Ray, I don't focus much on Publishers because most of them are gone, downsized out of the business, (Nothing to collect on FREE)most have switched to the "Song plugging" (fee for service, business models).

There are the majors, which 99.99% of writers are never going to have any exposure to, or the current effective publishers, which are owned by the HIT WRITERS themselves. No one is going to get songs past those people. That, again is the RELATIONSHIPS and if you get close to those relationships, it's going to be pretty self evident what to do. Those take a long time to build and develop and anyone outside those circles have no chance anyway.

All of those relationships are built through ARTISTS, and again, if writers don't understand that, they are not in the game any way, so it is a waste of time to go through that. I focus on the craft of writing, the art of performance, networking (building those relationships) and understanding the BUSINESS, which most will never be a part of. But I do discuss it all.

Publishers are the latest victims of the changes in the business, and most have been downsized by it. So there is not much to talka about. Besides that, if someone becomes involved with a publisher, they will have no say in any contract or aggreement. It is all on the onus of the publisher, or the person who has the contacts or money. There is no "take it to a lawyer and re-write the contract over sub chapter 3 page 29 of the contract." It is take it or leave it, and that is it. The people that tell you other wise are theoretical nonsense.

Jody, you have two Senators and a Congressional representative. That is where you would start. You can contact them by phone or email any time you wish to. That is what Bart Herbison started doing thirty years ago. He was a Congressional assistant to members of Congress in DC for 10 years before coming to Nashville. And he has been pleading songwriters cases for the past 20 years. These issues that are coming to light now, streaming, loss of income, the Consent decrees and many other issues on intellectual property are the things he has been discussing in front of committees, sub-committees for 20 years.

I went to Congress with him and a 40 person delegation in 2006. WE all paid our own ways, we all sat with members of Congress, Senators, we talked about the issues, played songs and demonstrated what we were talking about in the halls and offices of Congress.

So you can get on board any time you want. We've been doing it a long time. Welcome to the party.

MAB