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 CONTENTS
About: Brent Baxter
About: Man vs. Row
Select Cuts
Intro

The Pro Knows

A Hit Songwriter’s Advice To Aspiring Writers
The Band Is A Brand. Are You Brand Conscious?
6 Things To Ask Yourself Before Pitching A Song
10 Ways To Get To A Publisher
8 Questions To Ask Before You Demo That Song
10 Reasons Songwriters Should Pitch Their Own Songs
6 Simple Ways To Make Your Songs More Commercial
Be Helpful
How Do You Know Who Is Looking For Songs?
The 4 Cornerstones Of Songwriting Success: W.R.A.P.
5 Things Songwriters Should Quit
Inside vs. Outside Songs - And Why It Matters
The Artist’s Camp
The Artist’s Camp: Multiple Points Of Contact
You Must Have Invisible Talent
What Is Your Endpoint?
6 Songwriting Tiebreakers
Are You Taking Ownership Of Your Songwriting Success?
Show Me Your Songwriting Friends, And I’ll Show You Your Future
The Upward Spiral Of The Songwriting Biz
The Value Of A Songwriter / Producer Relationship

Outro
Are You Ready To Make Your Songs Cut/able?

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 About: Brent Baxter

I grew up writing short stories in my

hometown of Batesville, Arkansas. However,
it wasn’t until my sophomore year at
Arkansas State University (Go, Red Wolves!)
that I first discovered songwriting. Back
home over Christmas break, my friend, Tim
Meitzen, put a melody to a poem I had
written, and I was hooked.

I sharpened my songwriting skills while

earning both a bachelor and a masters degree in business (MBA). During that time, I
was also active in the local chapter of NSAI (Nashville Songwriters Association
International). Following college, I joined the local songwriting community while working
in Little Rock, Arkansas. In March of 2002, I traded my cubicle for a rented room in
Nashville. It was an amazing feeling to know that I was finally going to give songwriting
a real shot. When I wasn’t waiting tables or working in the royalty/administration
department of Bluewater Music, I was writing songs and meeting with publishers.

My first cut came in early 2004, when “Monday Morning Church” was recorded by Alan
Jackson. This was my dream come true! The song went on to become a top five hit,
honored as one of NSAI’s “Songs I Wish I’d Written.” In early 2005, I signed my first
publishing deal, becoming a staff songwriter for Major Bob Music. Bob Doyle (“Major
Bob”) is Garth Brooks‘ manager, so signing a publishing deal with him was another too-
good-to-be-true moment. That deal has yielded cuts by artists including Lady
Antebellum, Randy Travis, and Lonestar.

In 2009 and 2010, I wrote for a joint venture of Peer Music and RPM Music. That deal
has yielded cuts by Joe Nichols, Ray Stevens, Charles Billingsley, Randy Kohrs, and
others.

From 2010 through 2012, I was the flagship writer for Infinity Music Group. This deal
yielded a #1 and CCMA Single Of The Year by Canadian star Gord Bamford, as well as
cuts by comedy legend Ray Stevens, guitar legend Steve Cropper, Andy Griggs, Buddy
Jewell, Ruthie Collins, and James Dupre’, among others.

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I currently write for my own publishing company, Cowboy Chords Music, and I’m actively
writing and pitching my songs.

I live outside of Nashville with my wife, Emily, and my kids, Ozark “Ozzy” and Ruby
Jean.

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 About: Man vs. Row

Man vs. Row is an extension of my decade-plus

experience in the music business.  Mainly, I’ve
been a songwriter, and I’ve been blessed to have
publishing deals and to have my songs recorded
by some incredible artists.

I’ve spent countless hours in the writing room with

just about every kind of writer: the newbie, the
artist-writer, the writer-artist, the commercial
writer, the non-commercial writer, and even a
Nashville Songwriting Hall of Fame member or
two, and I’ve picked up some helpful information
along the way.

I’ve worked in the administration department of a publishing company, learning about

royalties, copyrights, and licensing. I’ve also done hundreds of hours of mentoring with
aspiring songwriters both on my own and with Nashville Songwriters Association
International (NSAI).   While writing is my first love, sharing what I’ve learned about
songwriting is a lot of fun and pretty fulfilling, too.

It’s my hope that Man vs. Row will be helpful to everyone from the songwriting novice to
the seasoned pro.   Topics range far and wide- business, craft, inspiration, writing
prompts, and whatever else catches my interest. You can check it out at:

www.manvsrow.com

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 Select Cuts

“Monday Morning Church”

Writers: Brent Baxter, Erin Enderlin
Artist: Alan Jackson
Album: “What I Do” Arista
Note: The single reached #5 on Billboard and #4 on Radio &
Records in 2005.

“Every Head Bowed”

Writers: Brent Baxter, Brandon Kinney
Artist: Randy Travis
Album: “Around The Bend” Warner Bros.
Note: The album won a 2009 Gospel Music Association Dove
Award for Country Album Of The Year. The album was also
nominated for Country Album Of The Year at the 2009 Grammy
Awards.

“Crickets”
Writers: Brent Baxter, Lisa Shaffer, Bill Whyte
Artist: Joe Nichols
Album: “Crickets” Red Bow

“A Woman Scorned”
Writers: Brent Baxter, Hillary Scott, Casey Koesel, Jon Armstrong
Artist: Lady Antebellum
Album: “Lady Antebellum” Capitol Nashville
Note: The song was a digital bonus track.

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“Last Night Last”
Writers: Brent Baxter, Hillary Scott, Charles Kelley, Dave Haywood
Artist: Lady Antebellum
Album: “Need You Now” Capitol Nashville
Note: The song is an exclusive bonus track for iTunes Europe.

“When Your Lips Are So Close”

Writers: Brent Baxter, Gord Bamford, Byron Hill
Artist: Gord Bamford
Album: “Country Junkie” Cache Entertainment / Sony Canada
Note: The song hit #1 in Canada, has been certified as a gold
single, and won Single of the Year at the 2014 Canadian Country
Music Awards.

“Nights Like You”

Writers: Brent Baxter, Gord Bamford, Byron Hill
Artist: Gord Bamford
Album: “Country Junkie” Cache Entertainment / Sony Canada

“On My Best Days”

Writers: Brent Baxter, Gord Bamford, Byron Hill
Artist: Gord Bamford
Album: “Is It Friday Yet?” Cache Entertainment / Sony Canada
Note: The album won a Canadian Country Music Award for Album
Of The Year in 2013.

“Tough”
Writers: Brent Baxter, Brent Anderson, Joel Shewmake
Artist: Lonestar
Album: “Party Heard Around The World” Saguaro Road Records
Note: The song is an exclusive bonus track for Wal-Mart.

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“Right Reverend Roadhog McGraw”
Writers: Brent Baxter, Matt Cline, Anthony Orio
Artist: Ray Stevens
Album: “One For The Road” Clyde Records
Album: “A Funny Thing Happened In Church Today” Clyde
Records

“Caribou Barbie”
Writers: Brent Baxter, Matt Cline, Max T. Barnes
“Fly Over Country”
Writers: Brent Baxter, Tim Meitzen
Artist: Ray Stevens
Album: “We The People” Clyde Records

“Cap’n Trade The Pirate”

Writers: Brent Baxter, Matt Cline
Artist: Ray Stevens
Album: “Spirit of ’76” Clyde Records

“If You Want My Vote”

Writers: Brent Baxter, Matt Cline
Artist: Matt Cline
Album: “Welcome To My Party.”
Note: The song features guest vocals by Ray Stevens, Steve
Cropper, Andy Griggs, and Buddy Jewell.

“Vintage”
Writers: Brent Baxter, Ruthie Collins, Jessica Roadcap
Artist: Ruthie Collins
Album: “Ruthie Collins” Curb Records

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INTRO

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Here you go!

Here’s your copy of “Think Like A Pro Songwriter!” I appreciate that you’ve trusted me
and Man vs. Row with some of your valuable time. If you’re like me, more things are
competing for your attention than ever before. So it means a lot to me that you’re here
right now, reading this. I’ll do my best to not waste a single minute of your time.

The goal of this book is to give you valuable insights into the mind of a pro songwriter.
It’s my hope that you’ll adopt many, if not all, of these mindsets. Why? Because if you
want to BE a pro songwriter, you have to THINK like a pro songwriter.

Can I guarantee you a cut or a career as a pro? No. Nobody can guarantee anything in
this business. But I believe the information and mindsets in this book (and on my blog
at www.manvsrow.com) will help you act like a pro and increase your chances of
success.

I’d write a longer intro for you, but... hey... I’m a songwriter. I’m used to saying things in
as few words as possible.

Enjoy the book.

God Bless,

Brent

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 “The Pro” Knows
So, how does “The Pro” think, and why should that matter to you? Simply put, if you
want to BE a pro, you need to think like The Pro. “The Pro” is a songwriter who gets
cuts, is respected in the industry, and maintains long-term success in the business.
“The Pro” is a composite figure made from professional songwriters I’ve written with
over the years, successful writers I’ve studied from a distance, and lessons I’ve learned
from personal experience. I hope you find it helpful.

