I think it's important to decide first how good your promotional materials need to be. If you're trying to communicate with sophisticated agents, bookers or corporate clients, your materials need to approach the level of professionalism these folks are used to seeing.

* Photographs should be shot to layout, not taken and then incorporated into the piece.

* Depending on the size of the final product, a digital image must be at least 6 meg to appoximate the quality of a 4"x6"
35 mm photo done with 200 ASA transparancy film. Cover shots for high end corporate brochures, annual reports, etc. are often done with the equivalent of 90-110 meg.

* Industry standard for brochure quality work is Quark Express, usually done on a Mac.

* Every area has excellent designers who work for $35.00-$50.00 per hour. They know how to format the work so that an image setter will convert accurately to film, plate or direct to press. That $75.00-$100.00 may be the best money you'll ever spend. That's about the cost of MS Publisher, which is easily spotted by communications proessionals (look at spacing between characters).

* While the situation is changing, many top printers resist receiving a file generated on a PC. You'll read that there is no difference between a quark file generated on a PC vs. one generated on a Mac, it just ain't so.

* Have someone with editing experience take a look. Often, we're too close to the subject to be objective.

If you're working on your primary marketing tool, it just makes good sense to put your best foot foreward, with a look as professional as you are.

As a booker for three establishments, I don't even consider hiring people who don't care enough about their profession to send in less than professionally done promotional
materials.

I should talk...I don't have demos, a brochure or even a headshot.

Hope this is useful.

Russ