You have poured your soul into a poem, and you are convinced that you have something that needs to be shared with the world, but you don't know how to do it. Who publishes poetry, and how can you get them to read yours? We will show you some ways to move in this world.
Steps
Method 1 of 3: Traditional Publishing
Step 1. Submit your work to literary magazines
By getting in touch with the magazines and periodicals of the sector, you also reach publishers, agents and other poets. You might get rejected at first - it's practically a rite of passage for creatives - but if you keep sending great poems, they'll get to know you and you can see your published work.
Finding the right person will help you post. Remember, most publishing houses are inundated with manuscripts, so if you give them what they want, you'll have an edge over everyone else
Step 2. Collect your works
Build a manuscript before sending your poems, and once you have collected enough, and have been published in several magazines, approach the small publishing houses.
- Search newspapers, magazines, association websites and publishing houses for competitions. There are several with different prizes for the best works.
- Making your work known through these resources will help you make a name for yourself.
Method 2 of 3: Self Publishing
Step 1. Find a reputable publishing house
One way to avoid being rejected is to publish your poems yourself. Print on Demand companies like Lulu are perfect for a small amount of books, for models or single books. The price is quite high and not good if you want to print several copies. Some are online only, others assign an ISBN number for an extra cost, and some may even link to sites like Amazon. Sometimes these companies create collateral services for publishing houses that publish for a fee.
Method 3 of 3: Publish to the web
Step 1. Search on Google
Type "Poetry Publishing" in the search field, and prepare to be overwhelmed by around 70 million results! There are sites that publish poetry, and some of them are associations, while others are just trying to make money. Always do research on a company before submitting your work, just to be on the safe side.
Google will usually show results for your area first
Step 2. Visit reputable sites
Some of them, like [1] offer lists of publishing houses for poets, trade journals, tools and resources to publish your poems.
Advice
- Keep a record of potential markets in Excel or some other data collection program.
- You can also decide to post your poems on a blog. Blogs allow you to immediately publish your work, have comments about it and be traceable on search engines.
- Keep track of expenses, such as those for shipping and printing. They might be deductible if you start posting.
Warnings
- Some publishers may offer to constructively criticize your work, even if they have no intention of publishing it. Listen to their advice carefully and thank them for their kindness.
- Be careful and avoid bogus publishers, who claim to be well underway and respected and will instead use your work to make money, and steal it from you.