1. The Pro knows... you have to endure.

" Songwriting is massive rejection- especially in the beginning. When you’re just
" getting started, it can seem to take forever just for doors to start opening. And
" when they finally do start to open, it’s usually rejection after rejection after
" rejection on the other side. “Not good enough.” “Keep writing.” “What else ya
" got?”

" Eventually, those rejections start turning into more open doors. In a weird way,
" you have to see it as a certain kind of success when your songs start getting
" rejected by people further and further up the ladder. [I remember in my first
! month in Nashville that I’d gotten to know a songplugger named Tracy.
! One day she told me that she played one of my songs for Tim McGraw,
! but he passed. I was thrilled! Tim McGraw had heard my song!!!
! That was farther than any of my songs had ever gotten before, so that
! rejection was actually a victory.]

" Eventually, if you’re one of the fortunate few, “no” will turn to “yes” every now and
" then. But even a “yes” is often disappointing. “Yes, they cut it, but it’s on a
" no-name artist.” “Yes, they cut it, but the record never came out.” “Yes, but it’s
" a bonus track that’s almost impossible to find.” [I’ve had all those happen to
! me a !few times each.]

" The Pro knows that you have to be patient. You have to endure. Sure, you’re
" going to get frustrated. You’re going to get disappointed again and again. But
" you have to keep getting back up. You have to keep all of that stuff outside the
" writing room. You have to keep your head down and keep working. You have to
" keep believing.

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2. The Pro knows... it’s a relationship business.
" Story of a cut is, in many ways, the story of relationships. “I knew this guy who
" knew the producer...” Songs travel through relationships. (Sure, there might be
" an oddball story here and there like Blake Shelton cutting “God Gave Me You”
" after he heard Dave Barnes’ version on the radio- but those are rare.)
"
" The seasoned pro knows that to have the best chance of success, he needs to
" have as many good relationships in the biz as possible. He wants to have a
" good songplugger pitching his songs. He wants to know as many producers and
" A&R people as possible. He wants to know the managers. He wants to know -
" and write with - the artist’s cowriting buddies. And, ultimately, he wants to know
" and be cowriting buddies with the artists themselves. [I wrote “When Your
! Lips Are So Close” with the producer and the artist. It became a #1
! hit in Canada. I never would’ve had a shot at getting on that project if I
! hadn’t known Byron Hill, the producer.]

" Good relationships provide two invaluable assets: information and access. [A
! cowriting buddy of mine has a record deal on a major label in town.
! He’s working and writing toward his first record. Since I know him and
! I’ve spent a lot of time in the writer’s room with him, I know that the
! label’s official “we’re looking for ___ kind of song” for him is not very
! accurate. So everyone who is just going by the official blurb is barking
! up the wrong tree. Also, because we’re friends, I have a good idea
! about what he will and won’t sing about. So I’m able to write songs
! WITH him that are aimed right AT him. Plus, if I write a song that I
! think is good for him, I can email it to him or play it for him at our
! next cowrite.]

" Having more relationships in the biz gives a writer more advantages. Therefore,
" The Pro takes time - and considers it a part of doing business - to develop
" relationships with others in the music biz.

3. The Pro knows... you have to be disciplined.

" Nobody is looking over your shoulder, and nobody is going to make you write a
" song. The Pro knows he will have to sit down to write a song even when he
" doesn’t feel inspired - at first. (The Pro doesn’t wait for inspiration- he goes out in
" search of it.) Rewriting can be a chore. Sometimes you know your song is

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" ALMOST right, but you can’t put your finger on what is wrong. The last bit of
" polish on your diamond might be the most difficult, but The Pro knows that’s
" where you get the best shine. Or maybe you really like your song, but your
" publisher thinks you need to take another look at it. [It’s not fun when that
! happens. But I’ve also seen a lot of my songs get better because I
! went back in.] The Pro will do the work.

" Not every songwriter loves going out to writers nights to network. And I’m sure
" there’s not a writer out there who loves to sit across from a producer or A&R rep
" and have them turn off their “best” song halfway through the first chorus. But The
" Pro does those things anyway. He knows he has to be disciplined to have
" sustained success.

" Being disciplined also means taking the time to take a step back from the fun and
" busyness of writing, cowriting, and demoing to do an honest evaluation of your
" songwriting business. There’s a difference between working IN your business
" and working ON your business. Working in your business includes writing and
" demoing. Working on your business might include replacing certain cowriters
" with new cowriters or deciding to write more uptempo positive love songs. Both
" are vital. The Pro seeks out the BEST thing to do, not just the NEXT thing to do.

4. The Pro knows... you must always seek to improve and

stay relevant.
" The country music of today isn’t the country music of the 1990’s. Sure, you still
" have the themes of love and heartbreak, but the presentation is very different.
" Back in the 90’s, if you wanted to get a cut, your best bet might be to write
" something fun, a little goofy, and very clever (“Achy Breaky Heart” by Billy Ray
" Cyrus or “Sold” by John Michael Montgomery). A good bet would also be a
" touching “3-act play” where each verse follows the singer or main character at a
" different point in his life. (“Don’t Take The Girl” by Tim McGraw or “Two Sparrows
" In A Hurricane” by Tanya Tucker).

" Well, it isn’t the 90’s anymore. It’s almost impossible to find a new 3-act play on
" country radio. It’s equally difficult to find a singer being goofy or a male singer
" being very sensitive. Right now, almost everything is about young boys and girls
" in trucks on dirt roads. And that will change in time, too.

" The Pro knows it isn’t wise to only write one type of song in one certain way.
" That’s putting all your eggs in one basket- and Nashville is ALWAYS knocking
" baskets around. It’s good to be musically curious- to listen to things outside of
" country. See what’s going on in other genres, see if there’s something cool you
" can incorporate into a song. It’s important to keep things fresh.

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" For example, Bobby Braddock is a Hall of Fame songwriter. He wrote arguably
" the greatest country song ever, “He Stopped Loving Her Today.” But Bobby
" hasn’t spent the last few decades trying to write another version of that song. In
" fact, he wrote “I Wanna Talk About Me” for Toby Keith. It’s hard to imagine those
" songs coming from the same planet, much less from the same mind. But he did
" it. Another good example is “Whisperin’” Bill Anderson. He started out as an
" artist, but he’s transitioned into a Hall of Fame songwriter. He’s written several
" #1 singles over several decades. You don’t achieve that level of success by
" getting stuck in your ways.

5. The Pro knows... it’s not your job to write songs- it’s
your job to write songs that monetize.
" A songwriter can write all the songs in the world, but if those songs don’t make
" enough money, that writer will soon be back waiting tables or selling cars. To
" be a pro, your songs HAVE to make money. It’s a subtle but profound difference
" in mindset. “It’s my job to write songs” and “It’s my job to write money-making
" songs” will each lead you to make different choices on a daily basis.

" There’s a big difference between a quarterback who steps onto the field and
" says, “My job is to throw passes” and a quarterback who says, “My job is to throw
" passes that move us down the field and get us into the end zone.” If he thinks
" his job is just to throw passes, he is measuring success too early. After all, his
" pass could be incomplete or even intercepted. If that happens enough, he’s
" going to end up sitting by himself on the far end of the bench.

" No, The Pro knows his job is to write songs that turn into points on the
" scoreboard. This is going to affect which song ideas he writes, who he writes
" with, and the creative choices he makes while writing. It also affects what he
" does AFTER he writes a song, which brings me to the next thing The Pro knows.

6. The Pro knows... it’s vital to pitch your own songs.

" The Pro knows there are several reasons he needs to pitch his own songs. First
" of all, nobody has as much riding on getting his songs cut as The Pro himself.
" He also knows that it’s very difficult to get a cut, so every bit of help counts. [I
! pitched “Crickets” to the head of Broken Bow Records. He loved it and
! got it to Joe Nichols, who recorded it. I’m glad I didn’t just “let my
! publisher handle it.”]

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" Also, the relationships created and strengthened through pitch meetings are
" extremely valuable. They can lead to cowrites with the producer or artist as well
" as more access in general to the artist’s network. The Pro knows that getting his
" face and his songs in front of an A&R rep or producer helps create “brand
" awareness” of him as a writer. No producer is ever going to say, “We really need
" a Joe Hitsmaker song to round out this album” if he doesn’t have any idea who
" Joe Hitsmaker is and what kind of songs he writes.

" This is the same reason Papa John’s works so hard to put their name and pizzas
" in your mind through advertising. When you’re hungry, they want you hungry for
" pizza - and specifically for Papa John’s Pizza. Likewise, when an artist or
" producer is hungry for hits, you want them hungry for YOUR hits.

7. The Pro knows... you can’t settle for average.

" The Pro realizes that there is a lot of mediocre music on radio and records- and
" even more of it being played at writer’s nights all over Nashville. But The Pro
" doesn’t let himself start grading his own songs on a curve. The Pro grades
" himself against not only the very best in the world, but against the very best he
" can do.

