Writer's guide

How we sound

Write like you talk to a friend who knows a bit about music. Short sentences. "We" and "you". If a sentence works without an adjective, cut the adjective.

No exclamation marks. If something is good, say what it does and the reader will work out that it is good. Use a spaced hyphen - like this - and never a long dash.

Skip the press release words. Nothing is a game-changer, nothing is a must-listen, and nobody needs to hear what a record "takes them on". Tell us what you heard, when it happens in the track, and why it landed.

Specific beats clever. "The snare is dry and too loud on purpose" is worth more than a paragraph about energy. Name the minute, the instrument, the room, the pedal.

Opinions are fine. Hedging is not. If you think the second half of an album sags, say so, then show us where.

Before you start

Idea first, writing second. The idea is a few lines: what the piece is, why it matters now, and why you are the one to write it. Two links to things you have written help, but they are not required.

We read every idea and reply within two weeks. If it is a yes, we agree the angle, the length and a first draft date with you in the reply, and you join the Writers Pool: your own writer space on the site, where you write the piece and send it to us. If it is a no, it is about fit, not about you, and you are welcome to send another.

Deadlines

Deadlines are agreed per piece. A review tied to a release date has less room than an active listening piece that can run any week. We would rather move a date than get a rushed draft, so if the date stops working, tell us early.

Silence is the only thing that really causes trouble. A short "running late, Thursday instead" is always fine.

How editing works

Write it in your writer space at songsbrew.com/write and press Send to SongsBrew. One person edits it with you from start to finish.

The first round is about structure: what to cut, what to move, where the piece really starts. The second round is about the lines. If we have notes, the piece comes back to your writer space with them, and nothing goes up that you have not seen.

We fix spelling, house style and facts without asking. Anything that changes what you mean, we ask about first. If you disagree with an edit, say why. Sometimes you will be right.

We check facts we can check: names, dates, credits, gear. If a claim rests on something you were told, tell us who said it.

Gigs

If you switched on gigs when you wrote to us, you are on our list of gig writers for your city or region. When a show comes up that fits, we email you the artist, the venue and the date.

We arrange press access with the artist's team. Sometimes that is confirmed when we write to you, sometimes it is still a request, and we tell you which. You go, you write it up.

A gig piece is a review of the night: the sound, the room, the set, the moment it turned. Aim to send it within a few days of the show while it is fresh. Say yes or no to an offer quickly, so we can ask someone else if it is a no.

Turning a gig down is fine and does not move you down any list. Taking one and not going is the one thing we ask you not to do.

Your byline and author page

Your piece is published on SongsBrew under your name. Your byline links to your own author page, which lists everything you have written for us. Send a short bio line and, if you like, a photo.

It is unpaid guest writing, not a job, and you keep the right to link to your piece and quote it wherever you like. Please do not post the full text somewhere else for a month after it goes up.

The newsletter

The Thursday newsletter is written by Zara. Guest writers do not write the newsletter or sections of it. Your piece lives on SongsBrew, and we may link to your piece from it when it fits that week.

Questions

Reply to any email from us, or write to [email protected]. We answer.