Submission Guidelines for Composers & Arrangers

These are general guidelines and may not apply to all music. We need your music sent to us in the best condition for best results.

1) We prefer to have the music submitted in PDF format if at all possible. If not, Finale file (or other professional typesetting program) in proofread, tested and professional print condition. Unsolicited manuscripts become the property of Falls House Press and will not be returned without a SASE.

2) We’d like an optional contrabass flute part included with flute choir music if appropriate.

3) We require a recording of a live performance for submission in order to properly evaluate your work, especially for flute choir music. The recording can be sent as an mp3,  "AAC Audio File" encoded with iTunesv4.9, QuickTime 7.0.1,  mp3 or CD.

4) Please email scores, parts and recordings of your pieces to info@fallshousepress.com. Otherwise, send music and CD’s to:
Falls House Press, LLC
PO Box 7121
Nashua, NH 03060-7121

 
Publishing Guidelines for Composers & Arrangers

These are general guidelines and may not apply to all music. We need your music sent to us in the best condition for best results.
 

COPYRIGHTS –

First make sure your music is either an original composition or in public domain. If not in public domain, make sure you have secured all appropriate copyrights in the US and internationally. It is the writer’s responsibility to investigate and secure copyright issues of any pieces you are arranging. If any piece has been printed and we find that it is not copyright-free, the writer will incur the expenses of the printing. You need to check with the copyright holder, no matter what the date is.

1) We prefer that your music be in PDF format. It must be perfectly proofread & tested for accuracy. The score & all parts should be separate PDF’s. We are now printing our music in a 9” x 12” format. The music should still be 7.5" wide (meaning about .75" margins on each side), but the image height can be 11" tall rather than around 10" tall. That means more systems per page with less crowding, and therefore sometimes fewer pages to print and fewer turns. It will, however, make it impossible for you to print up on an 8.5"x11” printer to see it in hard copy.

Tips for formatting the page, especially if you are using an A4 page size, in Finale, this is very easy, with two different solutions...
 1) The only thing that matters is the height and width of the actual image that will appear, so it would be easy to change the margins regardless of the designated paper size to result in roughly 7.5" staff width and roughly 11" of vertical image.
 2) In Finale 2009, go to Document > Page Format, and there's a drop-down list of page sizes, both American and European formats provided. In other versions of Finale it might be a slightly different path, but should be easy to find.

Tips for reducing page count and size…
SCORE - If a score is for reference only and not for performance, it can be made smaller. Switching a score to 15-staff (instead of 10 for example) would fit easily on 9”x12” paper, and that would mean a smaller staff size. With a smaller staff size, and using 7.5" of music across the page, there would be opportunities for more bars per line. That means the page count could decrease even more than 2/3rds. This is definitely worth doing for a score. Even 20-staff would be a fine reference score if engraved large enough. By switching to a 9”x12” document and using a margin that allows 7.5" of the actual staff, and spreading out the systems, and then switch to Maestro Wide instead of Maestro for the music font (easy to do in one click), you can use a slightly larger staff size, and everything will be bigger without crowding.
PARTS – If parts that are very loose are tightened up, a 3-page movement can fit on 2 pages, and the 2-page music can fit on 1, for example. Again, on 9”x12” paper, 7.5" of music across the page is standard. The page count will be radically reduced, and the music will actually look better. Remember you have 11” in height of music as well.
Cutting down the page count a lot could give you a handsome product and cut the print cost significantly. If the parts are a multiple of 4 pages, it is helpful. For example, if a part is 5 pages, 8 pages have to be included in the printing costs, so if it can be reduced to 4 pages, it makes a big difference in how we price the piece.

Note: Finale files and most other professional typesetting programs can be converted to PDF’s.

2) Page numbers on every page and on appropriate side for best page turns, so your planned page turns don't get put on the wrong side. If applicable, please list the instrumentation on each line on each page of score, including any rehearsal letters and/or measure numbers. Please make the page turns as best as possible and notations, dynamics and articulations correct and easy to read.

3) Part identification (ex. flute 1, alto, etc.) and name of piece on each page of individual parts, also name of piece on each page of score. This particularly applies to flute choir music. We’d like an optional contrabass flute part included with flute choir music if appropriate.

4) On the bottom left-hand corner or center on the first page of the score and the first page of each part, please print:
© Copyright 2012. Falls House Press, LLC. Printed in USA.

5) Performance practices you think are important to describe the piece and a biography about yourself (all on one page) in publishable format sent with the music. This will be included on the first page of the music.

Accidentals: If accidentals do not carry through the measure in all octaves, your rules should be stated in the preface.

6) By email, a short paragraph of the piece, including the level of difficulty (rated from 1-5, with 5 being most difficult), instrumentation, length of piece, etc., for our website so readers can get an idea of the piece and be intrigued enough to purchase it.

7) Please sign the AGREEMENT page of the contract, copy it for your records and return the original. Keep the other pages for yourself.

8) Our new covers will be on white glossy stock in full color. If you have any ideas or picture you think would be good for the cover, please let us know.

9) Please send 2 CD recordings of your piece, best quality you can get (“live” performance highly suggested), one that will be entered into the Newly-Published Music Competition and another for our files. The recording can be sent as an mp3, "AAC Audio File" encoded with iTunesv4.9, QuickTime 7.0.1 instead of a CD.

10) We will send you 2 complimentary copies of your music. After that, you may purchase additional copies for a 50% discount. At the end of the year, you will get your additional royalties on the sale as well.

11) Please email scores, parts and recordings of your pieces to info@fallshousepress.com. Otherwise, send music and CD’s to:
Falls House Press, LLC
PO Box 7121
Nashua, NH 03060-7121