" The Pro also knows that unless he’s writing with the artist, he’s fighting for one
" (or more) of only a couple slots on the album- and he’s competing against the
" best songwriters in the world. And even if he IS writing with the artist, he knows
" he’s STILL competing against the best songwriters in the world- at least the ones
" who are also writing with the artist. The Pro knows he better bring his best.

" [I admit to being guilty of this one. There were too many times I
! almost coasted when writing with a young artist- as if they weren’t
! writing with really good writers in their other cowrites. Maybe this
! came from years of writing with indie artists who cut a bunch of my
! songs and WEREN’T writing with a lot of other people. Maybe I got
! spoiled and I didn’t know it. Either way, none of those songs got cut.
! Nowadays I always do my very best, never taking a cut for granted. I
! work harder, and I get better results.]

8. The Pro knows... you’d better be wise with your money.

" The music business is a financial rollercoaster... if you’re lucky. The lows are
" guaranteed, but the highs aren’t. You’re blessed if you get up high enough to

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" have a steep drop. Otherwise, it’s a low road the whole way. And it is for most
" writers.

" However, in either situation it’s important to watch your money closely. The more
" toys you put on a credit card, the more cuts you have to get to pay for them. The
" bigger the car payment, the less money you’re putting back for a rainy day. And
" even if a hit happens, The Pro knows it might be his only one, so he doesn’t blow
" it.

" The Pro doesn’t let himself get in such bad shape financially that he has to sign
" over his share of a particular song’s copyright to his cowriter’s publisher just to
" cover a $300 demo bill. (If the song becomes a hit, his publisher’s share alone
" could be worth over $100,000.) The Pro will build a lifestyle that doesn’t require
" a hit every other year to cover his bills. [I’m a fan of Dave Ramsey. If
! you’re interested in watching your money like The Pro, I suggest you
! check out www.daveramsey.com.]

9. The Pro knows... you need to build your team carefully.

" Songwriting is a team sport. No songwriter succeeds on his own (unless he’s
" that rare singer/songwriter/publisher/label owner who runs a hundred radio
" stations). It’s going to take effort by several people to sustain success. The
" writer doesn’t pick all of those people (label execs, radio station execs, etc.), but
" he does have a say in some of them.

" Cowriters are very important. The right cowriter can be a huge asset by being a
" talented writer, a great songplugger and a networking powerhouse. Or he could
" be a lazy writer and so toxic that nobody wants to have anything to do with him,
" including his songs. Publishers are very important, too. Does The Pro go with
" the first publisher that offers decent money, or does he hold out for the best mix
" of draw, songplugging, and support? Or does The Pro want to hire an
" independent songplugger and keep his publishing? These can be tough
" decisions with no clear answer, but The Pro knows to be patient and discerning.

" Each person on your team, each cowriter, songplugger, etc., is like an individual
" stock in your portfolio. Each is an investment in terms of your time, creativity,
" energy, and opportunity. Invest in a bunch of bum stocks and you’ll go broke.
" Invest in the right stocks and the value of your portfolio might go through the roof.

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10. The Pro knows... they really DO want positive-
uptempo-love songs!
" The Pro knows that to maintain success over the long haul, he has to
" consistently provide artists / labels / radio with what they want, which is usually
" positive-uptempo-love. It’s really as simple as that. The Pro looks at
" industry tip sheets and sees that pretty much every artist on there is either
" looking for “uptempo positive” or “hits.” And, of course, most hits are “uptempo
" positive.”

" The Pro doesn’t spend all his time trying to push songs that the industry and
" the listener don’t want. The Pro knows he must balance his uniqueness as an
" individual and creative person with the wants and needs of a mass market. The
" Pro isn’t afraid to be outside the box, but The Pro respects the box.

" Yes, the writer must bring something unique that gives the artist’s team a reason
" to pick his songs, but The Pro remembers that his songs are written for an
" audience of millions, not just written for himself. The artist knows he doesn’t
" ALWAYS have to write positive-uptempo-love, but he knows that’s where most of
" the money is.

In Conclusion...
I hope this insight into The Pro’s mind has been helpful. True, not every professional
songwriter thinks the way I’ve described. Some might even advocate thinking the
opposite on a point or two. But on the whole, on average, I think this is pretty accurate.
Now go, write great songs, and enjoy your songwriting journey!

God Bless,

Brent

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 A HIT SONGWRITER’S ADVICE TO
ASPIRING WRITERS
Now, I certainly don’t know everything about songwriting and how to get cuts- if I did, I’d
be writing a song on a beach somewhere today. But I have been blessed with enough
success and educated by enough failures to learn a few things. So here’s some free
advice to help you gain some of the same successes and avoid some of the same
failures.

1. Don’t try to import sand to the beach

" If your songs are doing what everyone else’s songs are doing, an artist doesn’t
" have a reason to cut your songs. Be bold. Be innovative. Give them a reason to
" cut a song that comes from outside their already-established relationships.

2. Your team matters - build it wisely.

" It’s been said that you are the average of your five closest friends. Make sure
" that those close to you are people who will lift you up, people who can rise as a
" group. Choose friends you can rise with, not friends you have to rise above.

3. Get to know as many decision-makers as possible.

" The story of a cut is often the story of relationships. The more (and deeper)
" relationships you have with decision-makers in the music business, the better
" chance you have of getting cuts.

4. Enjoy the journey.

" If you want to “go pro,” be prepared for a marathon, not a sprint. You won’t enjoy
" every mile, but you need to enjoy the journey. If you don’t have an attitude of
" gratitude and celebration along the way - if you delay gratification until you get
" your first #1 - you’ll likely burn out and quit long before you ever get there. Work
" hard, do the hard things, but make sure you enjoy yourself.

5. Be intentional.
" If you enjoy songwriting, it’s easy to get caught up in playing- writing with
" whoever comes along, demoing whatever song tickles your fancy, pitching
" sporadically. You need to be intentional. You need to have a purpose to your
" actions. Otherwise, you could end up being like an octopus on roller skates-
" there’s a lot of activity, but you’re not getting anywhere.

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6. Choose your song ideas carefully.
" Don’t just write the first idea that pops into your head or the first one your cowriter
" throws out. Without having analysis paralysis, try to write the best idea you can
" find- the idea best suited to help you achieve your goals.

7. Be patient, but not lazy.

" You have a long journey ahead of you. You need to pace yourself so you don’t
" burn out or get too frustrated too early. But you also have to be persistent. Don’t
" fool yourself into thinking you’re being patient when you’re just being lazy. You
" can’t ONLY wait for good things to come to you. You have to get out there and
" work.

8. Watch your money.

" Keep a modest lifestyle. Keep your overhead low so you can afford to take a
" low-paying publishing deal or day job while you write. Save money for when
" you’re between publishing deals. And if you have a hit, don’t spend it. Save and
" invest the royalties. Cash in on the street cred a hit gives you, so you can
" hopefully get more hits.

9. Write with a future-focus.

" Country music of today isn’t the country music of the 2000’s or of the 1990’s.
" What is “commercial” evolves, and if you don’t pay attention, you’ll look up from
" your guitar one day and realize everything you’re writing sounds dated.

10. Music is not God.

" Music is a wonderful companion, a thrilling career, and a gift from God. But
" music is NOT God. If you let it be an idol - if you make it into a god - it will
" become a demon. It can break up your marriage, destroy you financially, and
" turn you into a self-centered jerk. Music is an incredible thing, but it’s not meant
" to be your everything.

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 THE BAND IS A BRAND.
ARE YOU BRAND CONSCIOUS?
This is the part of songwriting I didn’t know I was signing up for- the business, strategic
side of things. Sure, I have my MBA, but I really just wanted to write my songs and
have them pitched by somebody to somebody and- whammo! Cuts. But the world is
how it is, not how I wish it were. So now I think about artists as brands and try to act
accordingly.

An artist is a brand, and they and their team (label, promotion, management) work really
hard to position their brand (artist) into a certain place in the market. In business terms,
they want to increase their market share- on radio and in our wallets. Everything
supports the brand image: album artwork and photos, songs, videos, etc.

Artists are looking for songs that fit their brand.

Whether you are writing FOR or WITH a certain artist, it’s important for you to
understand their brand. Ask yourself: who is their audience- who do they speak to?
What message do they send to their fans? How do they deliver this message? How do
they want to be perceived? This goes deeper than just “traditional country” or “pop
country.”

If you can write a song that really fits an artist’s brand, you have a great opportunity.
Think about “Real Good Man” for Tim McGraw. What a great song for him. Musically, it
fits him well. Great feel, and Tim can sing it. Lyrically, that’s totally his persona- a real
bad boy, but a real good man.

