Do-It-Yourself Publishing for Poem Books

Do-it-yourself publishing gives you more control over when and where your work appears.

Writing poetry can be a solitary practice, with many poets choosing to keep their work to themselves or sharing them only with close friends. Some poets do want to make money from their poems, though. If you have tried to publish your poetry and it has not worked out or you prefer to be your own boss, then self-publishing may just be for you.

Prepare for a Wider Audience

Just because your poems make sense to you, they may not make sense to a wider audience. Get a few close friends to read through them and give you their honest opinion. Make sure your poems are strong, direct, understandable and unique. You must be proud of them and be strong enough to accept criticism that sometimes comes with publishing work.

Stapled Chapbooks

Chapbooks, or pocket-sized booklets, are popular when people are attempting to self-publish. Although this option sounds basic, i.e. 'a booklet', it really is not. Charles Bukowski published several chapbooks throughout his career. Traditional chapbooks are printed on 8.5 x 11-inch paper, then folded in half. The chapbook can then be covered or stapled together. Chapbooks are simple and inexpensive, and you can give them out to private businesses and chains for distribution.

Broadsides

Broadsides are single and simple pieces of card or paper that you can publish poetry on. They are usually around 8.5 x 11 inches in size, but it is up to you to choose the size that you prefer. Depending upon the layout, some broadsides can be folded into a different shape to suite your taste. Like chapbooks, you can also print broadsides out on your computer or have them printed professionally. You can then distribute you broadsides to whom every you want.

Online

Publishing your poetry online is a simple way to get your poetry out there. You can then print business cards to promote your website rather than spending money making broadsides or chapbooks. Websites are easy to set up, usually free or inexpensive to maintain, and are a great way to self-publish. You can update your website at any time with new material, and you can reach a worldwide audience.

References

• Empty Mirror: Self-Publishing Your Poetry Book or Broadside
• Artbookbindary: Self-Publishing Your Poetry Book

Resources

• Xlibris: Publish Your Poetry