I might self publish a poetry book, what kind of market can I expect for it?

Question

I don't wanna be too disappointed whne I finaly publish it lol

Answer 1

Bookwise offers a lot of good resources for people looking to publish their work.

Check out the urls in my signature and let me know if you want more information.

Sharilee Guest
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hookedonabook.com
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mybookwise.com/makeapositivedifference

Answer 2

through the school I am attending I have been warned against self-publishing unless it is a industry based non-fiction that has it's own market. Self-published books are excluded from almost all award considerations, you have to do all the marketing yourself not to mention the cost and finding shelf space anywhere...which will never include any of the major retailer's. Why don't you consider getting a copy of the magazine "the writer" they usually have a few opportunities listed for contests that can result in some sort of book or magazine publishing. You also might want to research some marketing books to see about submitting your work to magazines around the country. Yes, the pay will be little or none at times, but it isn't about the money...you can build a reputation and then get an agent to approach publishing firms. Ya gotta walk before you can run!! Good luck & best wishes.

Answer 3

There is virtually no market for it. You need to learn how to advocate for yourself and most of all how to do reserarch. Go to your nearest bookstore. A large one if possible. Ask to see the poetry section. How large is it? How many different books are there? How many copies of each? Who are the publishers? Now go look at the current novel section. Thrillers for instance. How much space is devoted to them? Where are they located in terms of the poetry books?

You will find the poetry section is quite small and tucked in a corner whereas the thrillers are front and center when you walk in the door. You will find one or two copies of the poetry books on the shelves vs. hundreds of copies of the latest thriller by James Patterson or Dean Koontz.

In a retail establishment - space is money. If you are going to pay rent on a certain amount of square feet, you have to stock products that will make the most profit in that space. That means the Dean Koontz thrillers and not the poetry.

Self published books do not sell in retail stores. They sell online. You have to spend your money to promote them otherwise nobody knows they are there to purchase. The average sale of a self published books is under 100. The average cost to sell those 100 books is somewhere around 3 or 4 thousand dollars depending on where you advertise.

Sadly, poetry doesn't sell anymore. Publishers aren't interested and therefore agents aren't interested. If they can't sell the book to a publisher, they aren't going to waste their time. It is all about money.

What you will find from self publishing is terribly printed and poorly made copies of books with very minimal sales. Expect your sales to be about 3/4 as many friends and family as you have. That is about it. Who knows? Maybe one day poetry will make a comeback but right now the poetry market is pretty much dead. When was the last time you saw a poetry book on the NYTimes Best Seller List?

Sorry if this isn't the answer you wanted to hear, but you have to be realistic. You would be wasting money.
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They're, Their, There - Three Different Words.

Careful or you may wind up in my next novel.

Pax - C

Answer 4

There is virtually no market for self-published poetry books beyond what the author/publisher can flog to his friends or other wise try to sell by himself.

Even the very best poets don't make much money writing poetry. Not long ago, the Poet Laureate of the United States sold a poem to a major literary magazine (Harper's or Atlantic Monthly, I think). They pay five dollars a line and it was a five-line poem, so he got 25 bucks.

In other words, expect to find no market at all, and you won't be disappointed.

Answer 5

Well, it'll be a small market. You can post a poem or two on a website, direct people there and let them know that a book is available.

You can talk with the managers of the local bookstores and arrange a book signing, you bring your books, talk to customers at the table the store sets up for you, and sell there (not sure if the store gets a cut of the sales if you bring your books).

Answer 6

Picture the sound of crickets chirping.