I fought against rules most of my life, and have had many run-ins with established conventions and regulations, and as a creative songwriter I know that you are probably not so big on rules yourself. I generally like to think more in terms of flexible Guidelines and Suggestions. But this is one that I would commit to memory as a Rule.

Rule Number One of Great Songwriting: Your New Song is Only a Rough Draft.

Writing a song in one sitting, and then immediately adding it to your set list is a recipe for creating songs that listeners will find very unappealing. A number of my students have done this same thing and it is a major problem.

It could take up quite a bit of recording time, and additional money, to have your producer help edit the song after you are already inside the recording studio. Often, before a song can be recorded, they will require a lot of polishing to take them to a professional level. Another thing is that low quality songs could put off producers, and you might find it difficult to get someone to work with you and your material.

Occasionally you will get lucky and write a great song the first time, if you do a lot of writing, but occasionally people who but lottery tickets on a regular basis will win some money also.

One should always consider that a good amount of editing would be needed to make a song into the best one it could be. Before any songwriter can build a list of hit songs, he has to put a lot of work into editing his masterpieces. It is never a good idea to scrap editing for the sake of sentimentality about that initial creative spark which inspired the song. Build that spark into a burning blaze of beautiful music.

Professional Songwriters will sometimes spend the same amount of time as amateurs with the initial writing phase, but they will think of it as a Rough Draft. Then, over the next few weeks or months, they will continually come back to the ones that had potential and build them into masterpieces, using the TRICKS AND TECHNIQUES that have been TRADE SECRETS.

But so many songwriters today just wing it when it comes to writing. I feel the main reason for this is a lack of awareness of these great song-crafting techniques that the pros use.

To help songwriters like you, I have developed my online courses at Songwriting Planet. It is to ensure that everyone would get to use the tips and tricks that, until now, have only been available to insiders in the music industry.

Editing a song should be given the importance of a make it or break it scenario. And one thing that I was not aware of for my first few years as a writer is that songwriters can actually learn these techniques to help them consistently craft songs that will top the charts.

Kevin Thomas is author of Melody Madness, and Founder of Songwriting Planet. Follow this link for SP Local Lessons for More Free Songwriting Advice. To Learn how to Sing, Play an Instrument, or Write Songs Online, Follow this link for SP Local Lessons.