Greetings! Let's have some fun!
If you are serious about making your winning entry a reality, it would help to have your own copy of this book. It is not required. But if you want one to work on this contest, we will help you pay for it. If you are a participant, or intend to be, you may click on the book now to receive a special edition for participants.
This edition has the 28 original songs plus the new song to replace the one eliminated.
The regular price is $7.77. This special edition for participants is 30% off at $5.44.
As you read through the songs, sing them in your head, or out loud, to try them on. See what music flows to you. Have fun with it. If you make it too serious, you will block your creative flow. Imagine yourself as the winner, and that your song is a great hit. Feel it. Make it real. Record the one(s) that make you feel the success of winning, and of your public loving it. Pay attention to your feelings throughout the entire recording process. Add to the recording whatever supports your feelings of winning this contest.
Love Your Song!
You wrote some music and rightly feel pretty good about that magic of creation. You have the excitement of knowing that the same magic could continue on with success in that song and with a career that could grow from it. On the other hand, your creation can go the way of most songs that never catch on. Knowing it can go either way, you give it your best. However, working on the same song hour after hour, day after day, and sometimes week after week, can make a person come to hate the music that was adored in the beginning. When that happens, the negative feelings poison the work. Don't let the work get you down. If you feel discouraged, take a break. Recharge. Remind yourself that you are just having fun--fun that will be felt when people hear your song. If you tire of your song, it is no refection on your writing. It is just the nature of the work. You will feel much better about it later when it is polished and others love it.
Take the time to get it right. Whether you feel that it is your best work on your first take, or your hundredth, do whatever is required to raise the quality enough for publication. Please do not submit work hoping that we will fix it for you. Some artists will be tempted to submit a song, then work on it some more and submit it again, and then do it again and again. To prevent such re-submissions of the same work (which makes more work at our end), we are adding a $33.33 submission fee—giving you some motivation to have it really finished when you send it in the first time.
When you think it is ready, wait a bit. Play it for friends and get constructive feedback before sending it in. If you send it in first, you will still likely share it with friends who may still make suggestions whether or not you want to hear it at that point. Gather that feedback to polish the work before sending it in. It is your responsibility to ensure that the submitted work is complete and playable.
Okay, now for all the details required by the legal department:
All entry fees are non-refundable. MACCA Corp does not give feedback or critiques to entrants.
Entry to the Billy Shears Talent Contest constitutes permission to use winner's name, likeness, and voice for future advertising and publicity purposes without additional compensation.
By submitting work to the Billy Shears Talent Contest, each entrant affirms that the music submitted is his or her own original work (or the original work of the band making the submission), and that the entrant is solely responsible for the consequences of any finding to the contrary. Entrant is solely responsible for any third party entanglement growing out of submitting music unlawfully.
By entering the Billy Shears Talent Contest, entrant (or their parents or legal guardian—if entrant is a minor) agree to accept and be bound by the terms and conditions of this contest shown on this website, and by the decisions of the anonymous judges of this contest. Their decisions are final and binding.
Winners of the Billy Shears Talent Contest will be posted on this website. Additionally, winners will be contacted by email to arrange royalty payments. Each entrant is responsible for providing up-to-date and correct email addresses to MACCA Corp. MACCA Corp is not responsible for entrant's non-receipt of any emails for any reason, including, but not limited to, server or email malfunctions.
Royalties on winning submissions are paid to the individual specified on the entry form. It is that payee’s responsibility to divide those royalties among the artists for that submission. Thus, for example, if your band has four members, MACCA Corp will not divide the royalties to pay each member individually. The full amount will go to the designated payee.
No one submitting work for this contest is thereby acting as an employee of MACCA Corp, or of its subsidiary, Peppers Press. All participants are responsible for their own federal, state, or local taxes, or for any other government-imposed fees or banking fees.
Whereas the primary American processing center for the Billy Shears Talent Contest is in the state of Utah, this contest shall be governed by the laws of that state. If any participant feels that he or she was not treated fairly according to the regulations of this contest, MACCA Corp may be reached through the contact form on this website. Please do not contact us to complain that your submission was not selected as the winner. The judges’ decisions are final. If your concerns are not settled to your satisfaction through email correspondence, they can be addressed in court. All cases and claims pertaining to this contest or its royalties must be brought to a court of competent jurisdiction in Provo, Utah, without recourse to class action suits. If any provision of this contest is found to be invalid or unenforceable by a court of competent jurisdiction or appointed arbitrator, such determination shall in no way affect the validity or enforceability of any other provision herein. Any provisions of the contest may be struck if found to be prohibited by law without that deletion altering any other provision herein.
To further ensure the success of the Billy Shears Talent Contest, deadline dates and/or entry fees may be changed at MACCA Corp’s discretion.
Clicking on any of the links below acknowledges that you have read this entire page, and that you are in full agreement.
It takes three steps to enter the contest:
1. Complete the form.
Click on the image below to take you there.
2. Pay the $33.33 entry fee.
3. Upload your song!
After completing the entry form,
it will take you to a link for the next two steps.
1. Complete the form.
Click on the image below to take you there.
2. Pay the $33.33 entry fee.
it will take you to a link for the next two steps.
