General Questions
So what is this website really about?
How much money do you make off of advertising?
I see a lot of abbreviations . . . what do they stand for?
Can you not spell? I see a lot of mistakes . . .
Who does your website for you?
Bring back your wallpaper, I wanted to take it for my page!
What a cool graphic! Can I use it?
Where's your guestbook? And why can't I comment on your blog?
Are these real questions, or did you just make them up?

Music Questions
Do you like anybody else's music or just yours?
Can you help me get my songs published?
Who is your favourite composer?
What do I need to do to be a composer?
Do you sell any music on this website?
Who are Roth and Ellen? I saw them on the activities page.

Publishing on the JEOW
Where do you find the authors you publish on your site?
Can I submit an article or poem to you?

GENERAL QUESTIONS
So what is this website really about?
Erm ... if you can't figure it out from the title, I'm not sure I can help. Seriously, this website makes my music and artistic creations available to the Internet community. A great deal of this website is my way of giving back to this same community by providing articles, quotations, essays, games, resources, and creative writing on various subjects.

How much money do you make off of advertising?
Certainly not enough to pay for webhosting, domain registration, bandwidth, and ISP services. Although the JEOW is affiliated with Amazon.com, the annual revenue is actually quite small.

I see a lot of abbreviations on this site; why do you use them, and what do they stand for?
Repeatedly writing the Jane Ellen Official Website gets tiresome and looks pretentious after a while. JEOW takes much less time to type. JEMS stands for Jane Ellen Music Services. Occasionally, my name is abbreviated as JE.

Can you not spell? I see a lot of mistakes . . .
Yes, I can spell. However I choose not to use the pseudo-language invented by Microsoft called "US English." I have reached a stage in my life where I am completely comfortable with my own peculiar eccentricities. Having lived a good portion of my young life outside of the United States, and having spent the rest immersed in Victorian adventure novels, I am most comfortable with what my US friends call "Brit English." My friends in Canada, Australia, and the UK merely think I'm pretending to be civilised.

Who does your website for you?
Composers can't afford webmasters; we do it ourselves. I also design and maintain websites for others. If you're interested, visit JEMS Webdesign.

Bring back your wallpaper, I wanted to take it for my page!
Now you understand why I changed it. When the JEOW first began in 1998, I was lucky enough to discover a beautiful, public domain wallpaper. Other people obviously liked it too, because it began to show up on other websites. It was definitely time for a change in celebration of the fifth anniversary of the JEOW in 2003.

What a cool graphic! Can I use it?
Thank you for asking! It's always nice to be asked, especially when it's something that I've created myself and is therefore not in the public domain. You might be surprised at how many times I'll say yes! If it is in the public domain, I'll also be happy to let you know.

Where's your guestbook? And why can't I comment on your blog?
After six years of archiving entries from various guestbooks (including one slambook) the guestbook was permanently retired in 2004. Only one person looks after this website, and there are not enough hours in the day to police interactive features. The guestbook was constantly filled with inappropriate comments, spam, and porn links. Therefore, in the interest of keeping this a nice place to visit, the guestbook was deleted and all archived entries were removed. The "leave-a-link" feature was removed for the same reason. As for my blog, if you visit the new home of Jane Ellen's Journal, you will find comments enabled and an archive of posts available.

Are these real questions, or did you just make them up?
These are all valid questions that have been sent to me repeatedly, in one form or another, over the years. This question came from a particular letter asking why the JEOW did not have FAQs: "I can't find the FAQS on your website. I have read lots of other FAQS and I have a question. Are the FAQS in FAQS real questions, or did somebody just make them up? P.S. I like your website anyway."

MUSIC QUESTIONS
Do you like anybody else's music or just yours?
I spend 90% of my listening time listening to music I didn't write. I spend 10% of my time listening to, cringing over, and being harshly critical of the music I have written. Enough said. For more information, you can visit the Listening Room.

Can you help me get my songs published?
The print publishing industry is very difficult to break into at this time. Most companies are over-committed to composers who are already established as well-known artists. I am always happy to advise any composer in any way that I can, but I have no "insider connexions."

Who is your favourite composer?
Don't get me started; I can't afford the bandwidth. Seriously, you obviously haven't found this page yet.

What do I need to do to be a composer?
Study. Listen. Write. Practise. Listen. Learn an instrument. Write. Listen. Work hard. Learn from the best. Copy, study, and alter what they do, until you develop a style uniquely your own. Work harder. Don't give up on music theory, it's more fun than you think it is. Never miss an opportunity to hear new music. Develop as thick a skin as possible without giving up your sensitivity. Be true to yourself. Don't expect fame or wealth overnight. Follow your heart. Never give up.

Do you sell any music on this website?
Yes. You can find out more about my latest CD Seasons of the Heart or visit the page for JEMS Publications for printed scores of some of my works.

Who are Roth and Ellen? I saw them on the activities page.
"Roth and Ellen" are Claire Roth and Jane Ellen. Claire is a lyricist and a frequent collaborator of mine. We have shared several commissions, far too many cups of coffee, and enjoy a deep friendship. We have an active, growing catalogue of works. You can read more about our collaborations here.

PUBLISHING ON THE JEOW
Where do you find the authors you publish on your site?
I am most fortunate to have made the acquaintance of several authors on the web, and I am more fortunate to count others among my personal friends. In each case I approached the individual author when a particular work struck my fancy, and I asked permission to publish the work. Some agreed to allow me to share their work, while others declined.

Can I submit an article or poem to you?
Yes, you may. I am always happy to look at the creative works of others, but submission in no way guarantees acceptance. Although the JEOW is a truly eclectic site, I retain full artistic control at all times. Whether or not I accept your work is totally dependent upon whether I think it is a good fit for the JEOW. Publication and full credit - including copyright information, email address, and website url at the author's discretion - are the sole benefits of being published by the JEOW. No money will change hands.

FURTHER QUESTIONS
Any further questions can be addressed to Jane@JaneEllen.com