Self-publishing your songs will give you more license for input. You have more control over what happens with your songs and how they are published. The drawback is that you have to self-promote your work. Another form of self-publishing would be to post your songs and/or lyrics on a website. Potential buyers can download your material for a set fee (see Resources below).
A more traditional way to publishing your songs would be to find an established publisher who is interested in your work. You may find many of these resources on the Internet (see Resources below).
To enhance your efforts, hire your own managing agent. Often they will pound the pavement with and for you to get your work in front of song publishers. They will also be aware of many opportunities for new songwriters trying to make it in the business. They can market you and get your name out there while you concentrate on developing your talent.
Record a demo if you sing your own songs. Or hire someone to sing them for you. In the traditional, mainstream, high-rolling contemporary music business, songwriters usually don't sell their songs. Instead, they get songs recorded and released on CDs that will eventually be performed on various radio and TV stations.
Depending upon the type of music you want to publish. If you are able, you might want to consider moving to an area of the country that is known for publishing agents. The three most prominent areas are Nashville, Los Angeles and New York. It takes a lot of consistency and pounding the pavement to get your work published, and being in a local area will add credibility to your efforts. Usually when you do get a nibble of interest, the publishers want to get the ball rolling, and being in the vicinity will help get things started.
Most of the money earned by songwriters comes from paid performances on the radio and and TV stations. Here's how that works: performing rights societies such as ASCAP, BMI and SESAC, plus their affiliates all over the world, keep track of when and where your songs are broadcast. As an example, each time your songs are sung on TV during prime time on a major network, that performance is worth a certain amount of revenue. The performing rights societies total how many times your songs are sung on the radio and on TV and then send you royalty checks each quarter.
Music publishers are usually generally interested in signing established songwriters and/or recording artists who write their own material. However, some publishers may be willing to sign new songwriters and/or bands without a record deal. If a publisher believes an undiscovered artist will one day sell lots of hit records, they may help the artist record demos and assist him in trying to land a major record deal. If the artist gets signed, the music publisher will hope to see a reward for its investment in the form of mechanical royalties, public performance royalties and other derivative income. A publisher may even be willing to contribute to tour support or provide extra promotions money in order to generate future publishing income from record sales and airplay.
A strong financial backing is important to a successful record. At first you may need to fork up your own money to publish your songs. If you don't have a savings, seek out investors like family members or trusted friends. It may be necessary to take out a loan from a bank. You may be fortunate to find a publishing company that will let you pay in installments. So do not lose heart. As the quality of your work increases over time, you eventually won't have any trouble finding financial backers.
The best resource for finding publishers is through the Writer's Market. It's also a great source to find a publishing agent or manager to promote your work. There are hard copies available in most bookstores, and they have a website available online for a small fee (see Resources below). Don't be discouraged by rejection. Some major publishing companies rejected the greatest songwriters of our day before they hit their big break. One opportunity is all it takes for you to see your dreams come to pass.
Get your songs copyrighted. Today, music publishers are concerned with administering copyrights, licensing songs to record companies and others, and collecting royalties on behalf of the songwriter. Publishers may also authorize translations in order to generate income from cover versions of a particular song in foreign countries.