Chapter 6. Marketing Your Song

The principal difference between an amateur and professional songwriter is that the professional writer has at least one published song to his credit. It thus follows that if a new songwriter has a song accepted and successfully exploited by a recognized publishing firm, he will encounter little or no difficulty in obtaining serious audition and consideration of his future numbers.

It is the first song, therefore, that presents the greatest stumbling block to the new songwriter. The reasons for this have already been brought forth in this book, but, for the purpose of discussion, it might be best to list them once more:

1. Of the material submitted to publishers by new songwriters, only a very small percentage has any commercial value. The major percentage of this material is either improperly written, contains direct "steals" from copyrighted songs, or lacks sufficient originality to compare favorably with numbers written by professionals.
2. There is no dearth of song material. Publishers receive a sufficient supply of new numbers to keep their catalogs full and their songplugging staff
3. busy. There is no compulsion, therefore, for the publishers to seek new songwriters. This does not mean that they have shut their doors to new talent. It does mean, however, that this new talent must be particularly outstanding to receive their attention.
4. A certain amount of time, effort and expense must be risked in the publication of any song. The publisher naturally desires to keep this risk as low as possible. If he publishes the work of a successful professional songwriter, he knows that there is a good chance that the song will "click" and that he will come out even or perhaps ahead on the deal.
5. Songs written by professional songwriters are generally much easier to plug than numbers written by unknowns.

These are the main obstacles that the new songwriter must overcome. They are by no means insuperable. In fact, they can be by-passed very easily provided the new songwriter has two requisites: a song that meets commercial standards, and the ability and stick-to-itiveness to convince the publisher that he has "the goods."

Marketing a song-particularly a first song-often requires patience, tact and time. Assuming that the song has real commercial value, there are several ways of gaining a serious audition by the publisher. These will be discussed in detail. However, there are certain facts that should be borne in mind when the initial contacting is done.

In the first place, it should be made quite clear that there is no short-cut in marketing a song. The songwriter should have only one goal in mind . . . the ultimate publication of his song by a recognized and reputable music publishing firm. Having this song "published" by a songshark, or attempting to "publish" it himself, is merely defeating his purpose. Neither the songshark nor the individual songwriter is in any position to do much more than obtain printed copies of the number. They are not equipped nor trained to exploit the song properly or to supervise its proper distribution. If the songwriter finds that it is inconvenient or extremely difficult to obtain an audition with the publisher, he can use various methods (outlined below) to secure the publisher's interest by means of bandleaders, radio performers, etc. But his ultimate goal is always the same . . . actual publication and exploitation of his song.

In what form should the song be when it is submitted to the publisher? This question often perplexes the new songwriter who is undecided whether the number should be printed, hand-written, fully arranged, or fully orchestrated. A hand-written, legible copy is actually all that is required. In fact, it is inadvisable to submit a printed copy since this will lead the publisher to suspect that the number has either been written by a songshark or has been inadequately exploited by the songwriter before he has submitted it. Furthermore, the publisher, if he accepts the song, will eventually have it printed himself, so that printing it initially is a waste of time and money.

If the song is submitted by mail, it is usually advisable to have the number properly arranged or, at least, to have the proper harmonies indicated on the manuscript. The reason for this is that the publisher's piano player will be able to perform the number just as the songwriter had intended it to be played, using the proper harmonies and chord, sequences. It is unnecessary to go to any great expense for a simple piano arrangement. However, if it should be inconvenient for the songwriter to use a New York arranger, any local music teacher should be able to sketch in the simple harmonies required. A professional piano arrangement costs approximately $25.00 (depending upon the arranger).

If the songwriter is able to contact the publisher personally and is able to perform his own number adequately, there is no necessity to have the number arranged. This also applies if the songwriter brings a friend with him who is able to perform the number.

Piano arrangements are not essential but they do insure that the number will be played just as the songwriter intended. If the number has a strong melody line and does not require any special or complicated accompaniment, a professional piano player will always be able to fill in the proper accompaniment without any difficulty.

