A 2017 Best Spoken Word Album Grammy Nominee! Confessions of a Serial Songwriter is an amusing and poignant memoir about songwriter Shelly Peiken's journey from young girl falling under the spell of magical songs to working professional songwriter writing hits of her own. It's about growing up, the creative process – the highs and the lows, the conflicts that arise between motherhood and career success, the divas and schemers, but also the talented and remarkable people she's found along the way. It's filled with stories and step-by-step advice about the songwriting process, especially collaboration. And it's about the challenge of staying relevant in a rapidly changing and youth-driven world. As Shelly so eloquently states in Confessions of a Serial Songwriter : “If I had to come up with one X factor that I could cite as a characteristic most hit songs have in common (and this excludes hit songs that are put forth by an already well-oiled machine...that is, a recording artist who has so much notoriety and momentum that just about anything he or she releases, as long as it's 'pretty good ' will have a decent shot at succeeding), I would say it would be: A universal sentiment in a unique frame .” Peiken has tapped the universal sentiment again and again; her songs have been recorded by such artists as Christina Aguilera, Natalie Cole, Selena Gomez, Celine Dion, the Pretenders, and others. In Confessions of a Serial Songwriter , she pulls the curtain back on the music business from the perspective of a behind-the-scenes hit creator and shares invaluable insight into the craft of songwriting. ''I'm eternally grateful to professional songwriters, the unsung heroes of many giant careers. Shelly Peiken provides fascinating insight into this least understood profession to the thorough delight of the reader.'' - Clive Davis ''A little bit of Nora Ephron, a little bit Carole King and a whole lot of fun.'' --David Wild ''Few know how challenging it can be to navigate the music business better than the very people who sustain it - hardworking professional songwriters. One writer who lived through that struggle and attained great heights is BMI affiliate Shelly Peiken. By sharing her experience and her journey as a songwriter, Peiken's story is informative and inspirational, but also a compellingly funny read, a must for music industry newcomers and veterans alike.'' - BMI ''In the conversational tone of your BFF, Shelly Peiken tells you everything about the life of a songwriter. The good, the bad, the funny, the sad, what you need to know, what you want to know and even what you wish you didn't know, but are now grateful she told you. Confessions of a Serial Songwriter is the 'must have songwriter's guide to life in the music business.'' --Cynthia Weil ''Confessions of a Serial Songwriter reinforces the idea that we can always dream, we can always aspire to do something new and invigorating with our lives; we just have to believe and put one foot in front of the other.'' --Jorge Hernandez Shelly Peiken (Los Angeles) is a Grammy-nominated songwriter. She has been a prolific, behind-the-scenes force in the music business for more than two decades. Her songs have sold in excess of 50 million records. She is best known for penning culturally resonant, female-empowerment anthems such as Christina Aguilera's No. 1 hit “What a Girl Wants” and Meredith Brooks' smash “Bitch.” Pages: 288