Poetry is a beautiful form of self-expression that can lead readers to new insights as well as entertain readers, make them laugh, and move them deeply. That said, poetry books are very difficult to sell, and many poets fail to write marketable poems or present their poetry collections in a marketable way. While a poet may get a great deal of self-satisfaction from writing poetry, publishing a poetry book is of little purpose if no one is going to buy or read it. Here are a few guidelines for making a poetry book more marketable.

Have a Theme

Many poets just write a poem about whatever strikes their fancy at the moment. Then they end up with maybe fifty or a hundred such poems and decide it’s time to compile all the poems and put them in a collection. The problem is marketing such a book. When people ask, “What is your poetry book about?” most poets scramble for answers. Typical responses might be, “It’s about life” which is vague and boring, or more specifically, “It’s a collection of poems that explore love, death, Nature, growing up, having a dog, gardening, old age, visiting France, and sailing.” Boring, confusing, too many topics, and too little of any one thing. There might be one poem in that hodgepodge that interests a reader, but will he want to pay $15 for a book so he can read one poem about sailing? Doubtful. Throwing together a bunch of unrelated poems into one volume isn’t going to help you sell your poetry collection.

Most poets would never think of writing an essay, a short story, or a book without a theme, so why publish a poetry book without a specific theme? It may be that you have fifty unrelated poems, but on closer look, perhaps five or six of them can be worked into a collection with a specific theme along with writing some new poems so your book has focus. Your theme might be as general as poems about movies or about the seasons, or as specific as poems about your battle with cancer or a poem about each president of the United States. A theme is a hook. It will answer the inevitable question—“What is your book about?” and it will give readers something to grasp onto so they can make a conscious decision about whether to purchase your book.

Have Organization—even a Plot

Frequently when I ask poets how they decided to arrange or organize the poems in their books, I get back blank stares or they respond, “Well, I just put them in the order I thought they went in, or the order they were written in, or there’s no specific order.” Even if you don’t have a theme for all the poems, you can at least organize them into specific sections based on what they are about, such as putting the five poems about sailing together, or the eight poems about love lost, or the three poems about raising children into their own sections.

If you are writing about your own life or experiences, why not make the poems chronological from childhood to old age? Maybe you have an autobiographical novel in poem form. Maybe you have a whole book that can be made from your poems. Or maybe you want to write a novel in verse. Victorians often did so—Elizabeth Barrett Browning’s “Aurora Leigh” is one such example. A simple short poem might quickly be forgotten, but a series of poems that build one upon another are not likely to be forgotten.

Ask yourself, “When readers have finished reading my poetry collection, what new understanding do I want them to have?” Make your first poem the introductory one and your final poem a conclusion, one that sums up your collection with each poem in the process continuing the theme and progressing toward the collection’s climactic final insight.

Have a Gimmick or a Hook. The terms “gimmick” and “hook” might sound a bit crude, but they do illustrate my point. A collection of poems isn’t going to attract most readers, but if you have something special to hook readers, you’re more likely to get attention.

Numerous possible tactics can be taken to make your poems interesting so they will appeal to people who may not otherwise typically read poetry.

Edgar Lee Masters’ “Spoon River Anthology” had a hook. Each poem was told in the voice of a dead person from Spoon River. While each poem stood by itself, often the speaker in one poem would refer to people in another poem. For example, in one poem, a wife complains about how the minister convinced her to stay with her husband. Later, the minister speaks about how his greatest triumph was convincing that couple to stay married. The irony, humor, and the connections between the townspeople made the book popular and memorable enough that it is still read nearly a century after its publication.

Illustrations or photographs are a hook in themselves. If you’re writing an autobiographical poetry collection, why not insert photographs of yourself and the people and places mentioned in the poems? If you’re writing about Nature, insert photographs of the places you mention. You might even go all out and turn the book into a coffee table book with large photographs alternating with your poetry. People may not buy a poetry book, but they might buy a coffee table book for its stunning photographs, only to be pleasantly surprised by how much they also enjoy the poems. Team up with a good illustrator or photographer and you might corner two different types of readers: poetry lovers and lovers of visual art.

