Hybrid publishers are a mysterious enigma, due to the name, and the vague allusions to “vanity presses”. This connection is understandable, as of course, both require the author to take financial risk in order to publish their book.
Read MoreThough there are many publishing houses in the world, giving voices to marginalized artists and exploring the facets of feminism, discrimination, and inequality, there are continually barriers for poets who wish to make their mark.
Read MoreSo you've published a book. It's a piece of true beauty. You've meticulously constructed your masterpiece in the snatched minutes around an unachievable schedule, poetry honed to perfection. You've authorized the most enticing of covers, hired an expert editor, and meticulously modified the internal layout to ensure the font combination is flawless. It's now or never; it is time to let the rest of the world see your work so that you can start receiving great reviews and positive comments from your adoring followers and the industry's best book reviewers.
Read MoreFor a poet, there are very few things that can measure up to the feeling of holding a finished manuscript in your hand. You put that final full stop to it. You can't even discern whether you are exhausted, thrilled with joy, or a little bit of both. It is normal to feel overwhelmed because you just poured all of your sweat and tears into your book-baby, and it was only the beginning. Next comes the daunting process of actually publishing the thing.
Read MoreThe written word has the power to connect, through empathy, emotion, and experience. When things go well, the writer forges a bond between themselves and the reader, through their expression of passion upon the page. However, where and how does the magic begin? What forces summon a poetic expression in a unique and engaging way? How does one connect with their audience and grow as a successful writer?
Read MoreBefore you can publish any book, you must make sure the text in that book is presented in a professional and eloquent way. No one bakes their favourite meal in a messy kitchen (unless that’s your thing). We want your manuscript to come out so polished, you could it from its floor. Or so to speak. If your kitchen is a mess, it doesn’t matter that the most delicious food is piled up in the cupboards, health and safety wouldn’t let you anywhere near it.
Read MoreSome parts of self-publishing are scarier than others, and sometimes we look at the task ahead of us and wonder if writing the actual book was the easy part, especially when it comes to needing skills that some people go to college just to fully understand. But it doesn’t have to be scary or intimidating.
Read MoreJudging a book by its cover is largely discouraged, but we all do it anyway. Sometimes, we might even buy a book just because we like the way it looks on our shelves. With this in mind, it’s important that we design a good and professional-looking cover, but this can be hard to do on a budget since most professional designers charge upwards of $400. It’s widely discouraged to design a book cover yourself unless you’re a professional or, at the very least, fairly skills in the labours of art and design, and if not, that you’re willing to learn how to be.
Read MoreBook descriptions have been the enemies of writers for as long as most of us can remember. No matter what genre you’re writing or how confident you are in your manuscript, if you’re publishing, you’re probably stressed about your book’s blurb.
Read MoreNow that your book is more than just a mess of different files on your computer, it might be tempting to say that your work here is done. Unfortunately, this is not the case. There’s still a pretty big fish to fry, and it’s pretty elusive at times: how do you tell people about your book?
Read MoreYou’ve written a book, published it, and have, or are preparing to advertise it to your heart’s content. If it’s safe to do so, you might find yourself wanting to do book signings, poetry readings, and other publish events. Or maybe you want to throw an official book launch before, during, or shortly after the release of your book. Finding and booking these events can feel awfully daunting, especially since it all depends on your location. But there are some basics that apply to everyone.
Read MoreIf you have a chapbook completed, and you’re ready to get moving with the publishing process, there’s a lot to consider. Hopefully, we’re able to lay the options out in a way that helps you decide what path is right for you and your chapbook.
Read MoreIn our previous post, we talked about what a chapbook is and how it can help you gain the attention of readers and publishers alike. Today we will start crafting. So take out your red editing pencil, put your intellectual blue filtered glasses on, and let’s go.
Read MoreYou don’t have to have a vault filled with your poetry in order to be able to print a chapbook. You can create one with as little as thirty poems. In this series of blog posts, we will show you how. We will take you from having a pile of poems on a dusty folder on your computer, to actually having a fully-fledged poetry book in your hands. You will be surprised by what you can do with a ton of free or almost free tools on the World Wide Web. So, let’s get started.
Read MoreI remember setting out to publish my first book of poetry and asking for a quote at this design studio that I loved. When the quote came back I threw up a little on the inside of my mouth.
Read MoreGrowing up I learned very quickly that most words that people use are empty. We’ve created language so that we can convey ideas and emotions, but our words often fail us, either because we don’t think through what we are saying, or we are hiding what we truly want to say.
Read MoreSo you worked on that one poem for weeks, and it is about a subject that is close to your heart. You press post and your palms are sweaty. And there it comes. The stink. It always comes first and is soon followed by that dreaded hairy internet beast: in walks that fucking troll.
Read MoreWe don't mean to crap on she-poets or two sentence love poems, but just let you know that if you write about politics, or equal rights, or anything else that matters, there is a place for you in this world.
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