Submission guidelines
See details below about how to participate in This Song Changed My Life.
Sections
I. Picking your topic
II. Writing tips
III. Some good examples
IV. Submission requirements
I. Picking your topic
Childhood/young adult stories & photos are well-liked because of the nostalgia and vulnerability vs. stories exclusively about adults making their own music/professional stories etc. which are less relatable for most readers
Your essay can definitely be about your adulthood, but please avoid stories that focus on promoting your work/using it as a promotional opportunity, since the real magic of this project is the personal nature of the stories
If you have anything to promote, each participant is invited to share a link in the bio section
If you're a musician, you can talk about making music in your essay if you'd like, I'd just recommend making it as personal as possible
II. Writing tips
Avoid writing about the process of writing this essay unless it's absolutely necessary to the story
e.g. avoid discussing how challenging it was for you to pick a song
Be as vulnerable as possible/as you're comfortable with
Readers enjoy entries in which the writers open up, get real, and share personal, emotional, funny, or embarrassing memories, etc.
Focus your essay more on a distinct story/memory that has to do with the song vs. explicating a song's lyrics & melody in detail
The best entries tend to be more about emotions & relationships than about the music itself
I'd recommend picking whichever song is most strongly associated with a specific memory/story/person
III. Some good examples
Check out these essays, they're great examples of what I'm talking about:
IV. Submission requirements
Please share the written portion of your essay & bio info in a Google Doc and attach photos in the body of an email
1. Your name (first and last)
2. What’s one song (not an album) that changed your life? (Name & artist)
*Tip: in terms of selecting a song, remember that it's just a song that changed your life, not the song that changed your life
Most people could probably write about many songs, so don't put pressure on yourself to pick the ultimate one, pick the one that has the best story connected to it
3. How / why / explain (600-900 words)
Possible jumping off points to think about:
How did it change your life? (i.e. what was your life like before vs. after the song)
What memories do you associate it with?
Who introduced it to you?
What was the first time you heard it?
What feelings are associated with it?
Does it remind you of a particular person/people/time?
Do you listen to it on repeat?
Did you used to listen to it on the radio/cd/vinyl? Then vs. now?
Were you a fan of the artist before?
Are you still?
4. Short 3rd person bio of yourself (2-3 sentences max.)
5. Link if you wanna share one, personal or professional / anything to promote (I also include everyone's Instagram handle with their entry if you could please pass that along)
6. Relevant personal photos (2-4 pics) that have to do with your entry (pictures that feature you/people are the best!)
7. Recent-ish photo of yourself for me to base my sketch off: well-lit, forward-facing/straight-on, no sunglasses (regular glasses are fine), as high res as possible -- can be a selfie, just nothing blurry
*Please note that submission does not guarantee publication*