Shape or Visual Poems, more commonly called Picture Poetry or Graphic Poetry today, are another interesting gimmick. The challenge is to have the words in your poem take on the shape of an object that the poem is about. The layout of the poem then becomes a picture. Seventeenth century poet George Herbert was an early designer of such poems, including his poem “Easter Wings.” Your poem might be shaped like a butterfly, a castle, a vase, whatever you can imagine. You can find several examples of such poems at: http://www.poetryetcetera.com/Visual%20Poetry.htm

Get Attention

Before you bring out that poetry book, do a little research on the types of poetry books sold in stores. While there’s still a small market of book sales for classic poets like Wordsworth and Tennyson, my guess is more people today know the poetry of Shel Silverstein because it’s funny, well-illustrated, and easy to read. I’m not saying there aren’t great poets out there today; I’m saying most people haven’t heard of them. Let’s face it; when most people hear the word “poet,” the poets who come to mind are people like Robert Frost, Emily Dickinson, Henry Wadsworth Longfellow—poets most people read in school and who are all long dead.

Sure, there are great poets alive today, but few of those poets have succeeded in making their books marketable. Unfortunately, most poets don’t understand or won’t accept that it is as much the poet’s job to find an audience for his or her words as it is to write those words.

Find your gimmick; make your book visually stunning; come up with a theme that will entice your readers’ interest and imagination; get a hook to draw in readers who don’t usually buy poetry books. Once you build up a reader following, then you can write your meditative poetry book that is only text because you’ll have a fan-base who will read any book you produce. Until then, do whatever you can to get your poems noticed by readers. It’s a worthwhile endeavor. The world may not know it, but it is waiting for the next Maya Angelou, Allen Ginsberg, or Seamus Heaney to remind it that poetry has a magic that prose cannot supply.

Irene Watson is the Managing Editor of Reader Views, where avid readers can find reviews of recently published books as well as read interviews with authors. Her team also provides author publicity and a variety of other services specific to writing and publishing books.

First of all, if you plan to work with big publishers, prepare to get one rejection after another, because big name publishers seldom take the risk and gamble their resources on someone who hasn’t made a name in the literary field yet. Your best bet then, is to either work with small companies that are into poetry book publishing. Once you get one book out and has made a reputation for yourself, then it will be easier to approach the big publishers later.

If poetry book publishing by smaller publishing houses does not appeal to you, then there is another way to earn your reputation, and that is to get yourself known in literary circles. You can do this in several ways. For example, you can teach poetry and earn the respect of the academic community. You can try joining poetry contests and win so as to acquire a good following. You can get yourself published on magazines, newletters and other journals to make yourself known among poetry lovers.

Another way to get their poetry published that others have tried is by joining poetry reading sessions, especially of poets who already have published works. This is one way of networking with the achievers, and hoping that some of their success will rub on you. You can learn from their struggles on the poetry book publishing arena and you can find out who their publishers are or were, when they were just starting their careers as poets.

Keep your eyes open for opportunities, and your ears sharp for information. If you are active in the poet’s network, for example, sooner or later you will hear about publishers who may be just trying to build a new stable of poets, and who are welcoming submissions from new poets.

This is why it is always best to keep writing poetry and learning from the poets who had already succeeded in their poetry book publishing goals. You’ll never know when the opportunity will present itself, and you may suddenly be called to present your portfolio of your best loved poems. It is best to come prepared for such opportunities, by keeping your collection of the poems you have written through the years.

Of course, your last, but perhaps most sensible option is to do the poetry book publishing yourself. Through the present technologies in desktop publishing, you can easily start the process of poetry book publishing. You’d be surprised how you could come up with an interesting book at such a small cost, as long as you use your creative talents in conceptualizing the layout, the content and the mode of delivery of your book.

