Does anyone know how I can get a book published? I'm not a pro-writer, but would like to publish my poems?

Question

I've been writing poetry since I was like 6 or so. I have a huge 5 inch binder filled with every poem I've written in about the past 10 years (I'm 23) in chronological order and every page is front and back. So, it could definately fill a pretty big book. I tried researching this on my own but all I've found are things like "online publishing". I always pictured "getting published" as going into the publisher's office or something and discussing the material, etc. How does this all work? Is there any way I can self-publish (I don't really even know what that means)? I've heard it's a long process, that's why I'd like to get started soon. I'm also working on kind of a "memoir" type thing but that's WAY far from me finishing.
So about the poetry, does anyone have advice on how I should go about the publishing process?
Any help would be great,
Thank you!

Answer 1

You write -". . .any help would be great, Thank you!"
Here it is, author . . . . . .

Look at the "Search for questions: "space at the top of this page...
Type in "publish poems"
Voila! Yippee Yahoo Answers!!!!

There are 424 answers to your question!!!! Just waiting for you to benefit from (IF you read them) . . .

Hope that is the help you seek, and I'd like the 10 pts, Thanx?

Answer 2

Self-publishing is your best road; you'll save a lot of time and money that way. The big publishing houses (e.g., Random House, Ballantine, etc.) don't accept unsolicited work, and the costs of a literary agent to be your voice for you are skyrocketing.

The publisher I've used (twice!) is AuthorHouse, a self-publisher based out of Bloomington, Indiana. There is no minimum order I have to make (unlike "vanity presses" which require large MINIMUM orders), and books are only printed when someone asks for them (hence the term "print on demand"). You're worked with through every step of the process from submitted manuscript to reviewing your proof to finished product and marketing. There's no cost to you to check it out, and I'll be happy to answer any other questions you have!

Have a great weekend, and great writing!

David_A

Answer 3

Check out Writer's Digest's books. They publish a Poet's Guide which lists markets for poets by geographic area, which publications pay, which accept new writers, subject, etc.

also, check out awp.org and poet's and writer's magazine. The typical way to publish is through first book contests. See the link for contests at poets and writers website. Also, if you write so much, you may think about going to school and getting a degree in creative writing. I did.

Answer 4

First copyright your work with Library of Congress in DC. You must be represented by an agent so you much hire one. Best agents are in New York City. They are your best contacts. Then it's up to your agent to find a publisher. Agents usually get 10% for their effort. Of course this all depends on the quality of your work. Good Luck!!

Answer 5

Here are some quick links to online publishers:
http://www.lulu.com
http://www.publishamerica.com
http://iuniverse.com

I wouldn't consider publishing what you wrote when you were six years old though. Remember, writing isn't about YOU it's about what someone else wants to read (thus pay for).

Answer 6

bottled feelings
sometimes i run, sometimes i hide
paper heart that tears easily

clipped wings of fantasy
fairy godmother is on holiday
pumpkin dust fading into zilch
can paper aeroplanes sodden with tears fly?

mood swings
fly high high into the sky
the next minute
down in the dumps

running away
a lone figure in the dead of the night
at the crossoads of life
tattered map

shadows of the past
haunts. prowls. stalks.
scarred for life
will i ever smile again

Answer 7

The "trick" to self-publishing is to do everything yourself. It's not a complicated process if you think things out - and it's enough of a creative challenge to be a lot of fun if you go about it with the right attitude.

The first thing you should start working on is the book itself. Right now you have a collection of handwritten poems in a binder. That's wonderful, but it's not a book just yet. You have to transfer your handwritten work into something that is a.)comprehensible to a reader and b.)ready to print.

In other words, you have to edit your writing, but you also have to start sorting out how the material is presented on the page.

Believe it or not, Microsoft Word works pretty well for this kind of work - and a lot of small presses will print your books right from Word files.

If you don't want to go out and buy a copy of Word, there are free programs that work just as well if not better. Open Office or Abiword are really nice free programs that run on a wide variety of sotware platforms.

If you want to think outside the box in terms of page layout (and for a project like this I expect you would) you can download a free page layout program like Ragtime Solo or Scribus.

Once you have the book starting to take shape, you have to start editing - not just for writing errors, but to thin out the content. Look at it this way, every page in your book is going to cost you money. That is a good thing because it will force you to stay on point.

You also want to get feedback from other people on the work as it takes shape. Don't look for approval here, push for blunt honesty. Having somebody say that everything is peachy-keen won't help you if they are just trying to spare your feelings.

Got the idea? Okay, once you have a manuscript in hand it's time to start heading into the business side of the game.

You will need an ISBN number. You can't buy just one (the minimum order is ten), but that's a good thing because once your fist book starts to sell you'll be pushing more stuff out into the market.

The ISBN number is, basically, a code that identifies your book in stores like Amazon.com or Barnes & Noble. When you design the cover of your book you have to include the bar code for your ISBN number so that it can be scanned at checkout. You can generate that bar code for free online (free is good).

Edit your work.
Edit it again.

Once you have a manuscript and an ISBN number you need a printer. Shop around for the best deal. The URL of the print shop I use for my books is listed in sources at the bottom of this post.

One thing about printing: color costs money. Creative use of black & white is a really good idea.

Once you have your books printed you have to sell them.

Amazon:
For Amazon.com, all you have to do is set up an Amazon Advantage account. Be sure to use all of the features. Search Inside The Book, a good cover image and regular posts in your Amazon Author Blog will help sales.

Your Web Site:
Set up a web site and some kind of payment system. There are too many options to list here, but if you sell a lot of books having an account with an operation like Authorize.Net works a lot better than Pay Pal.

Book Stores:
To get into super-mega book stores, you need to hook up with a distributor. This is a tricky deal because stores will stock your book, but you won't make any money until the book sells. After a few months they ship it back to you - and stick you with the shipping. If some idiot spills a cup of coffee into your book they ship it back to you on your dime.

The only advantage to being stocked by the honking big book chains is that you can set up things like book signings.

For small, mom-and-pop book stores, your best bet is to use the phone and sell them direct.

Even if you do all of these things it's still going to be hard to get people to shell out money for your work. You have to find a way to attract attention to your work not just in poetry circles, but to as wide an audience as possible.

The easiest way to do that is to put your book online. I have released all three of my books under Creative commons licenses and it has helped me to reach a much wider customer base than I ever dreamed possible.

Answer 8

Have you read your poems to your friends, elders? What is their reaction? Consider these, before you find a publisher.

Answer 9

Check with your local publisher maybe they can publish your poems.

Answer 10

Recently my son won $5500.00 for a poem that he wrote. His English teacher at high school was the one that sent it in. Perhaps you can contact your local high school english or local collage english departments to help you.

PGBISME