The artist is Coke. Their songs are Coke Classic, Cherry Coke, Coke Zero, Diet Coke,
etc. They want songs that both reinforce and expand their brand. They may want
Cherry Vanilla Coke or Raspberry Coke or something. Your song needs to fit on the
same shelf. Your song may be the best $200 bottle of wine to be found, but it doesn’t
matter. That artist is Coke.

Taco Bell doesn’t sell hamburgers.

My buddy, Tim Meitzen, told me one time, “They only have about three ingredients, but
they keep putting them in different shapes!” That’s how some artists are. They keep
giving you the same basic ingredients, but they put a little different spin on them. And
when they do add something new, say, a Dorito as a taco shell, it still makes sense for
the brand.

Luke Bryan is married with children. (So was Al Bundy, but that’s a different topic
altogether.) Anyway, Luke has a family, but you wouldn’t know it from listening to his

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music. His music presents him as Spring Breakin’ tailgatin’ good ‘ol party-boy who loves
the ladies. I believe there’s only one song in which he has a wife and kids. But that
was on his first album before he really found his image/voice/brand. And it wasn’t a
single. Since he found his image, he has really stuck to it. And who can blame him?
It’s working great.

It’s not about what you think they should sing or who they
should be
... or where you think they should go as an artist. Unless you’re in their circle of
influence, it doesn’t really matter what you want. Sorry.

I ran into a branding issue with Lady Antebellum.

Back before Lady A existed, I wrote a song with Hillary Scott, Casey Koesel, and Jon
Armstrong called, “A Woman Scorned.” It’s a fun, rocking, fairly aggressive song that
shows off Hillary’s vocals really well. Later, when she, Charles, and Dave formed Lady
Antebellum, they started playing our song in all their shows (it’s on YouTube). They
even cut it for their debut album. Score! Right? Wrong. When it came time to deciding
which last couple of songs wouldn’t make the record, “A Woman Scorned” was reduced
to a bonus track. That was disappointment with zeroes on the end of it. But after
hearing their album, I understand why. It didn’t fit their brand. It was too aggressive.
Even though the song had served them well and helped them get their deal, it didn’t fit
the image. I couldn’t argue with that.

I’ve mainly focused on lyrical content, but the music has to fit the artist’s brand, too.
Miranda Lambert isn’t likely to cut a song that sounds like Shania Twain no matter how
well the lyric fits her. Ask yourself: is this song the right kind of pop? The right shade of
country?

The lyric and melody BOTH have to work for the artist.
And it’s important to remember that these brands change over time. They aren’t locked
in forever. Lonestar was one thing before “Amazed,” and another thing after. Toby
Keith was one thing before “How Do You Like Me Now” and another thing after. Kenny
Chesney had a slower, but no less important transition to beaches and nostalgia. So
don’t lock a brand in your mind with super glue. Make sure to look for the shifts that are
inevitable.

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 6 THINGS TO ASK YOURSELF BEFORE
PITCHING A SONG
Let’s say you have the opportunity to pitch to an artist. Maybe Aunt Agnes knows a guy
that mows the lawn of the guy that cuts Blake Shelton’s hair. Or maybe you’re a staff
writer who knows you shouldn’t leave all the pitching to your plugger. Either way, you
want to make the most of your pitches. Here are some questions to ask as you’re going
through your songs.

1. Does it fit the artist’s brand?

" As you just read, artists are brands. But simply put, if your song is a french fry,
" don’t bother pitching it to Taco Bell. They don’t DO french fries- it doesn’t fit their
" brand.

2. Can the artist sing the song?

" I’ve been in an A&R pitch meeting at a label, and I pitched a certain song for a
" certain artist on their roster. The A&R rep said the lyric was right up his alley, but
" she didn’t think he could sing it. Pass. My buddy, Anthony Orio, has pitched
" songs to a publisher before, and the publisher told him, “What guy can sing this
" melody?” Well, Anthony could. But the point is that not a lot of guys could sing a
" song that rangy, so it wasn’t as attractive to a publisher as a song they could
" pitch everywhere.

3. Does the artist already write this type of song?

" For example, Keith Urban tends to write his own feel-good mid-and-uptempo
" songs. Most of his ballads and darker songs, however, tend to be written by
" other writers- “Raining On Sunday” “You’ll Think Of Me” “Making Memories Of
" Us” and “Stupid Boy,” for example. Your best bet for getting a Keith Urban cut is
" probably to bring him something he records but doesn’t typically write himself.

4. Is it a quality recording?
" I’ve gotten cuts from demos. I’ve gotten cuts from good guitar/vocals. But
" unless it’s something I wrote with the artist, I’ve never gotten a cut off a worktape.
" There are writers that can pitch a worktape, but they’ve had enough success that
" the listener expects to hear a great song because of who wrote it. Also, they can
" probably play it directly for the artist or producer. Depending on how close you
" are to the project, your song may have to get past an A&R intern, a production
" assistant, and who knows who else before it can get to someone who can give
" you the “Big Yes.” I personally don’t count on every person in that chain to be
" able to hear through a worktape- especially when it’s sandwiched between
" great-sounding demos.

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5. Is this song a step into the artist’s future?
" Right after Brad Paisley hit with “The Fishing Song,” he got blasted with fishing
" songs from everywhere. Notice how he STILL hasn’t put another one out as a
" single? I’m sure he didn’t want to get pigeonholed as the fishing guy (although
" that was an important part of his brand at the time). Besides, he can write a
" great fishing song on his own- he doesn’t need to pay me for mine when he can
" make money on his. Successful artists evolve over time. Plenty of writers will be
" pitching them their LAST hit. You need to pitch them their NEXT hit.

6. Is this a great song?

" I’ve made the mistake of pitching songs that were the right brand, but just okay.
" It’s like kicking a field goal perfectly straight... but five yards short. No points.
" There are too many really good and great songs out there- why would an artist
" cut yours?

I hope this list is helpful for you. It’s not an exhaustive list- each pitch opportunity
comes with it’s own particulars. But I think you’ll be well served to keep these questions
in mind. Happy hunting!

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 10 WAYS TO GET TO A PUBLISHER
It’s hard to get to get a music publisher’s time and attention. There are many reasons
for this, some of which I have discussed elsewhere on the MvR blog. But for now, I
want to share some pathways to a publisher.

1. The unsolicited request.

" This is the only easy path on the list- and it’s the one I don’t really recommend.
" This is where you just put in a cold call or email to a publisher and ask for a
" meeting. It has a very low success rate (you’re lucky to get a response at all),
" and there are better strategies available.

2. The professional recommendation.

" Publishers listen to those in their peer group. If you can get recommended by
" another publisher, an A&R rep, a professional songwriter, etc., it will go a long
" way toward getting you in the room. Your best bet for a recommendation from an
" industry pro is making a fan of someone at NSAI, Global Songwriters Connection
" (GSC), or another songwriting organization.

3. The personal relationship.

" Do you have a relative or friend anywhere in the music biz? Leverage your
" personal contacts. It isn’t cheating- nobody gets here alone.

4. The business relationship.

" When I first got to Nashville, I got a part-time job at a publishing company. As I
" got to know our administrative clients- patiently, over time- I as able to approach
" them about listening to my songs.

5. The PRO recommendation.

" A PRO is a Performing Rights Organization. In the US, we have ASCAP,
" SESAC, and BMI. Each PRO has writer representatives who spend part of their
" time meeting with writers. If, over the course of several meetings, you can make
" a rep a believer in your music, they might hook you up with some publishers.
" They can’t do that for everyone, so don’t expect it. Every time they recommend a
" writer, they risk some of their professional credibility.

6. The Pitch To Publisher event.

" Organizations like NSAI and GSC have events where their members can play
" one (I repeat- one) song for a Music Row publisher. If you or your song knock
" their socks off, it might open a door. You don’t always have to be in Nashville to
" participate in these events, so check their websites for details.

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 www.nashvillesongwriters.com www.globalsongwriters.com

7. The staffwriter cowrite.

" It’s not easy to get a cowrite with a pro writer, obviously. However, if you write a
" killer song with a staffwriter, their publisher is likely to ask who you are. If they
" love what you write with their writer (and that writer has good things to say about
" you), they will probably be open to hearing more of your stuff.

8. The industry function.

" If you meet a publisher out at a writers night, workshop, etc., be patient. Don’t
" get all excited and shove a CD in his face or beg her for a meeting. Try to
" connect in a real way on a personal level. Make a connection, not just a contact.
" There are a lot of crazies out there, and a publisher will usually need to sniff you
" out a few times before they’re up for a meeting.

9. The major cut.

" I wasn’t getting much publisher love till I got (and owned the publishing on) an
" Alan Jackson cut. Suddenly, I had a skeleton key to just about every publisher’s
" door on Music Row.

10. The artist buzz.

" The value of the writer/artist has skyrocketed over the past few years. If you’re
" getting buzz around town as a potential artist, that goes a long way toward
" getting a publisher’s attention. Even if you aren’t a great writer, they know they
" can always hook you up with great writers.

