im wondering if im at a point in my evolution where i could publish a small collection of my lesser travesties and not regret it for the rest of my life.

i'm thinking i would price the book stupid low, buy a shit ton myself and just bomb my town with free copies. it wouldnt be a complete works of, more of a studio mixtape in paper form. and i'd go back and put all those apostrophes where what they ought to be and that. but im not sure, and im more concerned that i could do it and this is the best i'll ever be than i shouldnt and i must refine the craft, so advice would be great.

you write your greatest work with a sharpie on interstate restroom shitter walls.............

Oh it's like that is it.

yep sorryy missy i couldnt offer constructive advice on your thread because ive got none to give but im seriously considering this for myself i mean i want acclaim more than money and thats not even arty bullshit its true. but on the other hand id hate to further lower the tone of the self publishing business which makes me think i should stay out of it. i have actually been thinking about this recently though your thread prompted me. its  more memesis than concious jacking your style. btw in my pisspoor opinion i think you should go for it. its a start and its like a tangible thing for your resume if you want to take on the big boy publishing houses. imo.

if you are after money or notice you will never achieve it.....the conondrum of writing is  being a collection of mistakes......

only that i want to inflict my poetry on more people before i die. worse writing has made history. i just really dont know if enough of what i have is good enough. maybe this is just the wrong place to ask.

i think it's fn gr8 grin.
inflict lady.....but i'm the biggest mistake ever.....

If you do let me know how much for a copy and how much you'd charge me for shipping.

Ok, looking at it from an artsy point of view, I think that if you feel like you might want to publish a paperback, then the world of poetry will be better off for it. You have a unique voice and an unorthodox way of using it. I say, if you do publish don't change (or resist changing) anything, because your style is your poetic dna.

edit:  some other poets who self published

http://selfpublishingmadeeasy.wordpress.com/2013/04/16/self-published-poets-hall-of-fame/

Go for it Anna!  Do it for yourself, first and foremost--a sense of personal accomplishment is far better than any accolades the big boy publishers can offer; they're just good ol' boys clubs anyway, and you have to either know someone or be someone to get published with them.  You have your fan base right here and among the rest of the people in the world who actually count and will be touched by your work.  <3

Anna, If you have some extra change in your key dish go for it but spare the disappointments at the door cause you'll be trying to compete with polished, highly marketed world of professional publishing companies and your paperback might end up at the used stores of clearance shelves.

Just recently, I had the opportunity to work with professional editors from major american publishing house and the information on how the publishing world works is astounding and anyone that tells you just write what you feel, it may work to a point but at some point if you want to appeal to the mass market, it has to be transformed and yes you might lose some of your true sense in the process but it is a craft, yes i'm told its a craft that needs to be honed and taught.

I know all this may sound brutal, but before you throw in some hard earned money network with some editors who have been in the business and get their opinion and let me warn you first feedbacks are brutal, they will shred you apart but its a very good wake up call which after a bit of time you'll appreciate the honesty.

Yes, you can self-publish a book on Amazon...has anyone done this?  It is free.  Of course, you might want to spend $35 USD on a copyright.  I would think that you could put the link to it here after you publish it.

I think the music industry i.e. record labels, has pretty much been bent over by the internet and properly fucked by independent bands recording their own music, in the process bands and songwriters have achieved respect from the music industry and the punters. However, the world of creative writing and publishers has strongly resisted the changes that the internet potentially offers to writers and self-publishing. Sure we can publish our creative work online and hone our craft, we've become accessible to a minority, but our craft is a personal endeavour, we write for the love of it and we do it for free. So why is somebody going to buy what they can access free online? For the majority of us, we can't even convince our families and friends that we're respectable poets, writers and artists, so how can we convince punters to buy our book because we're so fucking cutting edge?

Whether it's music or literature, the internet has devalued our art. The world has been flooded with self-recording and self-publishing artists, all crawling over each other to get discovered and find artistic recognition. If you want to self-publish to be discovered, it will be like waiting to win the lotto and you'll only be disappointed with a garage full of books in boxes you never sold. Like anything in this world, if you want success you have to work hard, network, be prepared to be torn to shreds by the critics and find your own success. To publish your art online and think some publisher is going to tap you on the shoulder is just a delusional fairy tale. Unless you're prepared to get out there and flood every publishing house with a copy of your book, post your work on every creative writing platform available online, start a blog or set up a website, [post your latest poem on twitter and hope you go viral], the way I see it is self-publishing is just a shortcut to most writer's wet dream. If you're going to self-publish, then use your book like a demo tape and get out there and promote yourself, use the internet to your advantage and make sure you've got a thick skin, because like Nikki said, the publishing world is brutal.

I personally think books are eventually going to be published a lot less and become more valuable, like music lovers with old vinyl records, readers will become collectors. As writers we need to start thinking about other ways of getting our work out into the world to be read and to be heard. I think poetry needs to get back being a performance based art, where punters will pay to go and see their latest poet. I think we need to start looking at technology and multimedia for different ways to deliver our poetry. Why not walk into a gallery and experience anna grin's words smeared all over the walls or hearing her voice, reading her latest poem about mind fucking john rot?

So back to the question and back to reality that we're still trying to find an audience for our poetic voice... so should I publish a collection in shitty paperback form? Fuck paperback! Save the trees! Unless you like the romance of seeing your book on your bookshelf and want to give something back to your family and friends, keep your poetry electronic, online and accessible to a larger audience. Your words aren't cheap anna grin.

You should definitely do it Anna...its just like demos for ones music...
One: Your getting Your name around (Word on the street-as it is)
Two: Your stamping a mark in a time of Your life...
Later on You may look back and cringe at certain bits, but much of it will always be a snapshot of time for You to reflect on and over analyze...how things were and how You have changed personally.
Whats more is somewhere someone will make their own personal connection to Your work...that's the priceless aspect.
If You go through with it in the roots way style You describe ...it will be true to what is known as Underground!!!
The building blocks of any Movement called Art!!!


Me being a product of my time....I will never be able to shake the love for actual books or collections...Cd's, records, books etc.
I like to Physically hold things I cherish....or hold things ive been able to produce to the world...it's revelry is my personal selfishness i'll never regret/

I believe folks are so overwhelmed with the printed word, that they need a little visual motivation. So anna, as long as you include accompanying illustrations, I think it will work.