Welcome to another month here at the Palace!
Put Your Money Where Your Mouth Is (Or Should It Say Keyboard?)
Michelle Tercha, Palace Poet XII, sent me a link to a print on demand company which has made it simple to self-publish your own book of poems. Although I have not done more than open the link, I suggest you visit the site and check out the deal, if you wish to further your poetic horizons. At a glance it appeared reasonably priced, with an easy to use formatting program. If I was not already so busy with the “Palace” project, I am sure I would pursue the matter further!
book publishing and self publishing company InstantPublisher.com
The chapbook form of release is a much less expensive way to self-publish, but I can say from experience that the final product is not nearly as exciting, to have or see. Making use of the chapbook method does allow the poet to make copies of their book without leaving home, and makes giving them away affordable to the meagerest of budgets.
More than a dozen years ago the count was over two hundred thousand for poets in the US trying to sell their poetry. The poetry market is thus an extremely tough market to break, and once broken, not much of a volume type fulfillment. In 1986 this trend is what led me to self-publish Just Scribbled Words. My budget at that time was from a job where a raise had left me at $4.10 an hour. That budget allowed for the purchase of a spirit duplicator, and off I went! Three years later, and a state away, my record was all but two of the people who opened the book purchased it; the two reasons for not purchasing were, it smelled like cigarettes (now there is no smoking in any production or stock area) and an English woman said I did not work on the poetry enough (not a word has been changed in over 99% of the verse I have written). Next came the copy center adventure. Some books were made quarter sheet size to save expense, pocket books! The computer chapbook is the next phase.
So, think you should be read? Put your money where your mouth is and get out there selling!
I, again, would like to remind all the Palace Poets that the poem and picture/art option for the newsletter is open to all. Maybe you could go through your photo albums in search of poetic inspiration. Maybe you will even find the whole idea enticing. A scrapbook of your life with accompanying verse might be quite the heirloom to leave behind! :)
poet@poetrypalacegiftshop.biz
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Sierra Nevada's
They rise in majesty
Lording it over the hills
Their craggy heads
Drink in the accolades
Of the sun.
Even her warmth
Cannot melt
Their cold white armor.
Like soldiers marching
Across the land,
Rugged shoulders touching
They form a line of defense
Not easy to cross.
The creatures of the desert
And the foothills
Scurry around their feet
Seeking their protection,
Accepting sustenance
From their hand,
Never daring to go
Where no invitation is given.
They hide their treasures
In the folds
Of their garments
Awaiting foolish seekers
Who come
And disappear forever
In the dark recesses
Of their fortress.
©Jeri Garry 2004
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"Force yourself to write at least a 4-line poem every day."
Andrew Rafalski
Palace Poet II
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Poetry Exercise
Have an exercise you created for improving your writing? Would you like to see it in this newsletter? Send it to
Poetry Palace
.
Remember, if the exercise is easy, the benefit is minimal… :(
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Chapbook Self-Publishing guide. $3.00 (US delivery). 40 pages.
Chapbook Self-Publishing guide. $6.00 (Foreign delivery). 40 pages.
We poets here at the 'Palace' hope you continue to enjoy visits to the sample and posting pages!
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And, feel free to send comments to
Poetry Palace
.
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Good Day! :)
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Donations to Poetry Palace help thomas beal to continue publishing poets and further the attempts to bring these works to High Schools.
www.PoetryPalaceScholarships.org is in the creation stage. We apologize for not having this tax deductible option available at the present time!
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Submitting Poetry For Chapbook Consideration
Three or four poems will be plenty for a query. Poetry MUST be submitted with NO tabs, aligned left, in Arial ( other common fonts if you do not have Arial) font, with titles, in bold, on the first line of a page (or five spaces below the last line of the preceding poem), in one document. Poems in all CAPS will be deleted. Please do not have lines of over 40 characters (even those might have to be divided, and it would be far more comfortable if the poet did it before sending, probably on both sides of this adventure!) If this is too much work for you, that is fine; do not submit (I do not mean to sound cold, but the amount of work done here is ridiculous!). Please put "chapbook" in the subject of the email! :)
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We have a contract for single poetry submissions for People Say; a new volume will be released each year. If you have a poem that you think would be a great note card, please send it along with this contract to poet@poetrypalacegiftshop.biz. Please put “single submission” in the subject line.
Single Submission Contract
I have submitted this poem to be used in the note card catalog knowing that if used it cannot be sold or used elsewhere until it goes out of print. I understand that the catalog sales are for 'Palace' support and no royalties are paid, but that I will receive twenty-five cents for each note card purchased with my verse appearing on it. I understand that royalties are paid quarterly. I hereby agree to all Poetry Palace terms and understand Thomas Beal has all creative authority. The content of the poem cannot be changed without my permission, but the artwork, fonts etceteras to be used is dictated by the needs of Poetry Palace.
I _________________ agree to all the stipulations set forth by Poetry Palace.
Date___________
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Thank You, Again, For Your Visit!
