiting for calls, the second promotes the idea of operators struggling with the load. The main thrust of this, and much of the book, is that people like things that they think other people like.

Anything you can do to show that other people like you, such as a list of recent people to sign up to your mailing list, can help persuade people that you're worth it. And as we can see from the infomercial example, it doesn't even have to be specific - even the thought of it can help.

2. With this in mind, try also being specific - people are more likely to do something if they think that other people who are similar to themselves also did something. For instance, telling a country music forum how much other people who like country music also liked an alien rock band. Eight out of ten country music fans said they liked the alien rock band. See?

3. Negative social proof. This is like the flip side of the previous points - people are less likely to do something if they think other people did something different. Notice I didn't say 'People are less likely to do something if they think other people also did it' as this in fact increases the chances of people doing more of the stuff people aren't doing. Confused?

An example. Instead of telling people not to illegally download your stuff, tell them that the majority of people buy your stuff. Instead of labouring the point of what you don't want people to do (which makes it too important) highlight the point of what you DO want people to do. People want to be like everyone else, and if you highlight the fact that everyone is illegally downloading (for instance) they'll think nothing of it.

4. Magnetic middle - people gravitate towards what everyone else is doing IN BOTH DIRECTIONS. If you tell your fans what the average fan does for you, the fans who do less will do more, but the fans who did more will do less - they will all gravitate towards the average. So make sure that you make sure that people who are already great fans are still rewarded and told that they are valuable.

5. Don't offer too many options. If you have a store or merch, break it down. A store with 6 obvious choices will sell more than a store with 20 choices. If people can't make their minds up, there is no sale.

6. Be very careful when giving out freebies. When you give out freebies, always remind people of the VALUE of the freebie. (Buy the CD, get a complimentary t shirt worth 12 pounds - NOT Buy the CD, get a free t shirt) Basically, don't use the word free EVER - always attribute value to your generosity.

7. Have various price points. Think about the way you look at a wine list. I bet you always pick a wine which isn't the cheapest, but is a few up from the bottom. This is where the thing you want people to buy should be positioned - the list itself gives items value.

9. Do nice things for your fans shortly before asking for their help. The law of reciprocity dictates they will be far more willing to help. This is a much better idea than pleading. If you do nice things for people, they will do nice things back - however, act first.

10. Personalization. Anything handwritten increases interaction by a huge amount. If you want people to act, make it personal. One post it note, handwritten and stuck to a form increases interaction by almost three quarters. If you want people to do something, make them feel special.

11. If you want to treat people, also make them feel special and that they have something that others do not.

13. If people do you favours, pay them back soon. If you do people favours, ask for a favour back soon. People have short memories. Keep it current.

14. Foot in the door. If you can get someone to help you in a little way, they will probably help you in a bigger way shortly after. Instead of asking fans to stick a huge banner on their own sites promoting your band, first ask them to place a small easy banner. Then later ask them to use the huge banner. They will be way more likely to help, because they already have in a small way.

15. Labelling. Assign someone a nice trait, and then ask them to act upon it. I know you've been very supportive of live music in the past, so please come to our gig next week. I know you wont abuse this technique, because after all you are a very honest person.

16. Ask questions. 'Please let us know if you can't attend the gig' is not as good as 'Will you please let us know if you can't attend the gig?' Also, 'Please vote for us in the battle of the bands' is not as good as 'Will you be voting for us in battle of the bands?' The main thrust here is that when you get an answer the chances of interaction further down the line are greatly increased.

17. Get people to write things down. People commit to things more if they have signed something, ticked a box or generally acted in some physical way.

20. When you're asking for something, show that even something small can be useful. 'Please donate money' is not as good as 'Please donate money, even a pound can help.' Something to consider if you're thinking about raising finance through the internet.

22. Get someone else to sing your praises. This is always a funny one for bands who have to write their own blurb the whole time. Try and quantify your brilliance by quoting other people. Being smug really doesn't work - however, you need to prove your worth so you need others to do it for you.

28 Turn a weakness into a strength. 'L'Oreal - 'cos you're worth it' is a good example - this product is expensive, but that's 'cos you care about the way you look. Write a list of your weaknesses and make them interesting - your weaknesses make you unique.

29. Along the same lines, mention your faults but back them up with a plus. An example is 'Small but perfectly formed' - take the negative aspect on the chin and back it up with a positive effect of this aspect. 'We're a tin pot band with a tin pot sound, but we sure as hell will bring the house down' (Whoops, just strolled into another point about rhyming)

30. Admit your mistakes. If you have to cancel the gig, be very open about it and admit human error. People will respond positively.

31. On the other hand, if it's an internet related error blame the technology.

32. People tend to gravitate towards words they can easily pronounce, and this includes band names. So don't call yourself Georgia Wonder then.

33. People also tend to prefer things that sound like their own name. There are a lot of dentists called Crentist for a reason. Even the first letter of a name can dictate someone's profession. I'm a musician, my name's Moore. Hmm.

34. Mirroring. If you mimic someone else, they are more engaged with you. Sounds crazy, but if a waiter simply reads back to a customer what they just ordered, their tips increase by 70%.

36. Uniqueness. I know there isn't so much scarcity on the internet these days, but people still like exclusives, and still like to know that something doesn't happen very often. After all, it's not often we get to work on something like this, is it?

37. Don't talk about savings, people can't get their heads around it. Talk about LOSSES. So instead of 'If you buy these things together you can save x amount' you should say 'If you DON'T buy these things together you will lose x'.

38. Because because because. The word because is very powerful. Just going up to a queue of people and asking if you can go first will get you nowhere. Going up and asking if you can go first 'because I need to' will increase your chances, even without a valid argument. Put in a valid argument however and it works every time. Again - 'L'oreal - because you're worth it'. Please keep reading my blog, because I need you to read it. Please keep reading my blog, because if you don't this small puppy will die. (Feel free to make your own up)

39. All the reasons - none of the reasons. When people are asked to give ten reasons why something is great, they end up not being so favourable about something as when they are asked to give one GOOD reason why something is great. So before you start asking your fans to come up with 'all the reasons we're so fantastic' stop yourself and ask them all to think of 'one cool reason why you think we're so fantastic'

41. Rhymes. There was a reason for the jingle. They are easily remembered. Beanz Meanz Heinz. See if incorporating a rhyme somewhere can help people remember something important.

42. Perceptual contrast. People remember detailed stuff more than less detailed stuff. If you want to promote one thing over another, detail it more.

43. Loyalty cards. This is a good one. In many coffee shops you get a loyalty card - every time you buy a coffee they stamp your card - get ten stamps gets you a free coffee. However, they give you two stamps to get you started. This is the same as having an empty card to start with with only eight stamps required. It is the feeling you get of already being on your way that makes this more efficient. Always try and explain to your potential fans how they are already engaged or along a certain road. I mean, you've come this far and you're already on the way to getting a complimentary CD in the mail.

44. Give product choices interesting names. Option 1,2,3 and 4 is nothing like as effective as 'Blue Elephant Package' or 'Stripey Megapack'. Make the names interesting and appealing.

45. Logos. Use your logos in all the right places. This goes without saying, but I've seen bands put their videos on YouTube without even having the name of the band or the graphic in the video. You need to jog people's memory about where else they saw you wherever possible.

50. Coffee makes people more receptive. Force everyone to drink coffee at your next gig just before you tell them where your merch table is (or not) Ok, that's a quick breeze through the book. It's well written and thought provoking, and although it's essentially a book of lists, it's the mindset that you come away with after reading it that is useful. Highly recommended.