September 2005

We have a few items this month which deserve your attention:

1. Katrina Rescue Update
2. Contributor Center Photos
3. Submission Guidelines Update
4. CD Reviews: Request & Submit
5. Traffic Spike!

Katrina Rescue Update

Earlier this month we asked many of you to help a fellow AAJer who was hit hard by Hurricane Katrina. Well, from the sound of it, we really came through for Glenn Astarita. He was delighted and somewhat overwhelmed by the generosity. The hurricane really left him in a pinch and we responded with the kind of urgent assistance he needed.

Glenn is currently without internet access, but he plans to personally thank everyone who helped him once he gets back online.

Contributor Center Photos

We figured five heads were better than one, so we're now featuring a handful of contributors at the Contributor Center. Hit refresh on that page a few times and you can see many of your fellow AAJers. It's great fun! If you're an active contributor and would like to be featured on the AAJ home page and Contributor Center page, email a JPG photo to Mike and he'll put you in the mix.

Guess who!

Submission Guidelines Update

We recently made an addition to the submission guidelines which we think will help better focus our review coverage. On the page entitled "Effective Communication," we added the following advice:

When you discuss individual pieces, try to think like a DJ would: make note of high and low points, and aim your focus at the specific tracks which deserve special attention (and why).

We also added formatting hints to the online submission form to help ensure that track and personnel listings are consistent from review to review. Next time you submit one, take a look at the red text to the left of those boxes.

CD Reviews: Request & Submit

If you received a package of CDs last month and still have more than a couple left to review, please let Nils know if or when you plan to write about them.

We are preparing to ship out another round of CDs to reviewers, but we need to know more accurately where we stand. If you're up for reviewing something this month, please place your specific request here.

Traffic Spike!

AAJ traffic continues to climb. Last month we topped 590,000 visitors, and this month we should easily reach 650,000. We also recently reached two all-time daily highs within the same week. All those people come to AAJ because of your efforts, so give yourself a well-deserved pat on the back.

As always, we welcome your ideas and input. Thanks for being a part of the team!

All the best,
Mike and Nils