Pub Deal Month Exercises

Think Like a Publisher

Listen to the top five songs in the genre of music you’re interested in. Choose what you think are the top three songs you’ve written and see how they stack up against those hits in terms of instrumentation, song structure, chord progression, rhythm, and language used in the lyric. Music evolves of course, but your songs must utilize similar techniques to be taken seriously and have a place in the genre you’re writing them for. These are qualities a music publisher will be looking for!

Pros and Cons

Discuss the pros and cons of signing a publishing deal. What are you gaining as a songwriter or artist and what are you giving up?

Soul Searching

Publishers are usually looking for new writers that know who they are and know what they want to say. Even if you write songs for other artists to perform, you should have a keen sense self so that the passion for your craft shines through in your writing. Think about who you are as a writer and what you’re trying to say. Create a motto or mission statement for yourself that will inspire you and keep you on track!