It is, and has always been, my belief that songwriters fail in the music industry not because they lack ability, but because deep down inside they're resigned to failure. I'm not going to dwell too much on why songwriters fail. I make the point only so that we can clearly identify the real enemy to success.

When things never seem to go right a lot of people look round for a scapegoat - someone to blame. We've all met the type. It's never their own fault. In truth, such people may have enormous ability but, subconsciously they're painfully insecure, unable to cope with a "thanks ? but no thanks." As soon as they receive five or six rejections, they're beaten psychologically. They begin to rationalize. They've already made up their minds, the songs are no good. They never will be any good. What they're really afraid of, is being turned down. They don't want to face unpleasant experiences on the road to success.

Then there are those who get satisfaction out of failure. Experiences in their childhood create a desire to be dominated rather than respected. Such people have a compulsion to punish themselves from their childhood "guilt." The negative side of their nature constantly gains the upper hand so that even when success is on the horizon, they'll do something to louse it up. Often, they're not aware of their own problem because it manifests at a very subtle level in the subconscious. Success and happiness is always stifled because it runs contrary to their program of self punishment. They're typical of the masochistic person who could have achieved so much but always put something in the way as an obstacle to success. You don't have to look far to recognize them:

(1) The author who never finishes his book because he's always at a bar drinking;

(2) The person who comes up with great business ideas but never sees them through because he's always gambling;

(3) The musician who's never quite ready to perform in public because he's always at home rehearsing. There are endless examples.

Basically, failure comes back to the same negative trait: they don't want to succeed. I'm not saying successful people have never experienced negative thoughts. Even the healthiest amongst us have doubtful moments. But thinking too small or thinking in pennies may make you less than a winner. Start to imagine all the things that could stop you from succeeding, and you'll convince yourself it's not even worth trying.

Instead of forming an absolute habit of not winning by not trying, think positive!

Ask yourself this question. If thousands of songwriters succeed every day of the year and make a great living from it, why shouldn't I be one of them?

So, why is it that some songwriters have enormous success while others never seem to go anywhere? Is there really a magical formula, or is it a case of not what you know but who you know?

Some have argued for years that the entertainment industry has been run by lawyers and accountants and that the whole industry is a closed shop and to have any chance of success you need to be accepted by the "right people," otherwise, forget it! I don't agree. There is no question many songwriters with great potential are angry and frustrated because their songs keep getting rejected. So why should this be? Why is it that so many songwriters, even the skilful ones, have little or no success in today's entertainment industry? The answer is much simpler than you may think!

If you're determined to be a winner in the songwriting world, you'll need three basic things:

(i) a desire to create;

(ii) the will to work;

(iii) marketing strategy.

Anyone who has a desire to create has, in my experience, talent. The two go hand in hand. I have worked with some of the most successful songwriters in the world and without exception the biggest single factor for their writing songs in the first place had nothing to do with the realization of being gifted ? which is one's ego. What motivated them was a natural desire to create. Talent is what a person is born with. What is critical is how that talent is harnessed and developed.

That brings me to the second of the three ingredients: the will to work. However gifted you are, unless you're willing to work hard at songwriting, and thoughts of becoming successful in this business will be nothing more than wishful thinking.

The third and arguably most vital thing - marketing strategy, is something you will acquire from asking people like me, and researching on the internet.

As you become more successful in songwriting, you will also become more knowledgeable in negotiating your own contracts.

It is possible to make substantial money as a songwriter, but if you're just starting out don't expect huge royalty payments to roll in over night. Like most things in life , success comes to those prepared to graft at their craft and, of course, making the right moves!