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This article originally appeared in the July/August 2002
issue of American Songwriter magazine.
The
Professional Songwriter’s Code of Conduct
By Nancy Moran
You have just written Celine Dion’s next big hit. But for
some reason, try as you might, you can’t get anyone to return your phone call
or to listen to this blockbuster song of yours. Well, maybe the problem isn’t with your song; maybe it’s
with your communication technique—or lack thereof. As a member of the American
Songwriter staff and co-owner of Azalea Music Group, I’ve answered my share of
telephones, opened lots of mail, and replied to plenty of e-mail. And I am
constantly amazed at the lack of professionalism that I see and hear.
Image is everything in the music business—even for
songwriters. Before a producer, publisher, or anyone else hears your song,
they’ve already formed an opinion about you and your music from reading your
letter, seeing your tape or CD, and from speaking with you on the phone or in
person. Yet 99.9% of aspiring songwriters don’t think about anything other
than writing the song. While I agree that talent and a great song are imperative
to your success, I also know that first you must get someone to listen to
that great song. To get them to listen means you must get them interested in you.
And to do that, you must act like a professional!
How do you do that? There aren’t any hidden secrets to
acting like a professional songwriter. Most of the professional conduct rules
are common sense and require only a small amount of effort on your part. But
this extra effort is key!
Below are the basics to the Professional Songwriter’s
Code of Conduct. Read them. Familiarize yourself with them. Practice them
religiously. Following these rules
will instantly separate you from the throngs of amateur wannabes:
On The Telephone:
Don’t instantly become my
“best buddy.” If I don’t know you, I don’t want to “chat” with you
on the phone. I want to know who you are and what you want. And don’t ask
open-ended questions that can’t possibly be answered in 5-minutes or less
(unless you plan to pay me a consulting fee.)
For example, “I’ve just written a song that my grandmother says is a
#1 hit. How do I make that happen?” Respect everyone’s time by being clear,
concise, and to the point in your conversation.
State your purpose, ask your question, and get off the phone!
Remember to be polite, friendly,
and pleasant even if it’s the fourteenth message you’ve left and no one has
ever returned your phone call. Polite persistence will eventually open doors.
Under NO circumstances should you ever be rude, short, impolite, angry, or
otherwise discourteous. That’s a sure-fire way to get your song trashed and
your phone calls blocked.
In An E-mail:
DON’T USE ALL CAPITAL LETTERS. It
looks like you’re screaming at someone and can be taken offensively. but
don’t use all lower case letters either. it’s distracting and hard to read.
You should treat each e-mail message as a business letter.
That means beginning with a salutation (Dear So-and-so), ending with a
signature (Sincerely, your name), and using business style writing and tone
throughout your message. Also, make sure you spell-check your e-mail and proof
it for grammar BEFORE sending! One single, extraneous typo might be forgiven,
but numerous typos and grammatical mistakes look extremely unprofessional and
may send the signal that you just don’t care. If you don’t care about your
own career, why should anyone else?
And here’s a huge no-no: don’t
spam industry professionals with e-mail like: “Check out www.joebloe.com
for the greatest songwriter of ALL TIME!!!!” It doesn’t work. No one will
check you out. In fact, some of us will be greatly annoyed and will purposely
avoid you forever.
In A Letter:
Just like e-mail, letters are
business correspondence and must be treated accordingly. They should always be
typed, or preferably printed out from a computer word processor, on your own
business letterhead. You can easily create your own stationery these days using
a word processor or desktop publishing program and any inkjet printer. Unless
you’re writing a short, personal note to someone you already know in the
industry, don’t hand-write or print letters. And never use lined notebook
paper…especially the kind torn from a spiral notebook. It makes you look
immature.
Remember to keep your letters
short, clear, and concise – usually no more than one page in length – and to
use business style letter formats. If you are not familiar with these formats,
visit a library, bookstore, or website near you to read up on the subject. Also,
always use business-sized envelopes when sending your letters. An 8 ½” x
11” piece of paper folded a gazillion times to squeeze into a small standard
envelope looks ridiculous.
And finally, don’t ever ask for
personal information (e.g. home phone number, address, or e-mail) of famous
people. No one will provide you with it anyway. And this is an instant
indication that you don’t know what you’re doing.
When Sending A Package:
Don’t seal the envelope with so
much packaging tape that you need a razor blade and three people to pry the
thing open. But PLEASE DO remove the shrink-wrap off of your CD before you send
it! You have a much better chance of someone slipping your CD into a player if
it doesn’t take them an hour to actually get to the disc.
For a really consistent,
professional image, use shipping labels that match your letterhead and business
card. Have a logo designed and use it on all of your printed materials.
Always include a cover letter that
clearly indicates why you are sending the package and what it is that you want.
(For example: a review, a publishing contract, a call back, etc.) Just
because you ask for it, doesn’t mean you’ll get it. But you still need to be
clear on what it is you’re asking for, so that the package can be directed to
the right department or individual. Also, make sure the company that you’re
sending a package to does what you want. We get music publishing requests at the
magazine all the time…but we are not a music publisher. These requests
are glaring errors that scream “amateur.”
Don’t send your packages out
willy-nilly to anyone and everyone. It’s a waste of your money and their time.
Besides, many unsolicited packages will simply be returned unopened to you.
In Person:
Developing and displaying
confidence in your songs and songwriting is important—but be careful: don’t
brag about yourself or your song. In my experience, the amount of self-bravado
is inversely proportional to the talent of the songwriter and/or greatness of
the song. That is, the more a songwriter goes on and on about how fabulous
his/her song is and how it’s just perfect for (name of famous artist here),
the more the song actually sucks and isn’t even close to what said artist
would be looking for. Great
songwriters don’t need to brag because great songs speak for themselves.
It’s important to maintain a
friendly, well-mannered, positive and pleasant demeanor at all times. Arguing
with the publisher will not win you points. Also, don’t act like you
“deserve” a cut. Talent alone doesn’t give you the right to anything.
There are tons of talented songwriters. Learn to handle all comments—positive
or negative—with grace and dignity.
In General:
Focus on developing relationships
with people. Get to know people. Let them get to know you…slowly. Don’t
force yourself on anyone. Instead of always asking “what can they do for
me?” find out how you can help them.
Print up business cards and hand
them out freely. People will need to hear your name and see your name frequently
before they remember who you are. And inject your own personal style into your
communications and actions. It will help people identify you. But don’t be
miffed if it takes them a while to notice you. Be consistent and persistent in
your approach.
In the complete version of the
Professional Songwriter’s Code of Conduct, there’s more. But these are
enough to get you started. If you adhere to these rules, you’ll be recognized
as a professional songwriter before you know it.