This Song Changed My Life
Below are the instructions for submitting to TSCML, we're glad you're here! Please note, submitting an essay does not guarantee publication. We will contact you via email if your piece is selected.

We cannot accept:
  • Anonymous submissions
  • Entries about an album/more than one song
  • Entries fewer than 600 words
  • Entries more than 900 words
  • Entries without personal photos (see below)
  • Promotional pieces (see below)

A couple tips: 
  • In general, childhood/young adult stories & photos are well-liked because of the nostalgia and vulnerability vs. stories exclusively about adults making their own music/professional stories etc. which are less relatable for most readers
  • Your essay can definitely be about your adulthood, but please avoid stories that focus on promoting your work/using it as a promotional opportunity, since the real magic of this project is the personal nature of the stories (if you have anything to promote, each participant is invited to share a link in the bio section)
  • If you're a musician, you can definitely talk about making music in your essay if you'd like, I'd just recommend making it as personal as possible
  • Avoid writing about the process of writing this essay unless it's absolutely necessary to the story (e.g. avoid discussing how challenging it was for you to pick a song)
  • Be as vulnerable as possible/as you're comfortable with -- readers enjoy entries in which the writers open up, get real, and share personal, emotional, funny, or embarrassing memories, etc. 
  • Focus your essay more on a distinct story/memory that has to do with the song vs. explicating a song's lyrics & melody in detail -- the best entries tend to be more about emotions & relationships than about the music itself, so I'd recommend picking whichever song is most strongly associated with a specific memory/story/person
  • Check out these essays, they're great examples of what I'm talking about: 

Rights

You retain rights to your work after publication. If selected, your work may be hosted on our website in perpetuity, and we may link to it on social media sites. 

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Important Note:
If your submission is selected, we will need 2-4 relevant personal photos that have to do with your entry (pictures that feature you/people are the best! Older/nostalgic photos are especially well-loved). Do not submit them here -- we will contact you via email to receive these photos if you are selected.
Your name (first and last) *
Email address *
What’s a song (not an album) that changed your life? (song name & artist)
 *
*Tip: in terms of selecting a song, remember that it's just a song that changed your life, not the song that changed your life (most people could probably write about many songs, so don't put pressure on yourself to pick the ultimate one, pick the one that has the best story connected to it)
How / why / explain (600-900 words)
 *
Short 3rd person bio of yourself (2-3 sentences)
 *
Link where people can find you (e.g. personal website or Instagram) and/or link if you have anything to promote 
 *
Thank you!
I'm looking forward to reading your submission and I appreciate your interest! Don't forget to subscribe at thissongchangedmylife.com for future essays and to support the series :)

Best, 
Grace
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