| e traditional book publishing industry becomes warier | | | | the most sensible places to submit works if you're |
| of risk and more dedicated to sure-thing titles by | | | | looking to publish traditionally. Not only will you have a |
| celebrity authors, movie tie-ins, and self-help books, | | | | much greater chance of being accepted, but other |
| poets in particular can find it hard to find a foothold. | | | | networking opportunities can arrive. Through |
| While artistic success in poetry might simply lie in the | | | | small-scale local publishing you can begin building an |
| writing itself, commercial success can be trickier to | | | | audience. Additionally, these publications often include |
| achieve. For the poet, the dream of keeping pace | | | | classified listings for local and online writer’s |
| with best-selling authors like J.K. Rowling, John | | | | groups. |
| Grisham, and Danielle Steel may be an aspiration | | | | Writer’s groups can provide a supportive |
| that’s hard to reach. This doesn’t | | | | environment and constructive criticism, both which |
| mean that poets cannot find success in publishing | | | | can help refine the poet’s skills and voice. |
| poetry, though; success can be achieved by | | | | Sharing work with peers is satisfying to many poets, |
| marketing in the right way to the right people. | | | | and will provide a diversity of opinions and advice. |
| Nurturing an audience hungry for published poetry: | | | | Poets who have trouble finding a local group can turn |
| For many poets, the joy of poetry is in the | | | | to technology to find a community. Search for |
| expression itself. Others find that sharing their poems | | | | writer's groups on Facebook or find other writer's |
| with an appreciative audience brings a heightened | | | | forums and start social networking with other |
| sense of fulfillment. | | | | authors. Online writer's forums can provide valuable |
| The poet seeking to market their writing must be | | | | connections and feedback as well, but unfortunately, |
| willing to search out and find their audience, an | | | | they lack the face-to-face contact that offers the |
| audience hungry for poetry. A strong DIY ethic | | | | poet the best chance to see how their words affect |
| serves the poet well in accomplishing this task. | | | | others. |
| Promoting on a “grassroots” level is | | | | Poem Publishing for the DIY Poet: |
| often the best way for an aspiring poet to find their | | | | The rise of self-publishing technology has given |
| niche audience, which is frequently a group of other | | | | writers, poets and artists with niche audiences more |
| writers who share a passion for poetry. | | | | control over their own destiny. For the first time in |
| While self-publishing is the poet's greatest tool when | | | | history, the tools of the publishing industry are |
| it comes to getting published, traditional publishing can | | | | available to writers everywhere. Instead of a small |
| still play a role in building an audience. If a poet is | | | | number of people deciding what gets printed and |
| lucky enough to be accepted by a large-scale, | | | | what doesn’t, anyone who has the will to |
| traditional publisher, the accomplishment should be | | | | write has the freedom to pursue publication. |
| celebrated. It’s an invaluable accomplishment | | | | Poets in particular stand to gain greatly from the |
| to build on. The downside is that in the industry, | | | | ongoing development of self-publishing and new |
| poetry books do not receive much in the way of a | | | | publishers. One such publisher is Wordclay, an online |
| marketing push. In the gambler’s game of | | | | publisher where authors can publish books for free. A |
| publishing, publishers stack their odds by putting all of | | | | poet can now create an attractive, professional |
| their marketing efforts towards a few selected titles | | | | presentation of their work, and make it available to |
| in hopes of creating bestsellers, while leaving a sea of | | | | the audience they have worked so hard to cultivate. |
| titles neglected. Unfortunately, the bestselling titles | | | | By combining the new technology and freedom |
| are rarely collections of poetry. | | | | offered through self-publishers and using a grassroots |
| Instead of becoming frustrated by large national | | | | mentality to develop a niche audience, poets can |
| publications, concentrate locally. In addition to | | | | enjoy the success of book publishing along with the |
| self-publishing, small or regional literary publications are | | | | pop-fiction novelist. |