I know at this point, you might be more frustrated than you were five minutes ago. Hey,
nobody said this was easy. I just don’t know of any path to a publisher that is quick and
easy (outside of dumb luck). And luck is not a strategy. However, like they say, “The
harder I work, the luckier I get.”

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 8 QUESTIONS TO ASK BEFORE YOU
DEMO THAT SONG
So, you’ve written a stack of songs, and you’ve mowed a bunch of yards to get demo
money. The big question right now is not when to demo, where to demo, or how to
demo. The big question to ask is SHOULD you demo this song? If you thoughtfully and
honestly answer the following questions, you will spend your money more efficiently and
effectively.

1. Is the song finished?

" I love the emotional high of having just finished a song and feeling like it’s a big
" ‘ol hit. But it’s important to step back and make sure it’s really finished. 90%
" right and 100% right might mean the difference between a pass and a keep or a
" hold and a cut. Have you played it for an industry pro and gotten their feedback?
" Have you played it for other writers and asked them for their honest opinions?

2. Is it a wide pitch?
" A wide pitch is a song that fits a large number of artists. A narrow pitch is one
" that only a very limited number of artists could record. For example, if you say, “If
" Dierks Bentley doesn’t cut this, I don’t know who will,” that’s a narrow pitch. As a
" general rule, I’m gonna demo the wide pitches, because there are more pitch
" possibilities.

3. Is it commercially relevant?
" Is this a song that a big audience will want to hear? Will it make the listener
" laugh, cry, dance, or think? It’s not about you- it’s about the audience.

4. Who could sing this?

" As I discussed in, “The Band Is A Brand,” a wise artist is really only looking for
" songs that fit their brand and speak to their audience. Does this song fit the
" general branding of the format?

5. Does the song have a fresh melody and lyric?

" You HAVE to bring something different, especially if you are a new, unknown
" writer. Your vanilla has no chance. An artist has no reason to invest in your
" vanilla when they can get vanilla from friends, established hit songwriters, or just
" write it themselves.

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6. Will I pitch it... really?
" If you already have ten songs just like this one demoed (and they’re not getting
" cut), and this one isn’t any better... what’s the point? Will you really pitch it?
" Maybe you should spend your time writing a song that you will pitch instead of
" demoing a song you won’t.

7. Does this song NEED a full demo?

" You should do what’s best for your song. Some need a full demo- rocking
" uptempo anthems, for example. Certain ballads and midtempos might be best
" presented with two guitars, a drum loop, and a great singer.

8. Is it great?
" I’ve never had a so-so song get pitched to and cut by a major artist. I just
" haven’t. The songs are each different- fast, slow, funny, sad - but, to me, each
" one has something great about it.

Asking these questions before you demo can save you a lot of time and money in the
long run. It’s not easy to be honest with yourself, but it’s the best thing you can do for
your career.

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 10 REASONS SONGWRITERS SHOULD
PITCH THEIR OWN SONGS
When I signed my first publishing deal with Major Bob Music, I thought, “This is great! I
can just sit in my writer’s room, write every day, and let our three songpluggers pitch my
songs and get ‘em cut.” This was a mistake. Not that Scot, Mike, and Jesse weren’t
smart, hardworking guys who wanted me to succeed. No, those guys worked hard for
all of their writers. It was a mistake because I spent the first couple years of that deal
missing out on the benefits of pitching my own songs. Here are ten benefits.

1. My odds improve.
" It’s HARD to get cuts, so I want all hands on deck. Simply put, the more songs of
" mine that are getting pitched, the better the chance of the right song hitting the
" right ears at the right time.

2. My back catalog stays active.

" When you leave a publishing deal, it’s natural for your pluggers to back-burner
" your old songs and focus on their current writers and their newest songs.
" Pitching my own songs helps keep my best old songs in circulation.

3. I hear my songs more honestly.

" Sitting across the desk from a producer or A&R rep makes me hear my songs
" differently. Little flaws which I might’ve ignored before become more obvious,
" especially if they pass on the song. Over time, this kind of listening makes my
" “flaw-detector” more sensitive when I’m writing.

4. I demo songs more wisely.

" On a related note, the experience and feedback I get from pitching helps me
" demo only my best-chance songs. My flaw-detector is more sensitive, and I ask
" myself important questions like, “Do I ever pitch this type of song? Does this
" type of song ever get kept or cut? Is this song going to replace one of the songs
" I’m currently pitching? Am I excited about playing this song for so-and-so?”

5. Nobody knows my catalog better than I do.

" Sometimes, a song may sit around for years before the right pitch comes along.
" A plugger probably won’t remember it if it’s not in the regular pitching rotation.
" But I might. For example, when I heard that comedy legend, Ray Stevens, was
" doing a political album, I dusted off an old, never-before-pitched song called “Fly
" Over Country,” which had reverted back to me from my Major Bob deal. Ray cut
" it.

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6. It builds my personal brand.
" An A&R rep may hear five of my songs in a day from five different sources.
" That’s great, but they might never know those are my songs. They might
" associate the songs with my cowriters or the publishers who brought them. If it’s
" ME in the room, though, the rep hears several of my songs in a row and gets to
" put my face with the name on the CD. And I get to do the same, which is handy
" if I see them out at an industry function. Oh, and I hopefully get them to like me
" as a person, which never hurts.

7. It can lead to cowrites.

" When an A&R or producer associates your amazing songs with you- an
" amazing person - and you happen to be in the room with them... they might just
" decide to hook you up for a cowrite with another writer they dig or (even better)
" one of their artists. It’s a beautiful thing.

8. I get the inside scoop.

" The A&R/producer can tell me what they need, and I can ask followup questions.
" That may bring to mind another song from my catalog (from any publisher I’ve
" had) which I can play right then or send later. And this info won’t get mis-relayed
" or not relayed at all to me by my plugger.

9. My songs are the focus of the pitch meeting.

" My plugger goes into meetings representing several writers, all of whom are
" really good. So while I might land a couple of songs in the meeting, there are
" others that won’t be mine. But in my meetings, I’m on all the songs. More
" pitches, more chances to win.

10. I develop my own contacts.

" What happens if your songplugger gets hit by a bus? Or if you lose your
" publishing deal? If you’re only relying on your plugger’s contacts and don’t have
" any of your own, your songs aren’t gonna get heard as often. I’ve been between
" deals, and it felt good knowing (and not just hoping) that my songs were still
" getting pitched.

So, there you go. My top ten reasons songwriters should pitch their own songs. Now,
please forget everything you just read- I don’t need the extra competition!

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 6 SIMPLE WAYS TO MAKE YOUR
SONGS MORE COMMERCIAL
If your goals are like mine- getting cuts, hits, etc., then your best bet is by writing well-
crafted COMMERCIAL songs. Here are six simple (though not always easy) ways to
make your songs more commercial.

1. Write uptempo.
" Learn to write tempo! If you don’t believe how important this is, count the ballads
" on the radio for an hour. Or listen to a few of the current top albums and count
" the ballads. Knock, knock. Who’s there? Math. Math, who? Math says they cut
" a lot more uptempo and midtempo that ballads.

2. Write positive.
" If you’re like me, your natural inclination is to write sad/negative. When I come
" up with a hook, my first instinct is something sad. Maybe for some reason pain is
" just more interesting that happiness. But not for radio. Radio likes happy.
" Knock, knock...

3. Write from the me-to-you point of view.

" “I love you” is just more emotionally powerful than “he loves her.” The artist
" wants to connect with the audience, and “I” to “you” is a good way to do that.

4. Write about love.

" Love is a deep need. It’s often our greatest joy and our sharpest pain. Nothing
" is more universal.

5. Write in-the-moment.
" The present tense- right now- has more power than the past or the future.
" “You’re killing me in that sundress” usually beats “you were killing me in that
" sundress.” There’s power in the present.

6. Write with imagery.

" Don’t tell me how you feel- show me. After all, there are only so many emotions.
" But there are endless ways to put those emotions into pictures.

There are obviously many hits that weren’t written in the way I’ve described. But, from
both my experience and observations, writing songs with these six qualities as your
default setting will increase the commercial appeal of your songs.

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 BE HELPFUL
Zig Zigler is known for saying, “You can have anything you want out of life as long as
you help enough people get what they want out of life.” Sounds a little counter-intuitive,
right? But it’s true- all of a songwriter’s success is based on helping others get what
they want. Here are a few examples of what people want:

• A great lyricist wants a cowriter with great melodies.

• A great melody writer wants a cowriter with great lyrics.
• An artist who is a new writer wants a cowriter who can bring their thoughts to life
without making the artist feel self-conscious.
• An artist wants a hit song.
• Radio wants fun, uptempo songs.
• Listeners (largely) want songs that make them feel good.
• Record labels want songs that sell records/singles.

It’s not about getting an artist to help YOU by recording YOUR song that YOU like. It’s
about writing and pitching a song that THE ARTIST has been looking for, that THE
ARTIST wants to sing and will help THE ARTIST take their career a step forward.

