This article is continued from last month. If you missed the first part, you may view it here.

Making the Pitch:
This usually involves getting your songs to the artist or someone in the artist's camp by email, uploaded link, drop-off or face-to-face meeting.

Just as songplugging itself has five basic steps, there are also five basic steps to making the pitch:

1. Choosing the Song and Making the Comp
2. Setting Up the Meeting or Drop-off
3. Making the Drop-off or Having the Meeting
4. Following Up on the Pitch
5. Creating the Pitch Report

Choosing the right song for a pitch isn't always as straight forward as you might think. As I mentioned earlier, tip sheets sometimes include the type of songs the artist is looking for, but if they've already found that type of song, sometimes by the time you make your pitch they may be looking for something else entirely. So use your contacts to make sure your pitch is still on target. The other aspect to choosing the right song for an artist is to research what they've cut in the past. Learn their vocal range and the topics they tend to sing about. If they've just gotten married, maybe pitching a breakup song wouldn't be such a great idea.

Making the comp is pretty straight forward. Once you've made your song selection, burn a CD and make sure your contact information is printed on the label. Having a company logo isn't required, but it does make you look more professional.

Your ability to set up a meeting or drop-off has everything to do with the strength of your reputation, and your relationships. As you make your phone calls, if you represent well known writers or catalogs, then it will probably be easier to get a face-to-face meeting. If you haven't established a good reputation, and you're working with an unproven catalog, you may have to start with drop-offs, and through the quality of your songs, earn the right to meet in person. Just remember that when you make the call, speak in a confident and professional manor. And don't take it personal if you are asked to drop something off.

If you are dropping something off, it's best to do so quickly. Walk in and say, "I'm dropping this off for so-and-so." Say thank you, and then make your exit. Be sure to smile and be friendly, but don't initially strike up a conversation unless the person initiates it. Treat everyone like they are somebody, because they are, and because the person at the front desk today, could be in A&R a couple years down the road. So be courteous and professional.

If you are having a face-to-face meeting, be on time, and be prepared. Research both the person you're meeting with and the artist you're pitching for. Dress appropriately and act professionally. If it's a new contact, make the first meeting about one thing, and one thing only: getting a second meeting which means focusing on them - not you. Don't approach it like, "Are you going to cut my songs are not?" That initial meeting should always be about forming a lasting relationship - be it personal or simply professional. If it's an established relationship, be mindful of their pitching preferences. If they like a little small talk up front, take the time to chat. If they like to just get down to business, say your hellos and hand them the CD.

When you follow up on drop-offs, give them a week or so to listen to the CD. If they really like a song, they will call you. When you're following up on a "hold" and you're wanting to see if the artist has heard it yet or to make sure it's still in the running; two weeks is generally the acceptable follow-up time for holds, just make sure you do follow up.

As a plugger you will of course want to let your employer or client know how things are going. The in-house plugger will enter in the status of pitches into the company computer. The indie plugger will need to present their clients with a pitch report. This report basically shows what songs were pitched, who they were pitched to, for which artists, and the status of the pitch; whether they're on hold, have been kept, or were passed on. This keeps your client in-the-loop, and lets them know you're working hard to get their songs cut.

Getting Paid:
If you are an in-house plugger, you are already on salary, but you may also receive a bonus for the songs you get cut. As an independent plugger, you will probably be working on a monthly retainer with some sort of bonus structure on the back end, or some other individualized business agreement.

How in-house pluggers get paid is pretty straight forward. They get a steady paycheck and a bonus on the songs they get cut. But there seems to be a good deal of mystery with regard to exactly how indie songpluggers earn their money. This is probably due to the fact that no two songplugger agreements are the same. There is no set standard or governing body, but the same could be said of publishing contracts and companies. On top of that, pitching agreement, or contracts, can be very simple or extremely complex, depending on what level you are at. But there are certain elements that are common to all are agreements. For brevities sake, I will only elaborate on two: the retainer and the back-end bonus.

Indie songpluggers usually work on some form of retainer; which is basically a monthly allowance toward expenses. The amount of retainer depends on certain factors, like how well the plugger is established, and their track record for songs they've gotten cut. Once a song has been release on a commercial project, the indie plugger then receives a back-end bonus based on various factors, which include whether the song is released as a single, how high it goes on the charts, length of time on the charts, and the number of units sold.

There are other types of agreements by which a songplugger can earn income, such as partial publishing compensation, co-publishing agreements and some even do single song agreements by switching over to a publisher role. But the monthly retainer and back-end bonus are by far the most widely used.

A Final Word
There are nuances to pitching songs that go beyond the scope of this article, and though each of the steps mentioned are conceptually simple there are subtleties to making them work in the real world that would take much longer to explain. Consider this a primer on a much more interesting and complex subject.

ABOUT PENNY DIONNE:
Penny Dionne is the owner of Little Vixen Music Publishing, and she is a high-profile Pro Songplugger currently representing mega hit songwriter, Chris Wallin (Don't Blink/ Kenny Chesney, Something To Be Proud Of/ Montgomery Gentry) and the successful Corlew Music Group with catalog & writers via a co-venture with Windswept/BUG whose successes include: Settling/Sugarland, Some People Change/Montgomery Gentry and many others) Dionne has been profiled in the publisher edition of Music Row magazine's "Row File," co-authored a book with Troy McConnell called "Songplugger: The Cuts and the Bruises," which garnered coverage in Country Weekly Magazine May 2009; and co-wrote & recorded The Successful Songwriter Motivation & Meditation" audio program. She is the the Vice President for the Nashville's Women's Music Business Association (WMBA). For more info on Penny, the book or audio, please visit www.LittleVixenMusic.com.

ABOUT TROY MCCONNELL:
Troy McConnell is a 22 year Nashville veteran and has seen success as a songwriter and producer, as well as running a successful multimedia company. As a staff writer, he has written with such luminary Nashville writers as Craig Wiseman, Tommy Lee James and Chuck Cannon. Among Troy's producing credits was an artist development project that landed the young artist a major recording contract.Troy continues to write and produce, but his talents have taken him beyond the country music scene and into the world of multimedia, having written a national jingle for Bridgestone/Firestone tires and winning a video award for his work with the corporation that owns Denny's restaurants with his song; "What Color Am I." McConnell has also co-authored a book with Penny Dionne; "Songplugger: The Cuts and the Bruises," which garnered coverage in Country Weekly Magazine, and also co-wrote and produced "The Successful Songwriter Motivation & Meditation" audio program. Currently he is working on creating a televised Texas Music Awards, and has formed his new company; Texas Music Media Inc. For more info on Troy or the Texas televised Music Awards, please visit http://www.nextiermedia.com/troy/

This article was first printed in The Muse's News.