If you're like me, you've been writing songs for years and you KNOW you need to do more towards getting them heard or in other people's hands. But like artists who after they finish a recording may struggle to get out and hustle to sell it, the work it takes to publish your songs out to the world can be intimidating.
But, being the solutions-oriented folks we are here at Soul of the Songwriter, we offer not only steps to get you there, but a very serious option for you here in Nashville once you complete the steps.
Step One: Get Serious
You can hang out all day, or whenever you do your creative thing, and write songs that you love, and maybe even show them to your significant other or friends. They may love them, and you love writing them. But you wonder what could really become of them. Could they be something other than the hobby you do on the side?
The answer is absolutely yes. The question is will you get serious enough about your craft to give your songs what they need to grow? Will you work with someone better than you to take your songwriting to the level where it has a chance to reach a larger audience? Will you then take the next steps to get the songs out there?
Step Two: Get to Work
"Nothing will work unless you do." - Maya Angelou
If you mean for something to happen with your songs, whether getting them published and working, or just recorded for you to distribute, you need to get to work. This means going through and weeding out the weaker songs in favor of strengthening the better ones. Maybe you also need to get your lyrics in order, and perhaps even organize them neatly into a binder for better reference. But the absolute best way to get to work is in the next step:
Step Three: Get in Touch
This is crucial, especially if you want to get working with us or any music publisher. You're going to have to quit passively reading blogs, meekly keeping your songs in the corner, and reach out to someone for help. There is no way you will improve without working with people who are better than you, can listen to your songs with experience and helpful criticism, and most importantly, help you do something with them.
You probably already have a few people to contact that you have run across as you have studied and read about being a songwriter. Contact them, even if it's just to test out the waters to see if you feel you are ready. The worst thing you can do is continue to do nothing, and let another year, or decade, slip by as life speeds up.
Besides being someone who can make things happen with your songs or writing, just finding someone to talk to and mentor you in a music center can change your whole life. My life was completely transformed by several mentors in Nashville as I was trying to find out when to come to town with my songs and production business. Those people are still important in my life today, and have served as guideposts along the way if not providing opportunity, giving me sage advice that helped me build my business.
Step Four: Get Out of Your Comfort Zone
This step can be the hardest. Leaving your comfy life to come to Nashville or wherever the people and processes are in the next steps of your growth is not easy, but it is necessary. Now don't go overboard. You don't have to uproot your family, or sell your belongings and sing for your dinner on Lower Broad. But you may need to make a yearly, or even quarterly trip down to talk to your BMI rep, publisher, producer, or whoever you build a relationship with.
I took all these steps in my journey to Nashville. Now that we've been here almost 10 years, we've settled into a solid set of services, and a long tradition of helping Christian artists and songwriters grow to their potential.
If we can help, come on by http://www.CreativeSoulOnline.com and when you are ready, follow Step Three: Get in Touch. We'd love to hear from you.
See, you have no excuses.
Have a great week!
EC
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Eric Copeland is a songwriter just like you first and foremost, he just has added arranger and producer to his plate as the years went by. He is president of Creative Soul, a unique consulting, production, and marketing company for Christian artists. For more info check out http://www.CreativeSoulOnline.com
1 comment:
I have written many praise and worship songs (words and music) as well as music to scripture, that have been performed in various settings. How do I get them published?
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