So far we have been going on the assumption that a completed song (words and music) is being submitted to the publisher. But what about the case of a songwriter who is only able to write lyrics or who is only able to compose the tune? In other words, are publishers interested in incompleted songs? The answer to this question is that publishers are in business primarily to make money. If a lyric or a melody line is sufficiently strong and outstanding to assure the publisher of an income when the song is completed and published, he will accept the incomplete number and arrange with some other songwriter to fill in the missing part.

On the whole, the average publisher is more inclined to be interested in the melody than in an unaccompanied lyric. This is because it is easier for him to obtain good lyrics than to find tunes that are really outstanding. However, here again, if the lyric has definite merit and shows unusual creative skill, the publisher will be inclined to accept it and to arrange with some professional songwriter to compose an accompanying melody.

The songwriter should never go to the expense or trouble to have an orchestration made of his number if he is submitting the number directly to the publisher. The publisher is merely interested in hearing the piano arrangement. If the song appeals to him, he will have his own scratch-arrangements and orchestrations made up (at his own expense).

Recordings are also unnecessary. The average publisher prefers to study the number and have it played over several times in his presence. Recordings therefore serve no particular purpose unless they provide an adequate band arrangement or are intended to merely supplement the piano performance. In any case, they represent a needless expense and do not help materially in selling the number.

Summing up, all that the songwriter needs before contacting the publisher is a legible, handwritten manuscript with the lyrics (if any) typed neatly beneath the appropriate notes. The only expense involved (and even this is not absolutely essential) is a simple piano arrangement, provided the songwriter is unable to indicate his own accompaniment and intends to have the publisher's piano player perform the number or intends to submit the manuscript through the mail.

There is one more thing that the songwriter should attend to before seeking publication or performance of his number. He should have the song copyrighted. This is accomplished very easily by writing to the Registrar of Copyrights, Library of Congress, "Washington, D. C, and requesting some application blanks for registering unpublished musical compositions. These blanks are sent free of charge. The songwriter then fills out the information requested on the form and returns the form to the Registrar of Copyrights, together with one copy of the manuscript and the one-dollar fee requested. Then, before submitting the song, he should type the following words at the bottom of the manuscript page: "Copyrighted by (his name), date of copyright." If there is more than one page to the manuscript, and if these pages are not bound, the copyright notice should be typed at the bottom of each loose page.

There are three accepted ways of submitting a manuscript for publication: (i) by mail; (2) by direct personal contact; (3) through the intercession of a third party such as a bandleader, professional musician, professional songwriter, or radio star.

Each of these methods has certain advantages and disadvantages. Direct contact is, by far, the most desirable, but there are occasions when this is inconvenient or undesirable. Intercession through a third party often achieves good results but occasionally leads to complications which we will discuss later in this chapter. Contact by mail, while often necessary, is usually the least satisfactory of the three methods. However, any of these three methods, if properly employed and if the manuscript submitted conforms to commercial standards, will bring results.

Before submitting his song, the songwriter should determine which of the many publishing firms would be most interested in his particular work. There was a time, not so many years ago, when it was possible to classify the different publishing firms according to the type of songs they published. Thus, if one had written a "hot" number he could select a certain number of firms specializing in that particular type, and the same method could be used in selecting publishers for ballads, novelties, etc.

Today, however, there is very little specialization of this type in the publishing field. The average publisher is apt to accept any type of song provided its merit meets with his particular requirements. Certain general classifications, however, can be made. For instance, publishing firms such as Harms Inc., Robbins Music Corp., M. Whitmark & Sons, Remick Music Corp., Edwin Morris & Co., Sam Fox Publishing Co., Famous Music Corp., etc., specialize in production numbers. This does not mean that these firms will not accept non-production numbers but simply that their qualifications for non-production numbers are apt to be higher than those of other firms. Another class of publishers also produce production numbers but carry a good percentage of non-production songs. This classification includes such firms as Leo Feist, Inc., Shapiro Bernstein & Co., Inc., Irving Berlin, Inc., Crawford Music Corp., Mills Music Inc., Santly-Joy, Inc., Words & Music, Inc., etc. Other publishers (see list in appendix) have more general catalogues. Some firms, such as E. B. Marks Music Co., and Southern Music Pub. Co. are inclined to specialize in South American numbers, but even such firms also carry typical American "pop" songs.

