So,
you want to be a big time
songwriter and make lots of money, but nothing you do is really
making
those big time royalty checks roll in. Then
comes that "Ah-ha!" moment as you smack your head and think, "I can
publish my
own songs, cut out all that 'middle man' garbage, and really take
control of my
destiny and my income!" Well, smack
yourself in the head again (or anywhere else that will make you pay
attention!)
unless you've read "How to Pitch and Promote Your Songs" by Fred Koller.
Fred shares a lot of
excellent knowledge and wisdom from his many years
of experience as a hit
songwriter, and if we'll use his book as a proven guideline it can help
us steer clear
of the quagmire we might otherwise find ourselves in if we don't know
what
we're doing. Oh, sure, we can always fall on
our faces a few times with hit or miss efforts, but at how high a
price? How much time and effort are we willing to
waste guessing, while those who know the rules and know how to work the
system
fly right by us. Ignorance (or just plain ol' stupidity) carries
a very high price tag!
The Craft v. The Business
As I've mentioned
before in this
column, the wise songwriter not only needs to develop and constantly
strive to
improve his/her craft, but at the same time we also need to stay on top
of the
business side. We have to use both our
right brain and left brain if we want to have a successful career in
music. A good head for business alone
won't do it, and being a great creative talent won't cut it,
either. You need to know and understand both sides to maximize
your potential results. It doesn't mean you HAVE to become your
own publisher, just don't ignore your option.
From understanding
just what a songwriter/publisher does and creating
your own low budget publishing
empire, to getting your songs recorded and in stores and on the radio,
Fred
takes us through the evolution of the potential success of a song and
what it can mean
to us financially. He's even included
information on how we can use the internet to our advantage.
The Wind Up and The Pitch
All of the hard work
you've put into writing (or co-writing) your song
and then what? Instead of trying to find a publisher and hoping
the one that
accepts your song will give it the promotional attention it deserves
(while gladly taking their share of the financial pie), why not think
about
doing it yourself? Who has more of a personal
stake in the song than you? Who can see
the potential in it better than you? Isn't it at least worth it
to look into the
possibilities? The passion you could bring to the project
just might make the difference between an also-ran and a potential
hit. You might just discover another talent, and
who knows who else just might like to use YOUR services to publish
THEIR songs
... and then you begin building that little empire!
Last month I
reviewed Lee Wilson's book, "Making
It In The
Music
Business", and Fred Koller's "How to Pitch and Promote
Your Songs" could very easily be
its perfect
companion. In fact, Lee's comment on
Fred's book is, "Any songwriter can benefit from Fred Koller's years of
practical experience as a hit songwriter. "How to
Pitch and Promote Your Songs"
can save you from obscurity and ensure that your songs will always
produce what every songwriter dreams of – money in the mail, in the
form of royalty checks
for cuts of your songs. Buy this book and read it!"
My feelings exactly!
Copyright © 2003 by Jace
Carlton
Jace
Carlton
lives in the Nashville, TN area and is a member of NSAI. A
Freelance Writer /
Photographer, Poet, Author, and former Radio DJ, he now enjoys a career
as a Songwriter, and a
collaborator much in demand predominantly in the Country genre, but
also enjoys occasionally writing for A/C, Pop, R&B, Smooth Jazz,
and
Cabaret.
As a Freelance Writer he has contributed reviews on new CD's to online
newsletters and regularly contributed book and concert reviews along
with personal commentary on the music industry to Nashville's Songwriter's
Connection e-Zine.
Jace is also the creator of the Change Your Stars! website
and its
companion daily motivational / inspirational e-mail message that's read
by over 14,000 people all over the world. For a free subscription
click here
and you'll be added within 24 hours. Privacy Statement
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