I don’t think anyone has ever asked me to write or cut one of my songs only to help ME
out. People write with me and cut my songs to help THEMSELVES out. And, hey, if the
result of them getting what they want is that I also get good cowrites and cuts, I’m fine
with that.

So I encourage you to ask yourself, “How can I be of maximum service with my

songwriting?” “Is there something in my writing that I can develop into something that
people want or need?”

Songwriting is a service business. Improve your service, and you improve your odds of
success.

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 HOW DO YOU KNOW WHO IS LOOKING
FOR SONGS?
After I posted “10 Reasons Songwriters Should Pitch Their Own Songs,” on the MvR
blog, I got a few questions about how to pitch and how to know who’s looking for songs.
Let’s dive into the 2nd part- how to know who’s looking and listening for songs.

1. Personal relationships.
" If you personally know an artist, producer or label A&R, they can tell you if they’re
" actively listening for a project. And they MIGHT even know what they need and
" when they need it. But remember, any info is always subject to change at a
" moment’s notice.

2. Industry chatter.
" If you can’t get the scoop directly from the horse’s mouth, publishers and other
" songwriters are always talking. Keep your ear to the ground, and don’t be afraid
" to ask questions.

3. Industry pitch sheets.

" RowFax and Pitch This are paid subscription services that list projects, points of
" contact, etc." It might even say what they’re looking for (usually “hits” or “great
" songs” or “uptempo positive”). There are also a few inside-the-industry tip
" sheets, too. But you have to know somebody to get it. Now, these definitely
" carry some incorrect info- a buddy of mine is on there, and it lists the incorrect
" producer and music description. So take it all with a grain of salt. Oh, and tip
" sheets don’t usually provide contact information- you have to get that some other
" way.

4. Liner notes.
" If an artist is doing well, you know they’re gonna make another album. And
" they’ll probably be looking real hard when they’re on the second or third single
" from their current album. Check the album’s liner notes for the name of their
" label and producer, then do some research for how to find them. Of course, the
" artist may be changing producers for the next album, so you never know for sure.

I hope that helps. I know there’s no magic bullet, but that’s just the way it is. That’s one
reason why writers that have success can keep it going more easily- they have more
accurate information. Good luck out there.

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 THE 4 CORNERSTONES OF
SONGWRITING SUCCESS: W.R.A.P.
I believe there are four cornerstones to professional songwriting success. You can
remember them by the acronym, “W.R.A.P.” They are:

W. Writing
" This one’s pretty obvious. We’re songwriters, after all, 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.

R. 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.

A. Accessing
" A great 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.

P. Pitching
" 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.

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.

WRAP is also good for helping you focus on what’s important. If an opportunity comes
up, compare it to WRAP. If that activity doesn’t fall into one of those categories, it might
not be a wise use of your time.

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 5 THINGS SONGWRITERS SHOULD
QUIT
It’s hard to quit. Society says, “never quit.” Or maybe you’ve invested so much in
whatever it is that you feel it’s too late to quit. Pride doesn’t want you to move on. But
sometimes, the only way to win is to quit. Here are 5 things songwriters should quit
doing.

1. Toxic relationships.
" If you have “friends” or cowriters who habitually belittle your dreams or always
" point out why something won’t work, it might be time to find new friends and
" cowriters. Yes, we need people that love us enough to be honest with us even
" when it’s unpleasant. But some people are energy vampires who will only drag
" you down. Figure out who’s who, and act accordingly.

2. Whining.
" Don’t be somebody else’s toxic relationship. A negative attitude not only drives
" away positive people, it blinds you to opportunity. If you always focus on the
" closed door, you might miss the open window.

3. Misaligned cowrites.
" You want to write hit country songs, but she wants to write niche novelty songs.
" Or you both want to write hits, but his songs sound like 1952 and he refuses to
" update his sound, meet with publishers, or pitch his songs. These types of
" cowrites are most likely not going to get you to your goals. They conflict will drain
" your energy and enthusiasm. Do you want to bring your best, most commercial
" ideas to these cowriters? Probably not. So if you can’t bring 100% to the
" cowrite, maybe you should find new cowriters.

4. Lazy artists.
" An aspiring artist may have a great voice and be a good writer, but if they don’t
" want it badly enough, it doesn’t matter. If they don’t take their career seriously,
" you can’t take their career seriously, either.

5. Demoing & Pitching Mediocre Songs

" Mediocre songs will not chance your life. But they can take your time and money
" if you demo them. Then, if you make a habit of pitching them, you’ll be known as
" a mediocre writer.

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Part of the advantage of quitting is that it makes room in your life for better things.
Negative relationships can be replaced with inspiring relationships. Misaligned cowrites
can be replaced with properly-aligned cowrites. Lazy artists can be replaced with
serious artists. The time and money you spend on mediocre songs can be spent
finding, writing, and demoing better songs.

Win by quitting.

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 INSIDE VS OUTSIDE SONGS -
AND WHY IT MATTERS
When an artist is working on a project (album), there are two types of songs which will
(or will not) be considered: inside songs and outside songs. So what are these?

Inside songs are songs which are written by or with the

artist, the producer, or a close associate. These are songs
written or controlled by someone with a close connection
to the project.

Outside songs are basically all other songs- those written

or controlled by people who do NOT have a close
connection to the artist’s project.
Okay, so that’s pretty simple- some songs come from inside the circle of influence and
some songs come from outside the circle of influence. Buy why is this important? It’s
very important because, in most cases, inside songs have a much better chance of
being recorded. Some artists, like Taylor Swift, write or cowrite all their own songs. If
you’re not writing with Taylor, forget about getting a cut. Other artists may be very low
key about the fact that they’re even working on a project. If you’re not in the loop, you
might not even know the artist is cutting at all, much less what kind of song they want.

That’s why it matters if your songs are inside or outside- it

affects their odds of being cut.
Examples:

I had two songs cut on Ray Stevens’ “We The People” album. One song was a true
inside song. “Caribou Barbie” was written at Ray’s request with two of his staff writers.
The other song, “Fly Over Country” was an outside pitch. However, since Ray didn’t
advertise that he was doing a record, I never would’ve known to pitch a song (much less
that song in particular) without some inside information. I’ve also had two Lady
Antebellum cuts (bonus tracks, sadly). “A Woman Scorned” was written with Hillary
Scott, and “Last Night Last” was written with all three members of Lady A. Almost every
song on that first album was written or cowritten by the band, so it definitely put those
songs in a better competitive position.

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This is not to say that ONLY inside songs get cut. I’ve had some outside songs get cut,
too. “Monday Morning Church” was written before either my cowriter, Erin Enderlin, or I
had ever had a cut, and only Erin was working with a publisher at the time. Erin’s
publisher played the song for Alan Jackson’s producer, who played it for Alan. Same
thing for my Joe Nichols cut- I sent “Crickets” to the head of Joe’s record label (whom
I’ve never even met). He loved it and sent it to Joe. The song became an outside cut.

So, yes, both inside and outside songs still get cut. But inside songs have the inside
track- pun intended.

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 THE ARTIST’S CAMP
You may hear about songwriters trying to get into an artist’s “camp.” What does that
mean? Well, it’s not a place to unroll a sleeping bag and sing your songs around a
campfire.

An artist’s camp is made up of the people in the artist’s

inner circle- those who have access and influence.
For each artist, the mix may be a little different, but an artist’s camp usually includes the
artist, producer, A&R point-person, and favorite cowriters. The camp may also include
the artist’s publisher or other friends in the music biz.

Each artist has their own camp, and it’s often hard to know who really has the artist’s
ear. For example, the A&R person for Artist A may be a big influence on what gets cut,
but Artist B may not care at all what his A&R person thinks.

Think of it like a dart board. The artist is the bullseye (usually- though sometimes the
producer or label head REALLY makes the final decision on what gets cut). The
members of the artist’s camp occupy the various concentric circles around the bullseye.
The closer to the bullseye, the more influence that person has over the project.

If you’re looking to get into an artist’s camp, it’s good to figure out the layout of their
dartboard if possible. And remember, nothing gets you in a camp like GENUINE
friendship. If you’re just using the artist, it’ll be really hard to get past the outer edges of
the dartboard.

Good luck!

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 THE ARTIST’S CAMP:
MULTIPLE POINTS OF CONTACT
Gaining access (and keeping access) to an artist is kind of like rock climbing- you
always want to have more than one point of contact with the mountain. It’s a dangerous
thing to be hanging by one hand- if that one rock gives way or that hand slips... bye,
bye.

Likewise, if your only point of contact with an artist is her producer, what happens if she
switches producers? What happens if you have a light point of contact with the artist
herself, but she starts letting her A&R person or publisher book all her cowrites because
she’s too busy out on the road? Bye, bye. You might’ve just fallen off the mountain.

