Having a poetry collection published is a significant literary achievement. The good news is that you can be someone other than a best-selling author to have a collection of poetry published. There are more options than ever before for getting your poems read, from large publishing houses to independent small presses to self-publishing.
Among the many forms of writing, poetry is one of the most challenging to have published in its “traditional” form.
If you want your collection of poetry published, consider the following advice:
Expand your poetry library
A strong poetry collection is the first and most important step in getting a book publisher interested in you. To keep up with the dozens or even hundreds of poems in most poetry collections, it’s essential to engage in creative writing activities and practice producing poetry regularly. When you have amassed a substantial volume of poetry, it is time to put it in order.
A poetry collection is more than just all your poems bound together in a book. The best poetry collections feature poems that speak to one another, are consistent in tone, style, and poetic form, and are presented in a logical and thoughtful order. Lastly, check for any mistakes to ensure a polished final product. If your poetry manuscript is full of careless errors, many publishers will dismiss it.
Examine the submission criteria
Initiate the submission procedure once you have compiled your work. You may have a notion of which literary publications (such as magazines, journals, or book publishers) you’d like to submit your poems to. Many organizations in the publishing industry or the literary press have peculiar submission standards, so if this is the case, it is essential to investigate their submission guidelines. Many publishing houses will only consider manuscripts that have been specifically requested. While some only want a sample of your work, others need a query letter and a synopsis of your novel. When submitting your work, be sure to follow all of the criteria carefully.
Taking independent publications into account
Poetry collections by unpublished authors have a tough time getting picked up by traditional publishing houses. Small presses offer an attractive alternative to major publishing houses, especially if you have yet to have any poetry published.
Smaller publishing houses are more inclined to take chances on undiscovered writers since they lack the resources and marketing budgets of larger publishing houses. In America, hundreds of tiny presses publish various literary and artistic works. A tiny press probably publishes only poetry collections like yours, especially if they are strong on haiku or other forms of non-rhyming poetry.
Participate in chapbook contests
A chapbook is a good option if you’ve only been writing poetry for a short period of time or feel like you need to produce more to warrant a full collection. Poetry chapbooks include 40 pages or less and share a unifying theme or style among their contributors.
Chapbooks are awarded as prizes in poetry contests hosted by many universities and small presses. Participating in poetry contests is an alternative to the time-consuming and costly process of self-publishing a collection of poems.
If you want to publish your work, you should try it yourself
Self-publishing is an option for unpublished writers who see no other way to get their work out there. Self-published poetry may have a different cachet than poetry published through more conventional channels. Still, the author retains full control over the work and its publication. The author has complete creative control over the book, from the layout of the pages to the artwork on the cover.
Then you can decide whether or not to employ a print-on-demand service to distribute your collection or to release it only through digital bookstores. When you use print-on-demand, you only print the number of books that have been requested.
Poetry Publishing Houses
Creating physical copies of a book for sale is only one type of publishing. It is important to consider all your options if you want your poetry to be read by the masses.
Online networking
Building an audience for your poetry can begin with something as simple as opening a separate Instagram or Facebook account to promote your work. Extend your brand and messaging by publishing poetry alongside motivational words and visuals.
There are several great online poetry communities where you can share your work, read that of other poets, and get helpful feedback from established poets, such as All Poetry and Hello Poetry.
People around you
Get crafty and sell your creations on postcards, magnets, and other items at local farmer’s markets to reach a wider audience in your area. You can also frame any of your shorter works and approach local cafes to see if they are interested in displaying them.
Many poets have it harder to know where and how to publish their works because, unlike a novel, publishing a poetry collection is more difficult because only a few publishers accept their work. However, there are many ways for poets to publish their works if they want to. They can find great people or publishers to publish their works, or if they want to publish their works themselves, they will surely find success in their journey.