Since it is almost impossible to provide a thorough and permanent classification of publishers by the type of material they publish, it is often advisable for the songwriter to analyze his own number, determine the classification into which it falls, and then find a number of current successful songs (non-production) that are approximately the same type of number. The publishers of these songs should, of course, be first on his list.

One problem which often confronts the new songwriter is whether he should submit .his song to a large or small publishing house. The large publisher is in a better position to exploit his number, secure the best plugs and, perhaps, even arrange for the song to be used in a motion picture or stage revue. On the other hand, such a firm has a large number of the best professional songwriters either under contract, or as fairly permanent "customers." The publisher, therefore, is not too anxious to take songs by unknowns unless such songs are exceptional in every respect. The songwriter is therefore required to meet higher qualifications than he would at a smaller publishing firm. The larger firm is always preferable if the songwriter can make the grade.

The smaller firm is more apt to give serious consideration to the works of new songwriters. Although the royalties received are the same in all cases, the songwriter must remember that the smaller house is generally not in a position to plug the number as thoroughly ast the larger firm. However, the new songwriter will generally find it easier to contact the smaller publisher and, in the long run, since his main objective is to have the song published by a recognized firm, it makes very little difference whether that firm is large or small.

The song should never be submitted to more than one firm at a time. In other words, if the songwriter submits his song to one publisher, he should wait for the return of his song before taking it to another publisher. The purpose of this procedure is to avoid any entanglements or disagreements with any of the publishing firms. No songwriter can afford to make enemies of any of the publishers. If the song should be in the hands of two or more publishers at the same time and one of the publishers should accept the number, the songwriter would be compelled to withdraw the number from the other publishers. If any of these other publishers should also want to publish the number, the songwriter would find that his explanations would be ill received. Although submission of the song to two or more publishers at the same time saves time and effort, it is, on the whole, a highly impractical procedure.

If the songwriter has placed his number with a publisher for consideration, he may, if he desires, contact bandleaders or other performers with the same number. Any favorable reactions gained from these people should be immediately reported to the publisher holding the song. If the songwriter can arrange for plugs, this fact may strongly influence the publisher in favor of the song.

It is generally inadvisable to send a manuscript by mail to a publisher unless the publisher has previously indicated his interest in reviewing the number. Publishers are deluged with unsolicited manuscripts sent through the mail and will generally return these unopened to the sender or will send them back with a standard rejection slip enclosed. The publishers literally do not have the time nor staff to review all manuscripts sent in this manner.

Under the circumstances, it is always best for the songwriter to write a simple letter to the publisher, describing in general terms, the type of song he has written and requesting an audition of the number if sent through the mail. Such a letter might be written along the following lines:

J. Jones Publishing Co. 120 Jones Street New York City

Gentlemen:

I would like to submit, for your consideration, a song (words and music) entitled "This Is The Night." This number is a straight ballad with a strong melody line and simple lyrics that have a new twist on a familiar theme.

"This Is The Night" is similar in type to "Give Us Love" and "Dimout On Love" recently published by your firm. However, the number is entirely original and bears no other resemblance to these two numbers.

Will you kindly advise me if you will review "This Is The Night" with a view toward publication, providing that the song meets your requirements? If this can be done, I will, upon receipt of your reply, forward the number to your attention.

Very truly yours,

It is, of course, not suggested that the songwriter use the exact words of the above letter. However, an initial letter of this type is always advisable before submitting the song. Generally, the answer will be favorable. If it is, the songwriter should forward the manuscript together with a brief note reminding the publisher that he has expressed interest in seeing the song. Both the letter and envelope should be addressed to the attention of the particular individual who answered the initial letter.

