Hi!
Just like everybody else on this forum, I am looking for a publisher for my music.

I wrote 2 piano sonata's which I really would like to see published, but ofcourse... no matter how much letters I send, I always get the "sorry..." response back.

Still, maybe someone here knows something that can help me further.

My sonata's can be heard and previewed on my site here:

http://www.andrevanharen.com/pianosonatano1.htm
http://www.andrevanharen.com/pianosonatano2.htm

I put them on the lulu website for now but prefer a real publihser.

Best wishes,

André,
Sweden

Hi Andre,

First let me say that if you figure it out please let the rest of us know. This is the marketing aspect of the music business.

One problem is that wour music is very skillfully composed, but it could have been composed by Mendelsohn. I personally really like Mendelsohn, but (and this matter has been discussed many times on this forum) the reality is that publishers are seeking music that will sell. Your music is rather serious and difficult to play. Because it sounds like 19th century "art" music most publishers will take the view that they already have lots of such music in their catelogs by better known composers who are already known as great masters.

I'm not criticising your music, it's very skillfully composed and enjoyable to listen to, but you're not Mendelsohn. It is perfectly appropriate for you to compose music that pleases you. It's very different for you to ask a publisher to take a business risk to get your music typeset, printed, warehoused, and marketed to and through their distribution network. You may find it instructive to get a few printed up yourself and then get some gigs playing piano locally. Let your audience know that you have copies for them to take home for $xx (or Euros). See if and how many you sell. You can even offer to autograph them "just in case you get famous."

Getting music published is a bit like borrowing money. If you have no credit record no one will lend you money. Those who need money the most can't get it, those who already have plenty can get plenty more. Funny how life is.

One last thing. I've looked on music publishers web sites myself. It seems what they're seeking is collections of shorter works (minimum 10). It's more likely that they may find some they really like in a varied collection of works, plus they'll get a better sense of your overall style. If you haven't visited Boosey & Hawkes or Schirmer's or any of the many other publishers it's worth taking a look.

Good luck.

One additional thought to what Steve has posted. Composers like Robert Vandall write music that, in some cases, sounds like what came out of the late 18th and early 19th centuries. He was a "staff composer" for a company that was bought out by Alfreds. His music is usually sold in collections (as Steve noted) or related music.

Another approach is to place the music on a web site where it can be purchased through something like PayPal. That's assuming you want to make money from your compositions (and since you placed it on Lulu I assume you do). Self-publishing is certainly one way to go.

Finding a publisher for music is much harder than finding a publisher for books -- not that there's more composers, but that the market is much smaller, especially if one chooses to go after the generically termed "classical market."

Good luck!

Ed

Hi, thanks for the advice.

My "problem" is that I like the 19th century music ore than the musical style that is seen as modern and interesting for serious publishers. I am not into jazz or easy listening music either, so probably I am in some kind of area that doesn't really belong anywhere; out of time maybe is the best way to describe it. Or maybe my style would fit best in film music, but that is a total different world that I don't feel connected to.

I believe this means that I just have to write for myself only and not should aim at getting published. Of course, they are in for the money, it's their life and I would not invest myself in anything that would make me louse money.

Playing my own music in public could be a problem. I did study piano and have my piano teachers degree, but I see myself as a good amateur pianist. The recordings I made were done with lot's of efforts on my side and lots of cut and pasts. I am very happy with the result and I know for sure that they are pianistic and playable, but I have so little time next to my daily dish washer job, that I rather spent my time on composing.

Maybe one option would be to compose smaller works that are easy to play for everybody like my series of 6 piano pieces called "moments"

http://www.andrevanharen.com/momentsforpiano.htm

It was a pleasure to write them and I am thinking of writing more collections like these.

Thanks for all the advice.

André

Here is a little piano piece I wrote that probably would be interesting for publishers instead of the larger sonata's. i believe this piece is easy playable for most beginner pianists.

"After Work..."

http://www.box.net/shared/dcwjf9ds0k

André