Timing is everything
*If you now have a catalogue of songs, your business in
order, and your heart full of intention, then you are ready
to start setting up meetings with publishers and other
music executives who can help you with the next step:
monetizing and expanding your career”
.....The Songwriter’s Survival Guide by Judy Stakee
I was Ben Glover’s second publisher. He was part of Shaun Shankel’s co-venture with me that also included Joy Williams and For King and Country’s Joel and Luke Smallbone.
He received a small but “enough to live on” advance that afforded him the time to perfect his craft. He needed to learn how to turn good songs into singles. And, that he did. He started getting cuts in his second year with artists like Trace Adkins, The Afters, Joy Williams, Natalie Grant, Mandisa, and many more.
Just as Ben’s third option was nearing, Warner Chappell had a regime change and was, yet again, making a decision as to whether or not to employ Ben as a staff-writer. The new leadership came in to reevaluate, cut costs and unilaterally drop writers to save the bottom line. Ben ended up on the wrong side of the line.
The worst part is that neither of us were prepared for it. I had always picked up writers who brought in royalties and performed well, so I was struggling to make sense of the decision. It felt like I had just stepped off the top floor of a building with Ben in hand, and the only thing keeping me afloat was believing with my whole heart that he would land somewhere safe.
Luckily, Ben had been making quite a name for himself in the Christian marketplace and he put a call into Eddie DeGarmo, a longtime friend, at EMI Publishing and told him he was a free agent. At the same time, we let Dean and Matt Serletic, who had recently started a publishing company at Emblem Records, know the situation. Ben had written a ballad with their act Gloriana at their writing camp that ended up on their record, so they were big fans. By the end of the week, both EMI and Emblem had made offers. Other publishing companies called, fighting over Ben, the “it” boy, and that felt good
Ben ultimately signed with EMI Music and the results of that decision have proved very successful. He has penned twenty-six #1 hits in multiple genres of music and was named ASCAP’s Christian songwriter of the year in 2010, 2012, 2013 and 2015. He wrote the hit country songs "Hard to Love" by Lee Brice and "Love Don't Run" by Steve Holy, along with numerous hits in Christian music including "All This Time" and "The Lost Get Found" by Britt Nicole, “Write Your Story” by Francesca Battistelli, and Mandisa’s songs “Stronger" and “Overcomer,” the latter of which won a Grammy award. Along with his credits as a songwriter, Glover has also achieved some notable success as a producer for songs like “Busted Heart” and “The Proof of Your Love" by For King & Country, and the song “Greater” by MercyMe. Glover has had over 350 songs recorded in multiple genres of music by artists such as Chris Tomlin, MercyMe, Crowder, Trace Adkins, Gloriana, Thompson Square, The Backstreet Boys, Amy Grant & James Taylor, Marc Broussard, Clay Walker, Joy Williams, Brandon Heath, Josh Wilson, The Afters, Colton Dixon, Newsboys, Kari Jobe, and many others.
At the very beginning of his journey, Ben put all his focus, energy and hard work into creating a foundation for his career that has held him up and supported him as he has climbed up the preverbal ladder.
And, the whole time, he has built a great reputation of being someone you could count on to get the song written. The proof is in the pudding!
In times of struggle, it was Ben’s craft that pulled him through. So, now I ask you, reader, what are you doing to perfect yours?