Although nothing comes easy when you talk about poetry book publishing, it will be worth your efforts once you see a poem with your byline on it. Nothing compares to the thrill of knowing that you are touching the lives of your readers, through your thoughts and your poetry.

Learn more about writing and publishing poetry and selling books here at SellingBooks.com.

If you are convinced that you had written a poem or several poems that are worthy to be read by others, the next step for you is to find ways on how to publish poetry. Getting your poem published may take some time, but it will give you a sense of fulfillment once it’s done. Although admittedly, there is a smaller market for poetry, if you look hard enough, there are places where you can submit your poems.

You can start by reading poem anthologies or magazines that publish poetry, to get an idea about the quality of poems that usually get published and read. If you have a favorite magazine that you dream of one day seeing your poems published on, study the style of poems that are published to get a feel of the editor’s choices.

Check with your local magazines if they are accepting poetry submissions. Maybe they have a literary page where good poems are welcome. Although you may have to settle for lower pay with local magazines, they, however, can be a good starting point to get your work read. Also, if you are just trying to build your portfolio of published poems, starting out with your local paper can be your first step towards being accepted in bigger publications.

Focusing on your local newspapers and magazines, however, should not limit your search on how to publish poetry. You should also check magazines with national subscriptions, as there are a few who will accept poems even from unpublished poets.

Look up organizations that have regular newsletters and find out if they accept poems. You may have to settle for pro bono, as some of these newsletters are published for free. It is still a good way to get your work exposed to more readers and build your following.

Perhaps one of the easiest ways on how to publish poetry is through websites that feature poetry collections. Check a couple of websites on the internet that accept poems, however, be cautious of sites that will only accept your poems after paying some processing or membership fee. Keep in mind that you want your work published and get paid, not the other way around.

Keep your eyes open for literary contests which offer publication in a national magazine or newspaper, once your poem gets chosen. Some of these may ask for a minimal contest joining fee to cover contest costs, but it will add a feather to your cap, once your poem is chosen.

You may feel that your poems are just for “home viewing” and not good enough to be read by others, but how would you know if you haven’t even tried getting your work published? If you do face one rejection after another, don’t give up and keep finding ways on how to publish poetry. Keep on writing and improving your craft and you will one day see your poems printed, read and appreciated by others.

Learn more about writing and publishing poetry and selling books here at SellingBooks.com.

One day I was struck with the creative muse!

Twenty minutes later I completed six poems. I started creating websites to showcase my work. But I still felt incomplete, unworthy, and sad. My websites and my poems were not well-known, or even publicly available. Even my family and friends were quiet about my writings.

I realized that I would forever be unhappy and unsatisfied unless I could find an established authority to support my writing and help me share my work with the world. But finding an establishment was difficult. I continued to look as I continued to write.

Then in 2006 I stumbled across a website for authors who want to self-publish. That website was: Outskirts Press.

Many Authors Are Now Becoming Self-Published Authors Because…

* Traditional publishers are picky! They take your rights, require you to have a marketing platform, and take up to 2 years to publish your book.

* Self-publishing authors keep all the rights to their work

* Self-publishing authors have control over their pricing and profit

* Self-publishing authors can pursue other opportunities thanks to non-exclusive contracts

How Self-Publishing Transformed My Life

Within a few months, my first book, “The Book Of Life: Existentialism, the Will and the Truth” was published. I was ecstatic and, just like that, my life changed. For 13 years, my life was a constant struggle to be recognized and appreciated as a writer. Suddenly I had achieved a goal that had been imprinted in my mind through sorrow and pain in my wonder years.

You can imagine the relief and personal satisfaction that sets in when you overcome a life’s hurdle and the change in feelings that occur when a book you have toiled to write is finally published.

What a tremendous achievement!

My book was in my hands and available for purchase throughout the world on Amazon.com. It made me feel whole, complete, worthy, revived, excited and motivated to live my life happily, fully and more inspired.

I became more prolific, too, with a renewed zest and love for writing.

