A Letter from the Editor: Getting Ready to Submit a Piece for Publication

In my last post , I shared a little about my own journey as a composer. This time around, I’d like to give you a peek into what the view is like from the editor’s side of the process, and let you in on some of the things an editorial committee considers during review.

What does an editor do?

Publishing companies (Alfred Music included) rely on a team of editors to select music for publication. An editor has three primary functions: to decide which music a publisher will print, to make sure that music is a good fit for the market they serve, and to assist the composer in preparing that music. In a sense, the editor acts as a kind of matchmaker, using their knowledge of the market to help composers distribute music to consumers. Generally speaking, editors are specialists in a particular musical area of expertise, such as choral, band, orchestra, or piano. They also keep a close watch on sales and programming trends, which help them make informed decisions about which music to publish.

I wrote a piece – How do I get it published?

Let’s assume you’ve followed the recommendations I made in my last post : you’ve been writing for a while, have gotten some of your music performed (and hopefully recorded), you’ve gotten feedback from both singers and conductors, and now you feel like you’re ready to take the step of submitting your music to a publisher.

Let’s examine how to help you put your best foot forward as you consider what you should submit, and where.

Pre-submission

Smart composers do their homework on publishers before they ever start submitting. One good way to do this is to take a look at and listen to top sellers on their website. Look for pieces that share some elements in common with what you’d like to submit: perhaps you find one with a similar level of difficulty, length, or it would appeal to a similar age group. If you’ve written a twenty-minute sacred cantata, but you’re not finding anything similar on a publisher’s website, it’s probably not the best home for that piece. It’s important to look for that good fit if you want to be taken seriously, especially the first time you approach a publisher.

Here are some of the things you’ll want to consider when selecting a publisher for your piece:

• Who will this music appeal to?
• Who is this piece intended for?
• Is it equally accessible in terms of technical difficulty for all members of the ensemble?
• Are there any copyright concerns? (Text or music?)
• Is there anything currently on their website that uses the same text, or is otherwise too similar?
• Is there an existing arrangement that already has an existing hold on the market?
• Is my piece clearly notated and easily readable?
• For choral pieces: is the text compelling, and is it set well for voices?

Submission

Start by finding submission guidelines on the publisher’s website, and read them carefully. You can find Alfred Music’s here . Like most publishers, we accept submissions of unsolicited original works and arrangements of material in the public domain only: most pop pieces are assigned by editors to experienced arrangers. If you’re composing for orchestra or band, you’ll want to pay special attention to series recommendations, which you can find here .

Next, you’ll want to make sure your piece is notated clearly, following all conventions of musical notation. A good-looking, easy-to-read score leaves a strong first impression. Sending a live recording is also recommended, though a MIDI rendering will work in a pinch. A link to your bio or website is also welcome, so editors can learn a little bit more about you.

Generally speaking, it’s best to be really selective when submitting, because if you bury editors with too many things that are not a great fit, they may lose interest. Put your very best foot forward, and if the editors would like to see more from you, they’ll let you know!

Last, be sure to give accurate contact information so that someone from the review committee can get back to you. Know that depending on the time of year, if may take editors a while to evaluate your piece: in Alfred Music choral we generally accept pieces for submission between April and September for consideration in the following year’s release. If you submit something outside of that time frame, it may take editors longer to give you a response, or they may ask to hold it or have you re-submit it later.

I hope this has given you some useful information to consider as you think about submitting music for publication. Best of luck!