Anyone written a poetry book?

[ohdocomealongdaphne]

Slowly compiling some poetry. This has not been a quick process and is likely to take a few more years yet.

Has anyone published their poems (including self published which is what I will be doing)? How did your finished book look - how many pages/poems/particular theme and was it a compilation of years of work (as it appears mine will be)?

Working towards and quietly optimistic that there will be enough work eventually to publish. Looking for ideas and chat about this to keep me quietly optimistic in the meantime.

Not a popular pastime by the sounds of things. I think I'm coming to various conclusions in regard to producing a book. No hurry to put a book together but it is such a lovely idea and a great heirloom for the dc.

I've had two poetry books published. I'm about to go to bed but I'll be back tomorrow to chat more!

I write poetry and probably have enough for a pamphlet, I've thought about self publishing but not got very far with it. Would be interested to hear how you get on

I've self pubished a novel. I have a second idea for a book floating in my head, meanwhile poetry has taken over. I have to wait for the poems to come to me usually, so it is a slow process. Just so long as I'm writing that's okay with me.

purplechrayn Both snowfrog and I would be interested to hear some more about how your poetry book is made up.

@ohdocomealongdaphne
I do short courses with the Poetry School .. great for keeping the inspiration going! Would love to write a novel someday, just waiting for the big idea!

How far do you divulge into your life when publishing years of built up poetry? Do you have limits on what will be published or do you wave that anonymity of your life for the creation of art? ❤️

I publish under a pen name. The poetry is primarily heirloom territory as I'm hoping to leave it as a legacy for my children. I have no interest in making money - really it is just for my own satisfaction. I have previously self-published a book and it was a hugely satisfying experience. I'd like to do the same again with poetry.

There are pieces I've written which I have no intention of publishing as they are more in journal form or musings of the mind. There is some discretion as to what is published.

I write poetry, I'm currently doing a creative writing MA, after 3 modules in poetry at undergrad. I'll have enough for a pamphlet by the time I've done my MA I think..

I love writing poetry. I write mainly space/place and political stuff about class and feminist issues.

I hope to publish one day.

Highlandcowbag I'm guessing an MA will help you to stay focus and get down to writing? Also, it is great that you have core themes to write about. I write very differently, I have to wait for inspiration to come to me. I don't write well if I 'try' to write something. Having a dry spell in writing currently as I have a lot going on in life. I just keep the faith that sooner or later another poem will happen.

Yes the MA definitely gives me space to write, and a focus. I always find a sequence easier than individual poems. So sometimes I write a short story/scenario or a couple of scenes and then edit it down to poetry. Or reading some critical stuff, or lately creative/critical can help get the poems started.

I also use the notes app a lot on my phone, just to put a few words down. It might be in relation to something I'm reading or a scene from a film or the TV, or a conversation etc. Then I have a little journal of ideas to play with.

Also reading poetry inspires me. And memoir, travel writing etc. But you have to be inspired by it. Also musings is a perfectly acceptable thing to publish. Especially in relation to family and heirloom stuff. I would imagine it is about the connections of objects to people or place?

I've almost finished writing a novel but poetry is my passion really. May look into this next. How lucrative has this been for people?

You should try to publish individual poems in magazines first.

But the magazines. Read them. Learn what's published. This is how you get in.

I've done a poetry MA.. loved it

A small press published my collection in 2006. It may be as much as I manage, but nine of the 50-odd poems had been in magazines with worldwide distribution, so I'd proven myself, whether in terms of quality or having shown that the books would shift.

Generally unless it's just a publisher making dosh from a celebrity's efforts where sales are guaranteed, prior magazine publication is how it happens when there's a publisher who isn't yourself. When on the London poetry scene thousands of years ago now, there were a few 'charming' people who got a book out without credentials that way but as with Amanda Gorman, getting attention far too soon as a result of a President's coat-tails can scupper development. But this stuff might be irrelevant to your intentions.

I was looking at a few poetry books today by unknowns including an anthology of lockdown-related writing. It seemed quite hobbyist really, though I do get people just enjoy it and that there's some kind of social side to this, even if can feed delusional outlooks about impending fame.

It's some kind of enjoyable novelty to your own book printed up (ideally without a serious error on page one as was the case for me...) but if you're just wanting the item to exist for family then I suppose it's just a case of make the file, pay the money, Bob's your uncle. (I was so mistrusting of the people that did mine that I insisted on making the pdf they used and designing the cover, when in retrospect my name and the title in two or three colours would have been fine.

I have met some wonderful and interesting people through writing events/ working on an anthology which yes indeed, appears hobbyist. Some of these people have become very good friends and I have found my tribe. Also, a few friends and relations have read some of my poetry and shed a tear...this to me is success. I have provoked a reaction. I have also been asked for copies of a couple of my poems to be passed to others because they might be helpful in dealing with certain issues...this again I view as success. The pure joy of crafting and shaping a poem is amazing - to see my reflections on paper about things I sometimes struggle to express in spoken word. I tend to do photography/ art around my work but I am by no means an artist. A pamphlet/book would be a compilation of this (minus the art work).

I'm quite a prolific poetry writer but have only recently been thinking about pulling it together. I have a concept and quite a lot of work done, but assumed no one would touch it unless I've won any competitions. Seems to be a bit of a costly thing to be entering lots though as most seem to charge for submissions.