Admit it, that great big sentence on the cover got you interested, didn't it? You know the one — 'How To Get Signed' it said, in vast eyecatching letters. And you, being in a band who you feel (and maybe rightly) ought to be bigger than the Stones, the Pistols and Genesis glued together, know that your life wouldn't be complete without a multi-million pound deal from a huge record company.

You could be right. If your preferred route to stardom is via the accepted channels, a record deal is well nigh crucial. If you want gigs, Smash Hits photo sessions, NME covers, gatefold LP sleeves — maybe even the final, ultimate accolade of an IM interview — and all the other gubbins of star status then take the tips from our feature, add a little of your own pushiness and talent and away you go. See you on TOTP. But don't start believing that if you ain't got that deal you'll curl up and die. Look at our 'So you want to be a...' series for inspiration. Film scoring, roadying, songwriting, production, management, agency work, session playing — do you need a record deal for any of those music jobs? Do you really, lovey?

Go for that ink-on-the-line scenario as hard as you like, and good luck to you. But that's not all there is. If you're satisfied without getting your ugly mug plastered across the nation's newspapers, keep your eyes open and your wits about you and the world may yet be your oyster. Or at least your lobster.