Since, I Self-Published My First Book…

* I wrote and published six more books with Outskirts Press. When something this easy makes you feel so alive, you pursue it with all your heart.

* I have book videos for all my books available on YouTube. I have audio excerpts on iTunes for some, and business cards for others. My reviews have mostly been positive and some were even exceptional.

* My first six books are in the Hong Kong public library and my first book is also for sale in a major bookshop, Swindon Book Co. Ltd. in Tsim Sha Tsui, Hong Kong. The gladness in my heart grows ever stronger every day.

Without self-publishing, I would have missed one of the most delightful moments of my life — seeing my own books on the website of a bookshop, WHSmith, where I used to buy school books as a youngster.

Would I ever have imagined my own books on display?

No. But there they are, and all I can say is, it is worth it!

I am hoping to self-publish more books and I am also planning an exhibition with other artists in Hong Kong. By helping ourselves, we artists and writers can help others in society through inspiration and motivation from our words.

Publishing makes me feel like a first-class citizen. I feel self-publishers like Outskirts Press saved my life. Without them, I would still be lost. Now self-publishing has made my life’s work honorable.

I have achieved more than I could have ever expected.

Ronnie Lee, author of “The Book of Life: Existentialism, the Will and the Truth” and 5 other major books, dramatically changed his life by self-publishing with Outskirts Press. Now, you can get 2 free self-publishing guides at http://outskirtspress.com/ebook and see if self-publishing can help you live your dream of sharing your information, knowledge and life’s work with the world!

At a reading, you have everything going for you. The audience is always friendly and well-disposed toward you. They have, after all, chosen to come to this place to meet you and listen to you read your own work. Some are writers themselves, some are lovers of writing, and some are friends who have come along to show their support for you. All are positive listeners. They are here because they want to talk books, hear about books, meet at least one successful poet (you), and exchange ideas about the craft of writing.

Your audience deserves a good show and you, as author of the work being read, certainly deserve one. More than that, you need it. But unless you take charge and make it happen, neither you nor your audience is likely to enjoy the occasion. For the sad fact is that readings can be deadly dull. This is quite a paradox. A writer uses language to achieve the most intense communication possible, and yet most readings are all too often devoid of any life at all, let alone passion.

The challenge is to make your own readings something different, something above and beyond the ordinary. Think of a favorite play. When inexperienced people sit around in a circle and read the text in low‑key voices, the sparks do not fly, the tinder does not catch, and the fire does not begin to burn. But let experienced actors utter those same words in the context of a production and the heart begins to race. Something important is happening, and the spectators are caught up in it.

You need to convert your readings, insofar as you can, into a performance that will catch your listeners up in the same way. Your writing is art. But your reading of it is — must be — showbiz.

The psychologists talk about “mindset.” They use these words to refer to the mental and emotional expectation in individuals and groups that predisposes them to react to what they see and hear in a particular way. This is one of the great secrets of show business. A typical rock music concert provides a wonderful example. What is the reality of it? Rather unattractive young performers stalk about the stage with unpleasant expressions on their faces, shouting bad lyrics to worse music. The music itself is performed by musicians of more energy than talent. Yet thousands of spectators stand, cheer, and generally carry on as though in utter ecstasy of artistic enjoyment. They are experiencing what they expect to experience.

If you want your audience to listen to you and to react enthusiastically to your verse (and buy your book), you’ve got to work to create an environment that encourages them to do so.

Most people don’t know what to do at, say, a poetry reading-including the poet. At a basketball game, when a player makes an unbelievably deft move and scores a key basket, you stand up and cheer. But when a poet turns out a near perfect line or passes through one of those “sudden rightnesses” that great poetry is made of, what’s to do? Shout “Yeah!” as they do at jazz concerts? Exactly. That is precisely the kind of reaction one should encourage. Yet the atmosphere of most readings is more like that of afternoon tea at the Ladies’ Missionary Society. Any show of real emotion seems out of place. The atmosphere is not one of freedom but of inhibition.

