[Trombone-l] sheet music that sells

[Robert Holland]

A nonmusician friend of mine opined recently that there are three  
basic categories of goods and services: (1) things we don't want or  
care about, (2) things we deem good and want, and (3) things we'll pay  
for. He was careful to note that the overlap may not be very great and  
the things we will pay for, often as not, may not actually be all that  
good. These categories got me thinking about the editions offered for  
sale in my catalog, none of which will ever be big sellers like, say,  
the Henle edition of Beethoven piano sonatas. However, there are  
several editions languishing badly, not having sold a single copy in  
the last three years or more. So I've been contemplating moving them  
from category (1) to (2) since they apparently won't make it to  
category (3). This could be accomplished by making them available for  
download as PDF files, which would inevitably mean that any control  
over copyright I may now have will be gone.

I'm also curious what resides for most trombonists in category (3). My  
catalog has mostly two types of works: long, difficult, monumental  
works and short, beautifully balanced works, mostly sacred vocal  
music. I've received numerous submissions of shorter, lighter works  
and popular arrangements, all of which I've refused publication as not  
yet ready for prime time or out of scope for my catalog. For instance,  
medleys of show tunes and arrangements of Sousa marches or Joplin rags  
don't interest me.

If you have read this far, what sort of music would you pay for with  
less hesitation? And if I made something available for free download,  
would you try it?

Robert Holland, Publisher
Briar Music Press
publisher at briarmusic.com
http://www.briarmusic.com