If the song is unaccompanied by lyrics, the songwriter should make this clear in his first letter. He might also suggest that if the publisher finds that the tune has commercial value, he, the songwriter, will be glad to cooperate with anyone that the publisher suggests who can write the accompanying lyrics.

If the songwriter has a number of lyrics (unaccompanied by music), the same type of initial letter should be sent but the songwriter should make it quite clear that he is submitting not more than two or three lyrics. The letter can describe the lyrics briefly but should not go into too much detail.

In all cases where the songwriter is making his first contact with a publishing firm, whether it is by mail, by personal contact or through a third party, he should avoid inundating the publisher with material. If the publisher receives a batch of manuscripts at one time from the same songwriter he is very apt to be somewhat wary of the merit of any of the numbers. Furthermore he generally has neither the time, patience or inclination to wade through a great number of songs to look for a commercial number. The songwriter will receive much better consideration if he restricts his submissions to not more than two songs at a time. In fact, it is usually preferable to select the best number and concentrate on that before submitting additional songs.

Lyric writers are usually more prolific than composers and therefore have a tendency to swamp the publishers with their work. It must be borne in mind that the average publisher has only a slight interest in unaccompanied lyrics and usually prefers to work through professional lyric writers who have had some experience and reputation in that field. Outstanding lyrics will always interest the publisher but even such lyrics are usually difficult to market.

It is not advisable for the songwriter submitting an unaccompanied tune or lyric to suggest to the publisher that a particular professional composer or lyric writer collaborate in finishing the song. In the first place, the publisher is usually better able to select the proper collaborator than the songwriter. Secondly, the collaborator suggested by the songwriter may be under contract with another publishing firm.

If the song is accepted by the publisher, the songwriter will be asked to sign a standard royalty contract (see Appendix). All expenses connected with printing and exploiting the song will be borne by the publisher, and royalties will be forthcoming at the regular periods stated in the contract. These royalties are shared equally with any other songwriter who collaborates on the song.

Occasionally, the publisher, after reviewing the song (words and music), might advise the songwriter that it does not quite come up to professional standards. The publisher in such cases might suggest that a professional songwriter be permitted to collaborate on the number and to revise it according to specifications. Under such circumstances, it is usually advisable for the songwriter to accept the proposition. Remember, that there is no fee for this collaboration. The only compensation that the collaborator should receive is a share of the royalties.

If the song should be rejected by the publisher, the songwriter should submit it to another publisher. Quite often, the publisher, in rejecting the number, may mention some specific weakness either in the melody, the tune, or both. The songwriter should endeavor to correct this weakness before submitting the number to another publisher. If the correction entails a radical change of the melody line, the corrected tune should also be copyrighted by the songwriter.

If the songwriter lives within easy traveling distance from the firms he wishes to contact, it is preferable to make this contact by person rather than by mail. The best time to contact the publisher is in the middle of the week (Tuesday, Wednesday or Thursday) and during the mid-morning or mid-afternoon. It must be remembered that the professional manager or other individual who auditions tunes will naturally give preference to professional songwriters and to performers. The new songwriter may therefore have to "cool his heels" waiting for a breathing spell in which his particular song may be auditioned. This may entail visiting the same firm for several days, but the songwriter should be patient and take the delay without (audible) grumbling. Sometimes it is possible to telephone for an appointment but usually this is not practical since the professional manager has no means of telling whether he will be free or occupied at any specific time.

In making the personal contact the songwriter should insure, to the best of his ability, that the song will be performed properly. The piano players employed by the publishers are top-flight performers and are usually experts at revising harmonies and transposing tunes from one key to another.

They can be relied upon to get the most out of the tune. However, it is always best to have the proper harmonies indicated on the manuscript, particularly if these harmonies are an integral part of the tune.

