Doug,

I may go over the top on this, and perhaps Im not your usual suspect, but I approach this very business like. Just like any company putting out products, Id like to make sure the quality is up to par with market expectations. If you write songs for the markets, you are not allowed to decide what is quality or not yourself, as you want to supply consumers on a market with what they are asking for, so you have to rely on others informed opinions to determine what quality is in that respect.

I often go through several layers of critique with my songs.
Mostly I post early guitar/vocal worktapes here at JPF, and collect the critiques before first rewrite. If Im happy after that, I sometimes still get a paid critique, before demoing. And after demoing, I sometimes post another time here at JPF, and often also get another paid critique, often with particular emphasis on the mixing and broadcast quality. First after all of these layers of feedback and rewriting/adjusting, I enter the marketing process pitching etc. And if you're with Taxi and other places, you even get one more layer of critique to consider.

I think of all of this just like the product development process in any company. You want to make sure you got the best possible product by involving other professional people, and for most people a level of investment like paid critiques are neccesary in that process, I think.

Then you may ask - why go though so much trouble? Do I not believe in my work? Yes, absolutely, on the contrary! I select my best songs to work through these processes, that is the ones I feel is based on great ideas and that I believe in all the way. And when I have something I believe in, a great idea in a great lyric with great music to it, I will do anything it takes to help this song reach it's highest potential.

So how industrial or business like it may sound, I approach this like a business. And a tactical bonus from using paid critiques from the best people in the business, is that you might get recognized easier, when they sit in the chair selecting songs for a project, next time.

A good businessman acknowledges the win-win of getting business as well as creating business for others. I have been trained to think so having my own business for years, and I approach the business of songwriting likewise. You won't be promoting your own business thinking like a cheapskate - you'll want to get in the give and take of things.

That's my two cents, anyway!