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A service from 'The Serious Writers Guild' at MAKEHITS.COM Written by Dec Cluskey with a little bit opf help from his friends.
This Email first mailed to all Members of 'The Serious Writers Guild' and
subscribers to 'One Minute With Dec' on
06.01.02
The Proof that the 'How To Make A $Million From Your Music' ten month course WORKS
It's easy for me to say that I have made $Millions from music...the proof is all there to see [check out my band 'The Bachelors'] in 'Guinness Book of Hit Records', 'Television's Greatest Hits', 'The Ten Best of Everything'....but it's better to see the success of Members of 'The Serious Writers Guild' under my personal direction.
Member’s
Contribution: "Those that matter don't mind, those that mind don't
matter!" Colin Timpson [Membership number:
BAN0603030W]
www.makehits.com
The Home of 'The Serious Writers Guild'
"One Minute With Dec"
"My
Emails are written in good humour, and should be read with a
smile"
The great news, for me, this week is that my new book is ready. I got the proof copies from the printers, sent off a few samples to friends and the feed back is fabulous. Gosh, I'm a happy bunny.
Have you long felt that most music books are ‘self opinionated’. I have! Let me explain:
Most ‘how to’ music books talk ‘at you’, if you know what I mean, whereas, I do feel that they should be interactive. They should answer the worries, queries, doubts of guys who are genuinely involved in this business of writing, creating, performing and producing music. Almost every single thing I write is 'reactive'...in other words reacting to a question, a query, a genuine worry.
When I started in the Business', I spent hours, days, worrying over musical problems. Yes, I had guys I could talk to when we were working together, but in the dark of night, sitting in front of a piano, there was nobody there. Not a book, a CD, a tape with the answers in.
So I have always set out to ‘answer questions’…and that is what my new book is all about.
"One Minute With Dec – THE FIRST ANNUAL"
A total collection of the best of ‘One Minute With Dec’, arranged in an interactive way, so that all the current ideas are discussed and all the current ‘today’ questions are answered. The real questions that push you forward. There isn't one iota of rehashed garbage, which I see every day in bookshops and on the Net.
The best bit is the CD. Which is as ‘today’ as the Internet. All the relevant, up to the second, ideas are there. The contributions from pals, which include, the legendary, Shel Talmy, talking from L.A. [Shel produced all the great 'Kinks' stuff, 'The Who' plus my band]. Then Gordon Giltrap, the most respected, and innovative, acoustic guitar player in the world. I managed to get Jimmy Perry to contribute…who is Jimmy Perry?
If you have ever thought about writing theme music then listen up:
Jimmy Perry has written more TV themes than you have had hot dinners…his secret is to always get a ‘piece of the action’, so when they need a theme for 'Dad’s Army' [he wrote the actual script for the series] Jimmy immediately wrote the theme music – "Who do you think you are kidding, Mr. Hitler?"…how much dosh has that made? Just a bit! Then, 'Hi Di Hi’, ‘Are you Being Served’, 'You Rang, Mi'lord'…now, are you beginning to see how much can be made by getting into Jimmy’s head? Almost everything he has ever been involved with he has written the music for the series.
Of course there are many contributions on the CD…it’s class stuff…and all relevant to your career.
Down to Business:
It amazes me how ‘wrong’ some guys can get the whole ‘business’ of our business. I had a guy on the phone for half an hour yesterday asking me questions. He worked a trick on me by Email to get me to call. So….I’m a nice guy, I called. I don’t think he took in one word I said. He certainly answered all his own questions. Why did he want to talk to me? I’m still trying to figure that out! He was the epitomy of the saying:
"You never learn, while you are talking"
But it got me thinking:
I always say that we are in Show Business...the second word is 'business' ....
We are also in the Record Industry...the second word in 'Industry' ....
So, the 'proper' way to send any communication within a business is by business letter...which means a typed C4 envelope containing a correctly formatted and professionally constructed letter. Address definitely not on a label [could be mistaken for a mailshot]. And the address should not be handwritten.
I get asked all the time:
"How do you make a package stick out?"
As regards CD's and Demos...NEVER, EVER send unsolicited demos to anyone (illegal in most States of the USA)....everyone is just too busy to bother....they mean well (just like me). We promise ourselves that we will set aside an hour to listen to stuff this afternoon...it never happens....6 pm rolls on and we are struggling with the last of the post! Then dinner time, and a few phone calls, then into the studio 'just to finish off that piece that should have been put to bed last Tuesday'.
So you see 'unsolicited' definitely does not work....
"What happens when we are asked to send a demo?"
Now we are talking ‘solicited’. You have them so excited [there is a whole system involved with that trick] they can’t wait to hear your stuff. The best way is always to have a ‘meet’, but for the minute, let’s say they just want to hear something. I'm not giving away all my tricks, but you should be aware of these points:
Always use a NEW jiffy bag.
Always enclose a 'business' typed letter with discreet, classy letter heading, as I advise in my ‘How to Make a £Million From your Music’ course writings.
Always have a 'return address' on the jiffy bag [again 'business sense'] I use a stamp made by Prontaprint, costs pennies and looks 'the business'. I have a fabulous sounding address (again, I cover all that in my ‘£Million’ course). Check it out at the base of this Email.
So, the moral of the story is that if you behave in a business like way, to your fellow business men, then you can relate on a par with them....if you behave like an amateur, they will treat you like an amateur....which would you rather deal with, if you were in their position?
So, it is not a case of making a package 'stick out', it is more a case of making a package conform to recognized business standards....easy? That way, it gets noticed among all the second hand, scrawled on, jiffy bags with too much sellotape [drives you mad trying to open it].
Always think what a package from Pete Waterman to Nick Raymonde would look like when it arrives in the post room of BMG.
My final point is that if the package is to a business pal....I always
hand write on the top left hand side....’From Dec’ [in strong, powerful
writing]....if the guy is looking out for the package, that certainly will
help....
"Save the world from unfulfilled potential"
Rob Gilbert
regards
DEC
"There are 40 kinds of lunacy, but only one kind of common sense".
Old African proverb
One moment with Stuart Goldsmith:
www.medina.co.uk"I want to help you to get rich too. Not out of altruism, but because you're paying me."
the website of my good friend - Stuart Goldsmith
Heard enough, want to apply to join 'The Serious Writers Guild' and receive the award winning ten month program: "How To Make A $Million From Your Music" now?
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When you sign up I'll tell you EXACTLY how to go about recommending this program to others and receiving your commissions - in fact, it's all a completely automatic process and I'll give you everything you need to get started!

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