If the songwriter prefers, he may perform the tune himself, or may bring a friend who is competent to perform the number adequately. The songwriter should always bear in mind that his number may stand or fall on its initial performance and that it is therefore important that this performance should not be slip-shod or poor in any respect. In other words, unless the songwriter, himself, has a good singing voice and is a better-than-average piano player, he should not attempt to take part in the audition. This also applies to his selection of an accompanist. The friend whom he selects to perform the number should be a thoroughly experienced performer, and should be able to transpose the number to different keys if this is suggested by the publisher.

The songwriter should, under all circumstances, avoid any arguments with the publisher. If his song should be rejected, he should accept this fact calmly and not attempt to "sell" the publisher on the particular merits of his number. It has been stated before that the publisher is in business to make money. If he feels that publishing the number will be a profitable venture, he will assume the risk. If he is doubtful about the outcome, he will reject the number. Should the song be rejected, it is perfectly in order for the songwriter to ask for the specific reasons for the rejection or even to ask for suggestions for improving the song. If the reasons for rejection are minor, such, for instance, as a weak "release," poor title, or flat ending, the songwriter might suggest that he correct the fault and bring the song back for another hearing. This arrangement is usually acceptable to the publisher.

The songwriter should make every effort to keep his interview on a friendly plane since, even if his song is rejected, he may wish the same publisher to review another song on another occasion.

Personal contact with the publishing firm enables the new songwriter to get the "feeling" of the music publishing industry, to make valuable contacts and friends, and to pick up extremely helpful information. He will become acquainted with the peculiar jargon of Tin Pan Alley. He will hear many fabulous, unbelievable stories and he will learn much that will be helpful to him in his chosen career.

So far we have discussed contacting the publisher by mail or through a personal interview. The third method is by intercession of some reputable bandleader, professional songwriter, or radio performer. It should be understood that the person performing this intercession is not acting as an agent for the songwriter and is not entitled to any type of fee or payment. The intercession or introduction should be done either on the basis of friendship or because the third party is "sold" on the number and is interested in having it published by a reputable firm.

If the songwriter should be personally acquainted with a well-known bandleader or other performer, he should make every effort not to impose upon this friendship and to make the best possible use of this contact. For example, if the songwriter is able to contact the publishers personally, he should endeavor to do so without making use of any introductions by his friend. If any of the publishers should evince interest in his song, he might then mention the possibility of having his number performed by such-and-such a singer or band. The prospect of a definite plug for the number might be a persuasive argument for the publisher to accept the number.

If the songwriter is unable to obtain an audition from a particular publishing firm, an introduction by a well-known bandleader or performer may be extremely helpful. However, even in this case, the songwriter should first make sure that the person performing the introduction is, himself, convinced that the song has definite commercial value.

The point is that contacts of this type are extremely valuable and should therefore be preserved most carefully. While the average publisher might give more serious consideration to the song, under such circumstances, he will still judge the song on its own merits. If, in his opinion, the number is uncommercial, he will still reject it no matter how much he may respect the standing of the person performing the introduction. Furthermore, the average bandleader or performer is inclined to feel that hits own reputation may be damaged if he continues to recommend auditions for worthless songs.

If the songwriter receives any indication that his friend is doubtful about the merits of the song or hesitant about performing the introduction, he should by no means, attempt to force the issue. The best plan, under such circumstances, is to proceed contacting the publisher either directly or by mail. Then, only if the publisher shows some interest in the song, should the publisher ask his friend to intercede.

It must always be borne in mind that bandleaders, professional musicians and performers cannot, themselves, publish the number. Furthermore, such performers are generally reluctant about playing such numbers unless they have been published for there is always some fear of some "kick-back" concerning copyright infringements. Under these circumstances, the most that the songwriter can hope to obtain from these contacts is either a written or verbal introduction to a reputable publisher.

The above suggestions have been based upon the assumption that the songwriter has already established a friendly relationship with some well-known bandleader or performer. This, however, may not be the case. Under such circumstances, there are several methods for establishing such contacts.