This kind of stuff has happened to me, so I’ve learned the hard way not to rely on only
one point of contact with the artist. Nowadays, if I’m targeting an artist or a project, I try
to secure multiple points of contact. If I know the A&R person, I try to develop a contact
with the producer as well. If I’m writing with an artist, I’ll suggest a 3-way cowrite with
one of their other regular cowriters. Basically, I want to surround the artist. I want to dig
in deeper than a tick in a dog’s ear so there’s no way they can scratch or shake me off!

Of course, you want to balance the time you spend surrounding one artist with taking
time to develop other points of contact in other artists’ camps. Just like you want to
have more than one point of contact with an artist, you want to be in more than one
artist’s camp. Think of it as diversifying your portfolio. After all, most new artists aren’t
very successful. What happens if the one artist you’ve invested all your time in fails?

Bye, bye.

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 YOU MUST HAVE INVISIBLE TALENT
The music business is frustrating. Why aren’t the best singers always the biggest
stars? Why aren’t the best songs always the biggest hits?

It’s about MORE than just vocal chops or well-crafted

songs.
Maybe you sing great, but your shows aren’t entertaining. Or maybe your personality
makes you hard to work with. Or your style of music appeals to just a small niche.

Same goes for songwriting. Maybe you have a high level of craft, but your songs are
oranges when most folks only want apples. Or maybe you’re unreliable and difficult so
pros don’t let you into their inner circles.

Or maybe you’re good and getting better but just haven’t connected with the right
people yet.

What I’m saying is, it takes more than visible talent. By “visible talent,” I mean the part
that the outsider can easily see. You sing great or put on a great live show or write
great songs. Don’t get me wrong- visible talent is a must if you’re going to get to the
top. But you also need the invisible talent. Talent like people skills, drive,
determination, grit, good business sense, good commercial sense, etc.

Think of a house. It might look big and beautiful from the outside (visible talent). But if
it sits on a foundation made of sand or it’s eaten up with termites (invisible talent), it’s
just a matter of time until a storm blows it down.

So, yes- work to improve your visible talent. But also work on your invisible talent. You
need both.

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 WHAT IS YOUR ENDPOINT?
At different times in my songwriting history (and I guess I’ve been doing this long
enough to officially consider it “history”) I’ve had various “endpoints.”

What is an endpoint?

The endpoint is the basic target your efforts try to hit. It’s
where you focus your effort and where most of your effort
ends. It’s the horizon you don’t often look past.
When I first started out, my endpoint was a finished song and a worktape. It felt great,
and I had a sense of accomplishment and something to listen to. I dreamed of hearing
one of those songs on the radio. But pretty much all I did about that part was dream.

Years later, after I had moved to Nashville, my endpoint was to impress a publisher so
they’d start pitching my songs. Sure, I dreamed of getting songs on the radio, but on a
day-to-day basis, I didn’t work at anything beyond landing a good publisher relationship.

Later still, I had a publishing deal and my endpoint was often getting my publisher to
demo songs so THEY could pitch them. I’d even had a hit on the radio by this time, but
I couldn’t really see beyond the demo.

These days, my endpoint is the farthest it’s ever been. The endpoint now is getting cuts
and singles. I’m writing with just a few artists and the conversation and work centers on
getting songs on their records and on the radio. Demos, if they’re discussed at all, are
recorded to pitch to the artist’s label for their own record. (If it doesn’t make their record,
then we’ll pitch it around. But that’s Plan B.)

Sure, I’ve worked for years to get to the point where it’s realistic to talk about cuts and
singles. But how much further would I be in my career if hits had ALWAYS been the
endpoint?

Instead of aiming at just writing songs, what if the endpoint had been writing songs that
an artist would want to sing? (And not just writing what I wanted to say?)

Instead of effectively washing my hands and walking away when a song got demoed,
what if I kept going, getting my demos in the hands of decision-makers myself?

Instead of playing that demo for an A&R rep and then letting off the gas, what if I kept
working to get the song to the people who made the final decision?

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Instead of being happy to just write with a baby artist, what if I had really focused on
writing that deal-getter with that artist?

Most of the endpoints I’ve ever had have not been set consciously. There were just set
at the next song or the next step in my career.

And those steps (write, publisher, demo, etc.) are each good steps. But they are each
just steps on a staircase. If those steps are your focus, where your attention and
energy is focused... you might just miss an elevator with its doors wide open.

I wonder how many I missed?

I encourage you to take a look at your goals for your writing- then take an honest
assessment of where your attention and energy is focused. Have you set your endpoint
where only a milemarker should be? Milemarkers are great- they mark progress and
keep you feeling motivated.

But a milemarker is NOT an endpoint.

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 6 SONGWRITING TIEBREAKERS
Let’s say you’ve written a very, very good song and it’s on hold for an artist named Luke
Paisley. It’s down to your song and one other as to what they’re gonna cut. The artist
likes both songs, so it’s basically a tie going in. That’s when the tiebreakers might kick
in. These tiebreakers may include...

1. Personal relationships.
" Is one of the songs written or published by a friend of the artist? It’s more fun to
" call your buddy and say you just cut his song than it is to explain that you didn’t.

2. Business interests.
" Would a publisher, manager, or someone else owe the artist or feel thankful if the
" artist cut one song over the other? Is there some hidden long-term advantage to
" be gained? Or would the artist or producer be returning a favor by cutting a
" particular song?

3. Financial interests.
" If the artist is a writer or publisher on one of the songs, he makes more money by
" recording that one.

4. Safer bets.
" If one song is written by a proven hit songwriter and the other isn’t, the artist (and
" his team) may lean towards the hit writer’s song. Since it’s always a little bit of a
" guessing game as to which songs are hits, a song written by a hit writer feels like
" a safer bet.

5. Branding.
" Does one song fit the artist and his brand a little better? Will it speak to his
" audience in a way that’s a little more “on point?” That can make the difference.
" Or is one song too much like what he’s already recorded, and it doesn’t take him
" anywhere new?

6. Singability.
" Is one song more easy or fun to sing?

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Now, you obviously can’t control which songs are your competition. You just have to do
what you can to give your songs the best chance to win.

Write the very best song you can. Always. But also spend time thinking about the
tiebreakers and how you can turn them in your favor. It’s not easy, and it won’t happen
overnight. But as you are mindful of this stuff as you build your career, it’ll pay off big
time down the road.

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 ARE YOU TAKING OWNERSHIP OF
YOUR SONGWRITING SUCCESS?
Are you just hoping for success? Waiting on the universe to give you what it’ll give you?
Or are you taking responsibility (ownership) for it?

It’s easy and tempting to wait and hope for your cowriters, publishers, or manager (or
ASCAP or NSAI...) to make something happen on your behalf. And while these people
can be a valuable part of your team, they will never have as much riding on your
success as you do. They have their own families to feed.

I know there’s a lot of uncertainty surrounding the music biz. There’s not a simple 1-2-3
process for earning success. And since it’s often unclear how to make success, it’s
easy to become passive.

But you have to take ownership.

You have to resolve to never be a passive participant in your life. Take action. Good
things don’t come to those who JUST wait. Good things come to those who are
disciplined and patiently persistent.

The sooner you OWN your success, the sooner you

EARN your success.

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 SHOW ME YOUR SONGWRITING
FRIENDS, AND I’LL SHOW YOU YOUR
FUTURE
Yes, I know that probably sounds like something your mother would say. But I think it’s
true. And, if it IS true, it really matters who you let into your inner circle.

Consider these thoughts:

" “You are the average of your 5 closest friends.”

! “A person seldom outperforms his inner circle of friends.”

! “People tend to earn within 10% of what their friends earn.”

! “Birds of a feather flock together.”

! “Show me your friends, and I’ll show you your future.”

Now consider YOUR inner circle- your closest friends, family, cowriters and music
business connections. If the above statements are true, then it really matters what type
of people these folks are.

" If your friends are lazy songwriters, you’re more likely to be a lazy
! songwriter.

! If your inner circle is full of negative complainers, you’ll end up being one,
! too.

! If your close friends aren’t pitching songs or networking, you won’t do as

! much of it, either.

! However...

! If your friends are serious about becoming better songwriters, you’ll

! become a better songwriter, too.

! If your inner circle is full of positive, motivated people, you’ll stay more
! positive and motivated, too.

! If your close friends are pitching songs and networking, you’ll probably do
! more of that, too.

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In light of this, are there changes you need to make? Obviously, you shouldn’t leave
your family. Nor am I saying that you should never talk to your “happy-with-mediocrity”
friends again. But I am encouraging you to seek out and start spending time with the
go-getters, the achievers, the folks with positive, can-do attitudes.

After all, the people closest to you are the ones who rub
off on you the most.

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 THE UPWARD SPIRAL OF THE
SONGWRITING BIZ
Here’s the upward spiral of songwriting:

Writing good songs leads to relationships and

opportunities, which lead to writing better songs, which
leads to more relationships and opportunities.
Writing good songs leads to relationships and opportunities. Why?

Because writers and publishers have a problem. They need hits- either to write them or
to publish them. The better you write, the more potential you have to solve their
problems. People like people who can solve their problems. And they will give you the
opportunity to provide them with hits by writing with them or with someone on their
team. Their problem is your opportunity.

