RTP-area local music and culture

[Baby Messy <bilboa AT baggins.con>]

It's been about 3/4 of a year since I had my first CD done. I've learned 
a lot of lessons that will come in handy next time.

I was thrilled. THRILLED when that UPS man showed up with my 1000 discs. 
All pretty. I think I still have maybe 400 left and I've pollinated 
pretty well.

The next release, I was thinking of what I've learned since the first one:

1. The songs that I thought were killer, the songs I put first on the 
CD, were actually not the strongest songs. Ouch! The first song, Jesus, 
has confounded some, angered others, and frankly left most people 
nonplussed.

2. The reproduction and mailing of the CD has been the most expensive 
part of the process. $1400 (Oasis, love 'em) + mailing about 12 a week 
for three months to people in the Indie Bible. (I stopped after getting 
too few results and almost no reviews---google my name). This is not to 
admit failure but to perhaps try not fit the profile of an insane person 
so closely.

3. I have a slab of music that I worked on for a while and have in 
perpetuity to share with my children and theirs. Is that enough? It was 
once, but if it isn't, what else do I want?


I plan on getting the next one mastered at the Kitchen just like I did 
DTBWM, but how should I minimize my costs? Can I have, say, 300 printed 
up and do the rest digitally?  What strategies can I use?

Do I need a physical CD at all?