Cris Freese - Songwriters Market 2016

WritersDigest. com

Cincinnati, Ohio

As Songwriters Market approaches its 40th anniversary, I felt it necessary to take this edition back to the basics: the craft of songwriting. At the heart of any song that stands the test of time is good writing. And it can be a difficult task for songwriters: Theres only so much time and so many words to tell a story. Thats where this edition comes into play.

Within the revamped opening section, Getting Started, youll find a craft-based article on diagnosing what makes a song a hit. The articles on avoiding rip-offs and pitching your songs have also been rewritten, thanks to the help of talented contributing editor Andrea Williams. Andrea also provided brand new material for the Music Business Basics, including a quick primer on PROs, a state of the industry report, and interviews with six different songwriters who have paved their way to a career in the industry.

In the new Craft section, youll find articles on discovering your voice, editing and rewriting for alliteration and assonance, and mining your personal experiences for quality ideas. In Interviews, youll find a special article featuring a sit-down with four award-winning songwriters who share their experiences on craft and honing your writing.

We also asked Pat Pattison, a professor at Berklee College of Music, to share a webinar. In this unique video, Pat walks his students through word choice, point of view, and creating a rhythm for a stronger song. Find more about this exclusive piece at www.writersmarket.com/sm16-webinar.

With this new focus and content, and of course the many listings, Songwriters Market will be your trusted guide in traversing any point of your career.

Cris Freese

Associate Editor, Writers Digest Books

Before diving into the Songwriters Market listings, its a good idea to take time to researchyou want to be in the best possible position for success before submitting. As you read through the articles and advice in this books opening sections, ask yourself if you currently have what it takes to succeed: strong songs, a well-recorded demo, a professional presence both online and in person, the ability and desire to network, the patience to learn new technologies and skills, and, perhaps most important, the commitment to your craft and to researching the business aspects of the music industry. By educating yourself and constantly assessing your needs and skills, youll be better prepared when you actually do submit your songs.

Now, lets take a look at what is inside Songwriters Market, why these articles were put into the book in the first place, and how they can help your career.

Beyond the articles, which we highly encourage you to read first, there are eight market sections in this book, including Music Publishers, Record Companies, Contests & Awards, and Managers & Booking Agents. Each section begins with an introduction detailing how the different types of companies functionwhat part of the music industry they work in, how they make money, and what you need to think about when approaching them with your music.

These listings are the heart of Songwriters Market. They are the names, addresses, and contact information of music business companies looking for songs and artists, as well as descriptions of the types of music they are looking for.

The quick answer is that you should use the indices to find companies that are interested in your type of music; then read the listings for details about how they want the music submitted. For support and help, join a songwriting or other music industry association (see the section), and talk to other songwriters. Always conduct your own research (using this book is a great starting point), especially since businesses can change contact information and location between a books publication and when you pick it up. The industry moves fast!

The listings in Songwriters Market are packed with information. It can be intimidating at first, but they are structured for ease of use. Take a few minutes to get used to how the listings are organized, and youll save time in the long run. For more detailed information about how the listings are put together, read the section: Where Should I Send My Songs?

The following are general guidelines about how to use the listings:

READ THE ENTIRE LISTING to decide whether to submit your music. Please do not use this book as a mass mailing list. If you blindly send out demos by the hundreds, or e-mail links to your website or social media profile at random, youll waste a lot of time and annoy a lot of people.

PAY CLOSE ATTENTION TO THE MUSIC SECTION IN EACH LISTING. This will tell you what kind of music the company is looking for. If they want rockabilly only and you write heavy metal, dont submit to that company. Thats just common sense.

FOLLOW THE SUBMISSION INSTRUCTIONS shown under How to Contact. A lot of listings are particular about how they want submissions packaged. If you dont follow their instructions, your submission will probably be discarded. If you are confused about a listings instructions, contact the company for clarification. Some companies will also list their submission instructions on their website.

IF IN DOUBT, CONTACT THE COMPANY FOR PERMISSION TO SUBMIT. Some companies dont mind if you send an unsolicited submission, but others may require you to get special permission prior to submitting. Others still may be currently closed to unsolicited submissions, in which case they are legally forbidden from even listening to your music. Pay attention to these guidelines and act accordingly. Contacting a company first is also a good way to determine its latest music needs, while also briefly making contact on a personal levelyoull be more likely to get a response to your submission if youve already been in contact with someone at the company.

BE COURTEOUS, BE EFFICIENT, AND ALWAYS HAVE A PURPOSE to be in touch with your personal contact. Dont waste a contacts time. If you call, always have a legitimate reason: seeking permission to submit, checking on guidelines, following up on a demo, etc. Once you have someones attention, dont wear out your welcome, and always be polite.

CHECK FOR A PREFERRED CONTACT. Some listings designate a contact person after the bolded Contact heading. This is the person you should contact with questions or to whom you should address your submission. Again, you may want to use the listing as a starting point and then look up the company online to verify that the contact person is still there. Double-checking never hurts!

READ THE TIPS SECTION. This part of the listing provides extra information about how to submit or what it might be like to work with the company.