If you can get them on the radio, love songs only have to make sense to people who are totally in love and not anyone else, right? Well, you can make a lot more money by writing love songs that make sense to the rest of the world. Think about the songs you listened to with your first love. Looking back, some of them are pretty sappy, right? Some of them would probably have embarrassed you even back then, if someone had caught you singing them to each other out on lover's lane.

The problem is, songs that might sound great to someone in love can put off an average listener and make the average publisher (who has heard a gazillion of these) want to strangle you before you can write again. To get the most out of your love songs — and survive your next publisher meeting — you want something that not only appeals to starry-eyed lovers, but to anyone who's ever been in love and anyone who ever hopes to be.

Writing a love song is like making sweet tea. Not enough sugar and it's not sweet tea; too much, and it'll make you sick. Look for a balance that's somewhere in between. Find a way to say it sweetly, without being sappy or cute or trite. A little tension and/or humor can be a big help in keeping the listener from lapsing into a diabetic coma every time your song comes on.