Well I've just tried twice to post to this thread. Both times Mudcat went off-line and nothing got posted ... I'll give it one more try.

Jeff hit the nail on the head.

If you get a song placed with a major (or even minor) artist, it's because they know you and want to pay homage to you and/or your song. It's possible they just got wowed by your song - but more likely it's personal.

If you get a song placed through an industry person, it's because you conivnced them in person you have something worthwhile. They will have a very exact set of criteria for song selection (hence the comment "be prepared to rewrite"). These uys already have a stable full of superb writers, so even getting them to look at you is difficult - but not impossible. You'll just have to dig hard.

BEST ADVICE I can think f is -keep siging your sonsg, verywhere you can, keep believing in them and keep writing them. As the bumper sticker says, "sometimes good shit happens." Well, OK I added the sometimes good part ... but you get the idea!

I'm not so cynical as some. I know it's really difficult to do. I know sometimes crap gets through and good stuff left behind .... but part of the winnowing out porcess is the drive behind the song - and that starts with you, the writer. The fact that rap sometimes get through only proves that it's drive behind the song that makes most of the difference.