The initial contact with any established performer, whether it is a bandleader or radio star, should always, if possible, be by personal interview. None of these performers have the time to carry on lengthy correspondence by mail, particularly when it involves performing a favor for some unknown individual.

In making the initial contact, the songwriter should always select some time when the performer has a few moments of leisure. Directly after rehearsal, or directly after a performance is usually a good time to approach the performer. However, if it is apparent that the performer is rushing off to another engagement or it otherwise occupied, the songwriter should bide his time for Ja more favorable occasion.

The approach should be handled with tact and discretion. Obviously, no bandleader or other performer would react favorably to such an approach as "Good evening, Mr. Jones. Will you please give me an introduction to Leo Feist, Inc.?" The ostensible reason for the songwriter contacting the performer is to obtain his professional opinion about the song. In other words, the songwriter should make it quite plain that he respects this performer's personal judgment and would appreciate any comment, favorable or otherwise, that he would care to make about the number. The songwriter should always attempt to select the type of number that is nearest the particular style of the performer. This furnishes an additional reason for soliciting the performer's opinion and also insures a better chance of a favorable reaction.

If the bandleader or singer agrees to perform the number or to review it, the songwriter should, at this point, make no further request. It is only when the number receives a favorable reaction that the songwriter should state that he is unacquainted with any publishing firm and would appreciate a brief introduction from the performer. Since the performer is now convinced that the songwriter has a commercial song, he is usually quite willing to give him a note or card introducing him to some publisher. Some bandleaders will even go to the extent of recommending publication of the song, promising plugs, etc., but this is not a general procedure and should never be requested by the songwriter.
The introduction, once obtained, is best used in a personal contact with the publisher. If this is impossible, it may be included with the initial letter sent to the publisher. The songwriter should never expect such introductions to perform miracles. They are just as helpful as any other type of business introduction but once they have performed their limited task, the songwriter must "carry on" by himself and must depend upon the merit of his work and by his own approach to accomplish the desired results.

If the songwriter is contacting a bandleader, it is usually advisable to either have the number orchestrated or to have it arranged for the particular instrument used by the bandleader himself. The orchestrations may be handwritten and should not be elaborate. They should however, be done by some professional arranger. This, incidentally, is a fairly expensive procedure.

If the songwriter is contacting a singer, a piano arrangement is usually sufficient. However, if necessary, the song should be transposed to the key best suiting the range and quality of the singer's voice.

Summing up, the number when presented to either the bandleader or singer should be in such form that it can be immediately and satisfactorily performed. Since the songwriter is actually requesting two favors-audition and an introduction-he should not expect the performer to arrange, transpose or revise his song also. Furthermore, for any audition, whether it is by the publisher or by the performer, the song should always be presented in its most favorable light.

There are no recognized agents or "brokers" in the music industry, although there are such agencies in other creative fields such as story-writing, play-writing, etc. Many song-sharks claim to have an "inside track" with publishing firms but it is usually revealed upon investigation that these so-called publishing firms are also song-sharks. The songwriter is therefore advised to do his own prospecting and contacting according to the methods suggested above. His greatest difficulties, as we have said, will be encountered while he is trying to get his first song published. But once this is accomplished, he will have become, to all intents and purposes, a professional songwriter and can therefore contact the publishers with ease.

Before ending this chapter, a word should be said about contacting record companies and transcription companies. In normal times, some record companies would occasionally accept unpublished songs and record them on the reverse side of some hit number. This practice, however, has declined in recent years, but may be revived after the war.
Transcription companies do use unprofessional material to some considerable extent. It is somewhat questionable, however, just how valuable this type of exploitation is to the songwriter. BMI (Broadcasting Music, Inc.) has an arrangement whereby non-professional songwriters who "publish" (print and exploit) their own numbers may have these numbers listed for use in transcriptions. The advantage to the radio stations using such material is that they are not compelled to pay the ASCAP license fee for such performances. The writer, however, fails to see any particular advantage to the songwriter, particularly if he is compelled to go to any expense in publishing his own numbers.

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