Una Wertz from Forest City, IL asks... I placed in a songwriting contest. They wanted to put my song on the local radio station, but told me I had to be affiliated with a publisher. I am affiliated with a PRO, but not a publisher. How much truth is there to this, and how should I go about handling it?

Lance Carpenter from Ozark, AR asks... In your professional opinion, when a writer has an opportunity to meet with a publisher, what are 3 Do’s and 3 Don’ts that writer should keep in mind? If the meeting goes well and the Publisher asks to hear additional material from the writer, how long should that writer wait before either sending an email with additional mp3's or attempting to schedule another face to face meeting?

Melissa Bollea from Nashville, TN asks... Can you recommend some great books on  the craft of Songwriting as well as a few that are Autobiographical?

Amber Holcomb from Beckley, WV asks... Have you ever heard of a publishing deal excluding the draw if the songwriter doesn't require one? What happens if the draw money isn't ever recouped?

Karen Petrocella from Washington Township, MI asks... If I want to sell my song, where do I start? If I post a song on some public site like YouTube and sell it through someplace like CD Baby, does that reduce my chances of selling that song to an artist?

Brenda Remis from Defiance, VA asks... If a famous singer says on a TV interview that he/she is open to listening to songs from unknown writers but leaves no way for that  to happen, what are all the interested people supposed to think about that?  What is unsolicited material and how do unknown writers get it to people who can do something with it?

Cory Lang from Denver, CO asks... How successful is networking through NSAI divisions outside of Nashville? i.e. the NSAI branch in Denver, CO---or any other branch of NSAI nationwide?

Sandra Paschket from Franklin, TN asks... How do I copyright a song?

Diane Hurst asks... How do I find out about markets for songs for children's music and folk music?  Are there some organizations you would recommend? Can NSAI help songwriters of all genres?

Terry Kitchen, Boston Workshop Coordinator asks... As a regional coordinator, a question I get often is... Is NSAI only for country writers, and does NSAI has song evaluators for different genres?

Rob Wile from Nashville, TN asks... What is the NSAI board? How many people are on it, who are they, what do they do, are they also  song evaluators?

Billie Sterner from Jacksonville, FL asks... I just write the words. Will an artist put music to my lyric? Can I pay someone to put music to them?  Also, someone said they will pitch my lyrics to artists and publishers if I pay them- is it worth it?

Don Campbell from Toronto, Canada asks... I don’t live in Nashville; how can NSAI help me? As a new member in Toronto, how do I stay connected?

Justice Ellis from Durham, NC asks... I had a song that I was stuck on, and showed it to someone else, and we worked on it together for a while. We threw some ideas around, but haven’t really come up with anything solid.  I was thinking about showing the song to someone else. My question is a) What is the protocol for this, and b) Is the other person considered a co-writer even if I take it another direction? Also, I always have trouble writing a second verse. The first verse is strong and the chorus is good, but I get stuck trying to wrap it up. Any suggestions on how to get past this?

Carol Katterjohn from Indianapolis, IN asks... How do I find co-writers in my hometown who fit my style?