5 Tips on How to Publish a Poetry Book

Poetry has been part of human culture for centuries, and in truth a number of the great literary works that have helped inspire and shape civilization came from poetry. There are few art forms that could match the poignancy and beauty that could be conveyed by poetry. Through the centuries poetry has changed in its form and delivery but the effect is still the same in many ways. It can instill thoughts of pain, happiness and a myriad of other emotions within just a few lines.

Most poets write a lot of poetry, and through the years these poems can accumulate to a staggeringly large amount, which is why it is a very good idea to have your poems safeguarded within the pages of a book.

Here are 7 tips on how to publish a poetry book.

1. Choose a topic for your poetry

Although some poets like Pablo Neruda can write poetry about a number of topics, you are still starting out and you should keep in mind that it is important to be consistent when you first start making your poetry. This is why you should first pick a topic to make you writing more systematized. For example making a collection of love poems. You could write about aspects of love, such as the concept of unrequited love or heartbreak but in the end, the main topic is still love. Having a certain bit of uniformity in your poem’s topics can help maintain organization when you start publishing your book.

2. Write poetry… write a lot

In order for you to even think of creating a poetry book you should write as much poetry as you could. Do not just scribble them down on pieces of paper or anything that is easy to dispose of. Write them on something that is hard to throw away, like a notebook or use a laptop to make them easier to access. You should make it a habit and set aside a certain time of the day to sit down and write poetry. You could time poetry writing to an hour or more. It all really depends on your preference.  Also when you write your poetry it would be best if you could look at it as if you were writing a story, a story of your perceptions on life.

3. Create a blog

Creating a blog is by far one of the most essential things when it comes to advertising your work. Even before you start publishing your book, you can already create a following for your poetry by creating your own blog and then having other poets look and comment upon your work. That way once you have at last printed your poetry book, you already have a stable fan base that will buy your book.

4. Assemble your work and finalize your manuscript

Although it took you some time, you now at least have a full set of your work. From here you can now get to work on having your poetry published. It would be best that you start thinking about book publishing by this stage. But before you do though you should first double check your work for any grammatical errors or if there are any changes that would improve it.  You should also have a second party check your work, such as a friend who is skilled in poetry or better yet have a professional copy editor look at it, so that you are sure of the quality of your work.

5. Have your poems published

When you have your poems published, you will have two options. Option one is to have it published through traditional publishing. This of course would entail you to send in your work to established publishing houses and have them peruse your work. If they deem it good enough they will give you an advance payment and publish the book. The other option is self-publishing which would mean that you will publish your work and shoulder all the expenses. Both options are commendable and will surely help you on publishing your poetry book.

Culled from Publishing Resources