Don't turn up in your old jeans. "You want to represent yourself as someone who is serious about what you do." Sue Verran in Approaching record companies.
Who's who? Do you need an entourage? Find out what all these industry people do.
What's in it for me? A record deal is the Holy Grail for singer/songwriters but there are other goals too.
Money If the cash starts rolling in, you'll need to know how much you should be getting.
Approaching record companies Find out which record label will be interested in your kind of music and research their artists' roster.
Recording contracts Learn about the three types of record deal: exclusive, licensing and development.
Getting advice Music lawyers are expensive but here are some ways of getting advice cheaply or even for free.
Advances If a record company starts making advances, here is advice on what's expected of you.