Tag Archives: advice

The Composer’s Guide to Doing Business

Posted on January 6, 2012 by Dennis Tobenski

Yesterday, I launched a new blog series titled The Composer’s Guide to Doing Business at DennisTobenski.com. The new series is aimed at composers looking to become more entrepreneurial, and who want to learn more about the business aspects of the … Continue reading →

Posted in Doing Business, Self-publishing | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Doing Business: DRM and Piracy

Posted on December 10, 2011 by Dennis Tobenski

Every couple of months, the topic of Digital Rights Management (DRM) rears its ugly head when I’m talking to a composer or new music enthusiast about the NewMusicShelf. How does NMS ensure the security of the composer’s scores once someone … Continue reading →

Posted in Doing Business, DRM, Self-publishing | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 4 Comments

Pricing: A Practical Approach

Posted on June 10, 2011 by Dennis Tobenski

In an effort to make pricing my scores easier and less subjective, I’ve been tinkering with a series of formulas to tell me what I should charge, and I think I’ve come up with some good stuff. However, before I … Continue reading →

Posted in Doing Business, Self-publishing | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

We Don’t Need No (Business) Education

Posted on January 21, 2011 by Dennis Tobenski

So I’ve already written about the problems of pricing and why we should (mostly) stop giving away scores for free, but these two topics are part of a larger issue – the lack of education we receive on the business … Continue reading →

Posted in Doing Business, Self-marketing, Self-publishing | Tagged , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Free Kittens Scores

Posted on December 29, 2010 by Dennis Tobenski

Giving away scores. We’ve all done it. You meet a performer, the two of you talk, and they say that they’d love to see a copy of that piece you wrote for their instrument (because it just happens that you … Continue reading →

Posted in Doing Business, Self-publishing | Tagged , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Pricing: The Goldilocks Zone

Posted on December 27, 2010 by Dennis Tobenski

When I’ve talked to other composers about self-publishing and selling their own works, one of the most consistent stumbling blocks is the issue of pricing. It can be very difficult to evaluate whether a given price is too high or … Continue reading →

Posted in Doing Business, Self-publishing | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 1 Comment

Why Self-publish? Part 2: Some Self-publishing Basics for Composers: Engraving

Posted on June 23, 2010 by Dennis Tobenski

To kick off the NewMusicShelf blog, I’ll be posting a four-part discussion on self-publication for composers. Some Self-publishing Basics for Composers: Engraving Because I’ve been involved in a fair number of discussions lately about publishing, and because it’s a subject … Continue reading →

Posted in Why Self-Publish? | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Why Self-publish? Part 1: Taking Control

Posted on June 22, 2010 by Dennis Tobenski

Why should a composer self-publish?

In today’s artistic and economic climate, the reasons are manifold. Probably the biggest reason to self-publish is the difficulty in being picked up by a major publisher. But more important, I think, is the issue of control. Continue reading →

Posted in Why Self-Publish? | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment