How to Keep Writing When the Fish Aren't Biting

I have been writing choral music for quite a while now. It took me several years before I worked up the nerve to send something to a publisher. I wasn’t expecting much because I’d always been told not to expect much with your first composition.

So, I wasn’t terribly shocked by the rejection letter. It hurt, but wasn’t surprising.

What was surprising was that the rejection letters kept coming. And coming. And coming. I now have a healthy stack of letters and emails saying, “thank you, but no thank you.” Some are quite polite, others are quite blunt. Very rarely is there any feedback besides, “We enjoyed your composition, but it doesn’t fit our needs.” No way to know what they didn’t like. No way to fix it to make it better.

So, here’s my point.

I compose for fun. I compose for choirs. I don’t compose for publishers. I’ve had to come to grips with not being published (while continuing to search), but have had to come up with ways to keep myself composing. These are my five tips for those that might find themselves in the same boat.

1. Remember WHY you are composing. Chances are, you didn’t start out the composition process by saying, “Boy, I’m going to write something that can be published by so-and-so.” More likely, you started out by saying, “How can I set this text?” or “What can this choir do?” or “What sounds can I create?” You are composing because it’s inside you and needs to come out. Your pen (or computer) is just your outlet.
   
2. Remember WHO you are composing for. Don’t forget the choir you had in mind when you started. Compose for their needs, not for an arbitrary nebulous group. Even when I compose without a specific choir in mind, I’m still thinking of what voices can do.   
3. Start a website. It’s important just to make sure your name is getting out there. A website is a great way to earn some internet presence quickly. You can put as much or as little up on the site as you see fit.
4. Get recordings. If you can get some friends together to record your songs, that will help you in your search for a publisher. Even if you don’t get published, the recordings would be great on your website.
5. Keep writing. Don’t stop. Constantly be looking for new ideas, new poetry, new possibilities. Even if you don’t currently have a choir ready to perform your piece, you can exercise your compositional muscles.

Now, get out there and show the world what’s in your head and in your heart!