Sometimes, the best thing you can do for your songwriting career is to NOT write. Sometimes, writing a song actually hurts your chances for songwriting success more than it helps.
Wanna know why? Read on below.
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There are only so many hours in the day, and you’re chasing a BIG dream with a ton of competition and a low chance of success. So you sure better be spending your time on the right things. But are you? How do you know?
Here’s what I used to focus my time wisely: “W.R.A.P.”
You know how I like acronyms, and it just so happens that the four cornerstones of professional songwriting success happen to fall neatly into “W.R.A.P.” This makes my heart so happy. Let’s dive in.
1. Writing
This one’s pretty obvious. We’re songwriters, aren’t we? If you’re a writer… write. If you don’t write, there’s nothing to get recorded. And it’s not enough to just write every once in a while. Write hard, write consistently.
Of course, that’s easier said than done. There are so many distractions and doubts that want to creep in. But you MUST protect your writing time if you ever want it to be your profession. Schedule it, then show up. Hold yourself accountable.
“But wait a second,” you might be thinking. “Didn’t this blog post start out by warning me that writing songs might be HURTING my chances of success? What’s the deal?”
That’s true. While the actual writing is an unconditional part of songwriting success, it’s not the ONLY part of that success. You must also do the other parts of W.R.A.P. Writing is the fun part. (That’s why we got into this thing, right?) But it can also become a hiding place where we avoid the more uncertain, less fun parts of turning pro.
So that’s what I mean. Writing is a very important part of songwriting success, but it’s not the only part of it.
2. Recording
It’s not enough to have scratchy worktapes if you want someone else to cut and release your song. You have to get a good recording of your song- one that presents it in a good light. This could be a guitar/vocal, a full demo, or something in between.
And it’s worth noting that not every song is worth demoing. Some songs only serve to get you to the next song. Be honest with yourself. Will this song really take you closer to your goals? If not, be thankful for it as practice, and move on. Don’t hide in the studio because it’s more comfortable than doing other, more scary or uncomfortable elements of W.R.A.P.
3. Accessing
A great song and demo does you no good if you can’t get it into the hands of someone who can do something with it. Accessing is building relationships and otherwise gaining access to singers, publishers, labels, producers, etc.
If you want cuts, you MUST gain access. This may be through gaining access to a publisher who can take your song further than you can, or it may be building direct pitch relationships. Or both. And don’t leave Accessing to chance. Make a plan to connect with others. Schedule it. Hold yourself accountable.
4. Pitching
Having access doesn’t mean anything if you don’t actually pitch your song. You have to ask for the cut, as simple as that. You have to give publishers, artists, etc. the opportunity to say “yes” to your song. This and Accessing are usually the scariest, most uncomfortable parts of W.R.A.P., but they are vital. Again, you have to hold yourself accountable to pitching your best songs. If you don’t, you know what’ll happen? Nothing. Absolutely nothing. And when nothing happens, nothing changes. You’ll stay right where you are now. Do you want that?
Note that each of these are cornerstones – you won’t have a stable, well-functioning career if you neglect one or more of them. I’m not saying you should spend equal hours on each of these areas, but you should give them the proper amount of time based on your particular situation.
W.R.A.P. is good for helping you focus on what’s important. If an opportunity comes up, compare it to W.R.A.P. If that activity doesn’t fall into one of those categories, it might not be a wise use of your time. Perhaps you should replace that activity with W.R.A.P.
If it’s not W.R.A.P., maybe you should scrap it.
Hey, if you’re ready to work on Accessing, I have a great opportunity coming up.
Songwriting Pro’s next “Play For A Publisher” event is accepting songs NOW, and our guest is Joe Dan Cornett, Creative Director of Daywind Music Publishing & Billy Blue Publishing! Joe Dan works in the Country, Southern Gospel, Bluegrass and CCM/Worship markets. If YOU have the songs, HE knows what to do with them! Play for a publisher. Get his professional feedback. Make a connection. Overcome your fear.
CLICK HERE TO GET ALL THE DETAILS AND SEND IN YOUR SONG!
God Bless and Enjoy the Journey,
Brent
Brent Baxter is a hit songwriter with cuts by Alan Jackson, Randy Travis, Lady Antebellum, Joe Nichols, Gord Bamford, Ruthie Collins, Ray Stevens, and more. He’s written a top 5 hit in the US, a #1 Single of the Year in Canada & a top 10 in Texas… so far. He also co-hosts a 5-star podcast, “The C.L.I.M.B.” on iTunes, Stitcher & HERE.
