I write Poetry and Lyrics/Songs...How do I get my work published and out there to be used/purchased?

Question

I love writing songs, poems, lyrics, anything. I believe myself to be very creative lyrically. How do I go about breaking into that type of work? Publishing a book, writing songs for artists...things like that?

Answer 1

It's a tough world to work your way up through. Poetry is not likely to be very profitable for you even if you're very, very good at it. It's still a good thing to do and certainly is a wonderful means of self-expression, but its reward is more in the responses you get from those who read your work than it ever will be in cash.

Song lyrics are another story. There doesn't seem to be any particular way to get them out there effectively. I think you just have to make it up, record yourself singing it so folks can know what you intend it to sound like (even if your singing isn't very good - you don't have to sell your own voice in order to sell your lyrics). Add music to it if you're able. I'd advertise it on a web site, giving sample lyrics and offering more to those willing to enter into an agreement for them. But you're not going to be able to demand that sort of thing right away. It's the age-old way of things, one still must be "discovered" in this world in order to become successful at things such as these. The more you get it out there, the more people see it, and the more people see it, the more likely it is that one of them will like it enough to pay you for the right to use it for both their and your profit.

Just be careful. There are people who will try to take advantage of you, and then there are people who _will_ take advantage of you. In that business, you do have to learn to tolerate being "used" like that, at least to a certain extent. One need not be a total media-whore, of course, but it's healthy to recognize early on that not everybody in the business is inspired by your work as much as they are by your income-generating potential. They will -pretend- to be impressed, of course, depending on how popular you are or how popular they think you might become. But by and large most of them won't really be able to give a fig about you or your "art", they just want you to help pay their bills. There aren't very many "genuine" people out there, and that's a sad, sad thing for serious and inspired talent.

Good luck, I hope some of this has been of at least a little use to you! :-)

Answer 2

Please contact a publisher for the purpose.