You’ve got to change all that. It may be a tall order, but you can do it. As you do more and more readings-of your own poetry and perhaps even the poetry of others-you will get better and better at it and have more and more fun. Those who come will truly enjoy themselves, and will foster a reputation and positive public visibility for you that will be an asset for years to come. When you watch a live show on television-a comedy show like the Tonight Show or even a quiz show-the host always walks out to thunderous applause as the show begins. How, you may ask, could a cold audience reach such a pitch of enthusiasm in so short a time? The answer is that the audience is not cold at all. For an hour or more it has been warmed up, carefully primed for the moment you have just witnessed.

How can you warm your audience up? Here are some random ideas that will illustrate the kind of thing that I am talking about. These fit my personality. Others will occur to you that fit yours.

• Kick things off in a light vein, establishing a tone of fun and relaxed interplay for the evening. You might try something like a humorous introduction to the kinds of silence that universally befall writers at their readings. Then you may suggest what you think can be done about it and lead the audience in practicing boos and cheers and in using their noisemakers.
• Read surefire zingers from other writers-parts of Whitman’s Song of Myself, for instance. Such poetry can be fairly shouted out at an audience and ought to be greeted with shouts of approval and choruses of “Right-on’s.” Lead the cheers yourself. Also include some dismal stuff that you can all hiss and boo and generally carry on
• Ask questions of your audience. Point at them. Jump up and down and yell at them if necessary, but get them involved.
• Develop your own patter.

A stand-up performer continually talks to the audience, whetting its appetite, building its interest, heightening its reaction to the next part of the act. When I was a boy I loved to go down to the “stage shows” that they used to put on at the old Bijou theatre in downtown Savannah. My favorites were the performances of the sleight-of-hand magicians. These old-time troupers would stand alone on the stage, perhaps with the help of a single assistant, sometimes with no help at all. They would surround the act of magic with constant talk. They would tell in all seriousness how they discovered the next marvel in the mysterious east. They would make us keenly aware of the difficulties of accomplishing a particularly complicated feat, so that we appreciated it all the more when it actually happened. They would entertain and amuse us with anecdotes and stories as the evening wore on. A writer is a magician, too-a magician of words-and effective patter is just as necessary to his own act as to any other. What kind of patter? You will discover bits and pieces of it as you gain experience. For instance:

• Introduce each reading fully.
• Tell stories that let the audience see you as a human being struggling to find expression for a feeling, emotion, idea, or experience that is particularly important to you.
• Tell them about the problems you encountered and how you solved them.
• You may find it useful to provide copies of any difficult pieces you are going to read or of any that you are going to use as examples in your talk.
• Understand that when you skip this patter and proceed to read your material without the necessary introduction the reading is over before the audience has even begun to focus its attention on the piece you are reading. You lose the audience before you begin. The reading of a lyric poem or a paragraph or two of prose is a little like the Kentucky Derby. The race itself is over in a matter of minutes. It’s the preliminaries that make the Derby the event that it is.
• Sprinkle your presentation with talk of other poets that you know and their own challenges and triumphs.
• Tell humorous-or otherwise-stories of how you got started and how you first got published.

The more personal and direct your patter, the more warmly involved your listeners become and the more effective your reading will be.

As you do more and more readings, your patter will become more and more effective. Try new things, keep the ones that work best and discard the others.

Everything I say in this entry, all the techniques I recommend, will work. I know this because I have used them all. Most important, however, is the principal of the thing: a literary reading must be treated as a performance.

Whatever you do, your fame and name will spread, and, if you work persistently to schedule readings and then do them with drama and flair, you will begin a gratifying career of writing, publishing and selling your books. And-wonder of wonders-you may even begin to make money. The fact that you treat your readings as performances will put you in a class apart. During the reading, you will have created a spirited and pleased group of new friends. When the performance is over, many of them will gather around the “back of the room” table where you have spread out your books to continue the fun and stretch the evening as much as possible.

