The arts may be one of the most competitive industries
in which to find paying opportunities. For whatever reason, writers and
songwriter-musicians seem to be far more plentiful than the opportunities that
actually pay. Maybe that’s because there are far more people in the arts who
seem willing to work for next to nothing or even free than there are people in
business. While I could make quite the hobbyhorse out of the for this post,
I’ll exercise the self-control necessary to avoid that temptation.
That being said, as difficult as it is to find a decent job that pays a reasonable wage in corporate America right now, it’s still far more difficult to break into the writing and music industries. In fact, it’s even more difficult now than it was eight years ago when I began working as a freelance writer. It seems that people who can’t find work in corporate America are reassessing their career desires, and the writing and music industries are getting hit with many new people who never would have considered such highly competitive careers before because, quite frankly, some of them feel that they don’t really have anything left to lose. I would encourage any aspiring writer or songwriter-musician to keep this in mind. It’s not just you. It really is difficult. And for those who have been here a while, I would encourage you to keep in mind that, no, you haven’t lost your touch. It really has gotten more difficult because of the present economy.
While connections for breaking into the industry were important before the economic crash, they are even more important now. In fact, I personally have found a new value to attending seminars that I never experienced before. Writing and music seminars can be some of the very best ways to not only tweak your craft, but also to get noticed by the industry professionals who can help you to get your book or music out to the public. Not only do attendees get the opportunity to connect with individuals at various phases of development, but there is the added benefit of being affirmed through being around like-minded, like-gifted people if you are willing to reach out to them and simply strike up a conversation.
I think my most positive experience with an industry seminar occurred this past January through an organization called Actors Models and Talent for Christ (AMTC). Not only did I learn a great deal from all the seminars over the course of this one week event, but I (and all the attendees) were given the opportunity to showcase our talent to industry professionals in the music and movie industry, as well as the modeling industry.
In my particular case, I even had some opportunities to pitch my writing talent because there are a few music labels that also have a book publishing division. This was an added bonus that I didn’t realize until I got there. I even had the opportunity to meet a few fellow writers, one of whom was a scriptwriter. However, the focus of AMTC at this time is really on those who are gifted for music, acting and / or modeling. One of the highpoints for me personally was when Tate MusicGroup, a Christian label, offered me a recording contract. We’re presently in the process of creating the CD
project
Though AMTC is a Christian organization, those who are interested in getting involved are not required to be a Christian. And not all of the industry people who are there are necessarily looking for exclusively Christian material.
Another industry conference that seems to have potential for songwriter-musicians is the Song Discovery Creative Conference. Though I have not experienced this one myself, there seem to be a lot of great networking opportunities and learning opportunities.
One writer’s conference whose recognition seems to be snowballing is the Writing for the Soul Conference. This particular conference is aimed more at Christian writers and offers opportunities for a one-on-one mentoring session with various writing industry pros.
One of my best sources for getting my writings published has been The Best of the Magazine Markets for Writers. Not only have I gotten many non-fiction articles published in magazines through this source, but I have also been able to get a few non-fiction short stories published. I get mine through www.writersbookstore.com. You should be able to see and click on the green icon at the top of the page to get more information on that.
Writer's Digest is another good source for both information and writing resources. I subscribed to their e-mail blasts and make the time to check out what editors and agents have to say about the industry whenever I have a bit of time available to do so.
While there are some places on-line to bid on writing projects, I’m finding that they aren’t paying as well as they used to. In fact, I have backed off of that for now because of some of the ridiculous wages being posted with the projects. When someone doesn’t even want to pay minimum wage for their project, they aren’t really interested in having a professional writer take it on. Hopefully, that will change if the economy should improve in the near future.
In the meantime, staying connected with fellow writers and / or musicians through blogging and social networking will be nuggets of activity that can bring positive future results. Those who are willing to share their experiences can be some of the best sources for being able to move just a little bit further along toward whatever goal we are working to reach.
That being said, as difficult as it is to find a decent job that pays a reasonable wage in corporate America right now, it’s still far more difficult to break into the writing and music industries. In fact, it’s even more difficult now than it was eight years ago when I began working as a freelance writer. It seems that people who can’t find work in corporate America are reassessing their career desires, and the writing and music industries are getting hit with many new people who never would have considered such highly competitive careers before because, quite frankly, some of them feel that they don’t really have anything left to lose. I would encourage any aspiring writer or songwriter-musician to keep this in mind. It’s not just you. It really is difficult. And for those who have been here a while, I would encourage you to keep in mind that, no, you haven’t lost your touch. It really has gotten more difficult because of the present economy.
While connections for breaking into the industry were important before the economic crash, they are even more important now. In fact, I personally have found a new value to attending seminars that I never experienced before. Writing and music seminars can be some of the very best ways to not only tweak your craft, but also to get noticed by the industry professionals who can help you to get your book or music out to the public. Not only do attendees get the opportunity to connect with individuals at various phases of development, but there is the added benefit of being affirmed through being around like-minded, like-gifted people if you are willing to reach out to them and simply strike up a conversation.
I think my most positive experience with an industry seminar occurred this past January through an organization called Actors Models and Talent for Christ (AMTC). Not only did I learn a great deal from all the seminars over the course of this one week event, but I (and all the attendees) were given the opportunity to showcase our talent to industry professionals in the music and movie industry, as well as the modeling industry.
In my particular case, I even had some opportunities to pitch my writing talent because there are a few music labels that also have a book publishing division. This was an added bonus that I didn’t realize until I got there. I even had the opportunity to meet a few fellow writers, one of whom was a scriptwriter. However, the focus of AMTC at this time is really on those who are gifted for music, acting and / or modeling. One of the highpoints for me personally was when Tate MusicGroup, a Christian label, offered me a recording contract. We’re presently in the process of creating the CD
project
Though AMTC is a Christian organization, those who are interested in getting involved are not required to be a Christian. And not all of the industry people who are there are necessarily looking for exclusively Christian material.
Another industry conference that seems to have potential for songwriter-musicians is the Song Discovery Creative Conference. Though I have not experienced this one myself, there seem to be a lot of great networking opportunities and learning opportunities.
One writer’s conference whose recognition seems to be snowballing is the Writing for the Soul Conference. This particular conference is aimed more at Christian writers and offers opportunities for a one-on-one mentoring session with various writing industry pros.
One of my best sources for getting my writings published has been The Best of the Magazine Markets for Writers. Not only have I gotten many non-fiction articles published in magazines through this source, but I have also been able to get a few non-fiction short stories published. I get mine through www.writersbookstore.com. You should be able to see and click on the green icon at the top of the page to get more information on that.
Writer's Digest is another good source for both information and writing resources. I subscribed to their e-mail blasts and make the time to check out what editors and agents have to say about the industry whenever I have a bit of time available to do so.
While there are some places on-line to bid on writing projects, I’m finding that they aren’t paying as well as they used to. In fact, I have backed off of that for now because of some of the ridiculous wages being posted with the projects. When someone doesn’t even want to pay minimum wage for their project, they aren’t really interested in having a professional writer take it on. Hopefully, that will change if the economy should improve in the near future.
In the meantime, staying connected with fellow writers and / or musicians through blogging and social networking will be nuggets of activity that can bring positive future results. Those who are willing to share their experiences can be some of the best sources for being able to move just a little bit further along toward whatever goal we are working to reach.
No comments:
Post a Comment