These relationships can also lead to better songs. How?

Publishers are more likely to invest in you in two ways: 1) giving you deeper feedback,
speeding up your learning curve and 2) setting you up to write with better writers, which
leads to more learning and better songs. And even without a publisher, you can hook
up with better writers on your own (or through your existing cowriters).

These newer, better songs lead to even better and stronger relationships, which lead to
better songs, which lead to more relationships... you get the idea. It takes time. You
have to be patient, but that’ll be the general trend of your songwriting if you consistently
work to get better and network in a professional manner. It doesn’t just happen, though.

But beware. You can short circuit the upward spiral if you get lazy or don’t treat people
well. Word will get around, and your career will suffer for it. Enjoy the journey!

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 THE VALUE OF A SONGWRITER /
PRODUCER RELATIONSHIP
Everyone tells you about the value of writing with a writer/artist. And, true enough,
those can be very valuable relationships. Write a great song with a writer/artist, and you
have a direct path to a cut.

There’s also another type of “slash” that has a lot of value, too. That’s the writer/
producer. Whereas a writer/artist gives you direct access to that particular artist, a
writer/producer can give you direct access to several artists.

Here are a few of my experiences with writer/producers.

Byron Hill is a hit songwriter with multiple #1s and a ton of cuts. He’s also produced
Gord Bamford’s first several albums. Gord’s a big star in Canada, and he and Byron
cowrite a lot of his songs. Because of my cowriting relationship with Byron, I was able
to write with both of them, leading to 3 cuts and a #1 hit / Single Of The Year.

Aaron Goodvin is a young songwriter/producer. As a songwriter, he’s gotten cuts on

Luke Bryan, Jon Pardi, and Cole Swindell. He’s also starting to produce some artists
back home in Canada. He and I’ve been friends and cowriters for several years, and he
brought me in to write with an artist named Drew Gregory.

We wrote a song called, “Five String.” Drew actually didn’t cut that song, but it WAS cut
by another artist, Tristan Horncastle, that Aaron was producing for Sony Canada. Drew
ended up cutting a different song of mine, “Farm Hands,” which he heard through
Aaron. Like I said, one writer/producer can link you to several artists.

Another buddy of mine is Brian Hitt. I’ve written songs with him that have landed on
some of his projects including a Canadian Christmas single for an artist he was
producing and 3 songs on a children’s album that he produced for Brentwood Benson, a
major player in the Christian music world.

And here’s another advantage of writing with a writer/producer: if they have a home
studio, you can get great, cheap demos of your cowrites. Bonus!

My writer/producer relationships have been an important and valuable part of my

network. They might be worth giving some focus as you build your network, too.

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OUTRO

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Hey, alright! You did it! I know this wasn’t exactly “War And Peace,” but you finished
(unless you’re a skimmer or a skip-to-the-ender. If that’s you, just go back to the
beginning, and I’ll see you back here in a little bit.)

Now I have some good news and some bad news.

The good news:

You’ve done something valuable. You’ve invested time and attention toward your
songwriting dream. And that’s just awesome. Good on you!

The bad news:

This was the easy part. It’s easy to read about the mindsets of a pro. It’s simple to get
some new info from a blog or a book. What’s difficult is APPLYING what you’ve
learned.

Are you REALLY going to ask yourself the 8 questions before your next demo, or are
you going to let the excitement of a new song dictate how you spend your money?

Are you going to REALLY consider if the “6 Simple Ways To Make Your Song More
Commercial” fit your idea, or are you just going to write it how it first hits you - how you
always write?

Are you READY to see if you calendar and daily activities fit into W.R.A.P.? Or are you
just going to go where the day and the week takes you?

This is where the hard part starts. This is where you decide whether or not to keep
investing in your career.

Today is when you can decide to begin thinking... and acting... like a pro songwriter.

God Bless,

Brent

manvsrow.com
For more songwriting tips
and info about songwriting
and the music business,
subscribe to my blog at:

www.manvsrow.com

I think you’ll find it useful.

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 READY TO MAKE YOUR SONGS “CUT/ABLE?”
"Cut/Able: Lessons In Market-Smart Songwriting" is four powerful lessons for
songwriters who want cuts & hits, who want to learn how to write commercially
marketable songs, and who want their songs to connect powerfully with both
fans and Music Row pros.

Are you frustrated that your audience isn’t responding to your songs the way you want
them to? Do publishers or song evaluators keep saying your songs aren’t commercial
or that they don’t “fit the market” or they don’t “fit on radio?”

Have you ever asked yourself, “What IS the market? What’s marketable, and how do I
write more marketable songs?”

That’s a frustrating place to be. I know- I’ve been there. I know how it feels to wonder if
there is some secret code written into the songs on the radio- a code nobody has
shared with you. I also realized that it was going to take a lot longer to crack that code
without some guidance, without some help from someone inside the music biz.

Thankfully, I was able to make contacts in the music business, and with a lot of hard
work and trial and error, I’ve been able to write songs that have been recorded by Alan
Jackson (the top 5 hit “Monday Morning Church”), Lady Antebellum, Randy Travis, Joe
Nichols, Lonestar, comedy legend Ray Stevens, guitar legend Steve Cropper, Andy
Griggs, Canadian country star Gord Bamford (the #1 single and 2014 Single Of The
Year “When Your Lips Are So Close”), Curb artist Ruthie Collins and more. And now I
want to share some of what I’ve learned in my 10+ years in the music business.

Cut/able: Lessons In Market-Smart Songwriting exists to help you write songs that fit
the commercial market- songs that are “market-smart.” Each of these four powerful
lessons challenge you to take an in-depth look at current and recent country hits and
compare them to YOUR best songs.

WHO IS “CUT/ABLE” FOR?

Songwriters who want cuts and hits.
Songwriters who want to better understand market-smart songwriting.
Singer-songwriters who want their songs to connect more deeply and
successfully with their fans and radio.

Cut/able isn’t just about “___, ___ and ___ is popular right now, so write that.” No, it’s
much more than that. It’s about teaching you how to study the charts and radio so you
can identify what kind of songs are market-smart at any time.

Cut/able isn't just a book, either. It's a WORKBOOK. It combines sections where I
provide insight and information, but it also has exercises for you to do on your own. In

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my experience, information is much more valuable when you apply it and learn in a
hands-on way.

This workbook allows you to really dig in and add the characteristics of market-smart
songs to YOUR songs.

CUT/ABLE WILL ENABLE YOU TO:

Connect on a deeper level with the artist and listener through effective use of
imagery. (Lesson #1: W.I.L.L.power: Proving Personality & Emotions Through
Your Lyrics)

Give the artists what they need, give radio what it wants, and give the fans what
they like by learning the importance of writing positive, uptempo, love/depth
songs. (Lesson #2: P.U.L.’D To Success: The Value of Positive, Uptempo, Love/
Depth Songs)

Develop skills to identify an artist’s “brand” so you can write songs that fit that
brand and speak to the artist’s core audience. (Lesson #3: Neighborhoods: Where
Will You Build A Home For Your Song?)

Pinpoint areas of opportunity within an artist’s catalog- slots you can fill with
your songs, songs that fit the artist’s brand without being just like what they’ve
already done. (Lesson #4: Fill The G.A.P.S.: Growth, Achievement, Preaching/
Positioning, Songwriting)

Cut/Able is available for instant download right now.

Start investing in your songwriting career TODAY. The sooner you do, the sooner you’ll
increase the commercial marketability of your songs.

You and your listeners will BOTH be glad you did!

God Bless,

Brent

To get Cut/able, go to:

www.manvsrow.com/store

manvsrow.com
 PRAISE FOR "CUT/ABLE"

Wow! What a great, practical book about songwriting for the real world. Read it and,
most importantly, work your way through the exercises and you will learn invaluable
lessons about your own writing and what you need to do to take it to the next level.
Highly recommended.
-- Kate Schutt, singer-songwriter, Grand Prize Winner in the Jazz Category of the John
Lennon Songwriting Competition (2007) and ASCAP Plus Awards for Jazz (2006
through 2009) www.kateschutt.com

Loved Cut/able Brent. This is essential material for the aspiring commercial
songwriters. Fantastic work.
-- Doug Folkins, Songwriter, Courtenay, British Columbia

Cut/able is filled with real insights into the songs being cut today by someone who is
actively getting those cuts himself. It goes beyond broad advice into very specific,
actionable detail on how to write songs that are far more likely to get cut in today's
market and how to find the artists most likely to cut them.
Brent reveals some really common mistakes songwriters make that kill your chances of
getting a cut and processes you can use that multiply your chances that your songs will
find a home.
Cut/able is a must-read for songwriters who are serious about getting cut.
-- Andrew Cavanagh

To get Cut/able, go to:

www.manvsrow.com/store

manvsrow.com
 “Think Like A Pro Songwriter”

Copyright 2015 Brent Baxter, All rights reserved.

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