I have decided to take the plunge and self publish a book of my poetry. I already have a digital chapbook out from an experimental press I love, but I’ve never published a full length book. I thought about going the traditional publishing route. However, I was reading a post by another writer the other day who was talking about how she has submitted her writing to dozens of contests for publication and has spent almost a $1000 on entry fees, and she still hasn’t gotten a yes. And contests are the main way for poets to get published. It’s just so competitive that even if you’re good, and I hope I am (but that’s not up to me. It’s up to the reader), you might get rejected because they’re only going to publish so many people.
I don’t have a thousand dollars to play with to enter dozens of contests. I also loathe writing cover letters and things like that. So I thought, why spend hundreds of dollars to help other people publish their books when I can publish my own for a fraction of that? Traditional publishing just isn’t economical for me. Honestly, self-publishing is just easier. I’m not looking to make money. This is poetry, after all. If I find one reader who enjoys my book I’ll be happy.
A friend on Instagram and her husband are going to edit my book and design the cover. I’m so excited. Today I’ve been working on the manuscript. Putting a book together takes a lot of time. I’m really looking forward to this endeavor. Now to find beta readers.
Life at Home 