Droptine,

Do em' every day. It is a great time. The "tour" is through the writer's past, present and future. We do song critiques, performance evaluations, I take them around town, go to studios, have lunches with hit writers, publishers, etc. I try to introduce everyone to the town and vice versa as a friend instead of just another writer trying to get his music heard. Make friends is what networking is.
If you do the "MAB four essential songwriting elements, you do fine:"
#1 Creation of the song. Write songs that are interesting, different and keep people's attention.
#2 Presentation of the song. Make sure your demos sound good and competitive, and your performances stand out.
#3 Networking. Make a bunch of friends and have them want what you have.
#4 Business. underestand the elements that motivate other people financially and figure out how you can help other's achieve their goals and you will achieve yours.

That is what the tours are about. Would always love to have you. And Everett, that is how a lot of my clients find their way into the "back doors" that are so essential in this business. There is no "magic way," but I do provide a way to see the whole playing field without going broke or make too many mistakes.

MAB