14. I've got several songs written. I want to send them to a publisher. What should I do?
Description
This article is from the Songwriting FAQ, by Greg Skinner gds@best.com.
14. I've got several songs written. I want to send them to a publisher. What should I do?
A few words about publishers: They are often inundated with material.
Many publishers get over 1,000 submissions per day. A lot of them go
directly into the trash can, or are returned unopened. It's generally
a bad idea to send unsolicited material to a publisher.
However, it is possible to get your material heard by publishers if
you are able to develop some kind of rapport with them. One way to do
this is to contact the publishers beforehand. Let them know you have
material that you'd like to send them, so they will know to expect it.
Make sure the material is of the type they are likely to consider.
Another way of doing this is to attend meetings of songwriter's
organizations when publishers are present. Get a feel for what the
publishers want, so you will know which publisher to pitch which songs
to.
There are a several schools of thought on the quality of the demo
you should submit to a publisher. Some people feel that the demo
should have minimal production and that it should emphasize the lyrics
and melody. Others feel you should submit a full-blown production
with backing rhythm, harmony, special effects, etc. This is why it's
important to get a good feel for what the publishers want before
submitting material to them.
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