Now it’s time to sell some books.

Thomas A. Williams, PhD, is the author of The Self-Publishers Bible, from which this article is an excerpt. More at his websites http://www.publishingentrepreneur.com (see free downloads) and http://www.PubMart.com. Tom Williams is one of the country’s leading authorities on the publishing, self-publishing, and marketing of books. In addition to his work as writing and editing mentor, he is expert in book design and typography. Dr. Williams is available to give seminars and workshops to writer’s clubs and at book festivals. He can be reached at (912) 352-0404 (he answers his own phone!) or by email at bookpub@comcast.net.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Thomas_A._Williams

Poetry may be published in a paperback or hardcover book. Many poets choose to publish chapbooks, which are stapled booklets containing poems. Chapbooks are usually 8-1/2″ by 5-1/2″, that is, the size of a standard sheet of paper folded in half. A chapbook may have from 8 to 48 pages. Depending on the quantity needed, you may print chapbooks on your computer printer, or have them produced at your local copy shop or print shop. The copy shop can handle the binding for you if you choose to print them yourself. Depending on the number of pages and the quantity printed, the cost will probably be about $1 per booklet.

Another option is to have some of your poems produced in color on fine paper, suitable for framing. Poems published in this way make beautiful gifts. You may do this on your computer and color printer, or go to your local copy shop.

If you choose to self-publish a book, you are responsible for all aspects of production. That means not only writing and editing, but cover design, layout, distribution, etc. To have your book carried on Amazon.com or in bookstores, it will have to have an ISBN printed on the cover. Depending on how much you do yourself, how many copies you print and other variables, expect to spend from several hundred to a few thousand dollars and up to self-publish a poetry book.

Instead of taking on the challenge of self-publishing, many authors and poets choose to have books published by one of the “self-publishing companies.” It is important to note that when you use these companies, you are not really self-publishing. The company you pay to publish your book will be the publisher. However, this can be a fast and easy route to publishing. (See this article on self-publishing companies.) The cost may be as low as $300, including design and layout.

Once your book or chapbook is published, it is up to you to sell the books or booklets. Refer to this article on Marketing Your Poetry Book for more information.

Copyright Cathy Stucker. Cathy Stucker is the author of many books, including The Mystery Shopper’s Manual.

Sell your book on Amazon.com. The Amazon Advantage program allows small presses and self-published authors to offer their books for sale right next to books from the large New York publishers. If you used one of the “self-publishing companies” they will get your book listed on Amazon. If not, sign up for Amazon Advantage.

Do poetry readings. This is perhaps the most effective way to sell your poetry. Go to local community organizations, book stores, libraries, churches, festivals and anywhere you can get a group of people together, and offer to do a reading of your poetry. Make autographed copies of your book available for purchase following the reading. The people who enjoyed your poems will want to take them home with them.

Approach local stores and other businesses about selling your book. Although it may be difficult to break into the big chain bookstores with your poetry, local independent stores may be more willing to sell your book. And don’t overlook other businesses. Does your poetry appeal to women? Ask the local salon or spa if they would carry your book. Talk to the coffee shop, gift shop, even the car wash, about selling books.

Offer your poetry book as a fundraiser for community organizations and schools. Is there a natural tie between your poetry and a group that might want to raise funds? If you poems are about family and parenting, perhaps the school could sell it to parents to raise money for classroom materials. Are you poems about your battle with cancer or another illness? The hospital or an association that raises money for research or treatment of the illness may want to sell it.

Whenever you sell your books through someone else, such as a store or community group, expect to give a discount of about 50%. That means you have to have a price high enough to cover your production costs and allow you to make a little money even when selling at steep discounts. Of course, the price has to be low enough that it is an attractive impulse buy.

Always keep an eye open for new places that should sell your books. Look for a win-win situation where both you and they benefit.

Copyright Cathy Stucker. Cathy Stucker is the author of many books, including The Mystery Shopper’s Manual.