[Trombone-l] Publishing

[Charles DePaolo]

Wayne,

Your advice is right on, as usual.  As a publisher myself and someone who 
makes his living in the business, I would like to add just a few thoughts:

1. Make sure you own the copyright or have permission (in the form of a 
written release or license) from the copyright owner before you publish. 
Nothing gets under a publisher's skin more than seeing yet another 
unauthorized arrangement of one of their copyrights.  Federal copyright law 
provides for a $20,000 fine per item.  Unless you also happen to be sitting 
on Fort Knox (or these days, a gas station), it's not a good idea to get 
into tangle with corporate copyright attorneys.  Regardless of who wins, you 
lose.
2. Please don't give the world yet more arrangements of the same tired old 
stuff (you know, Wedding March, Trumpet Voluntary, Jesu Joy, Mouret Rondeau, 
etc etc ad nauseum).  Put stuff out there that's new, different, exciting.
3. Just because a person can start, run and print from Finale, doesn't make 
them an engraver or publisher.  Far from it.  I love Finale because it lets 
you do what you want to do (unlike Sibelius, which tends to be slightly more 
regimented, helping prevent you from doing stupid stuff).  This is a double 
edged sword however, as Finale also lets you make an ass of yourself pretty 
easily.  Just a few hints:

 a) look at your percentage reduction.  100% is generally not cool;
 b) placement of dynamics;
 c) slurs/phrase marks that crash with other elements;

and two of my personal favorites:

 d) measure 1 containing a measure number (with the exception of studio 
charts where every measure is numbered);
 e) left hand system barlines and/or brackets for single staff systems.

The list goes on...

If these things don't bug you, then consider spending more time learning the 
program and proper engraving techniques before submitting things for 
publication.  Trust me, it will increase your chances of being taken 
seriously.

My Two Cents
---Chuck


  ----- Original Message ----- 
  From: Wayne Dyess
  To: thetubameister at adelphia.net
  Cc: trombone-l: server5.samford.edu
  Sent: Wednesday, June 04, 2008 6:52 PM
  Subject: Re: [Trombone-l] Publishing


  I'll bite.

  Sorry to be brief, but I'm working a LOT with Finale right now mah-
  own-self.

  1)  Assemble the best musicians you can muster together, and record
  your works with the best recording equipment available.

  2)  Do a little online research, or ask around (trombone-l is a
  valuable resource, of course), and find out what companies are
  publishing the kind of material you are writing.  Chamber music?
  That limits the number of publishers, but they are out there.

  3)  Send a brief, one-page introductory letter that tells a little
  about you, and what it is you want from them.... along with a CD and
  a CD backup of your works.

  4)  Sit back and wait for the rejections.

  5)  When a rejection letter comes, go back to #3 and do it all over
  again.

  Eventually, you might find a publisher.
  Good luck!!!!

  --Wayne Dyess




  On Jun 4, 2008, at 9:39 AM, <thetubameister at adelphia.net> wrote:

  Okay, I'm clueless...

  I have been working on Finale of late.  In 1995 I spent the whole
  year doing brass chamber music arrangements - all in pencil  Now, I'm
  starting to get some of these into a "publishable" format, and I have
  no idea as to what to do next.

  Self publish on ebay?
  Find a Publisher (who?, more to the point, HOW?)

  Any thoughts would be apprecieated.  I just have no idea what to do
  with these; I've been able to get some of the exnsembles I play with
  to play them, and they sound as I hoped, so I'd like to capitalize on
  my efforts a little bit if possible.

  Thanks for any ideas y'all can offer!

  J.c.S.

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  Dr. J. Wayne Dyess
  Professor of Trombone
  and Director of Jazz Studies
  P. O. Box 10044
  Lamar University-Beaumont, Texas 77710





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