I'm trying to organize a book of my poems and I'm driving myself crazy. Why is it when you go to put something in print, you start to second guess yourself?
Is that line really strong enough?
Is that poem good enough to be printed?
Am I wasting my time putting together a self-published book of poems?
IS the title right?
Is the artwork good enough? (Post picture is my cover art)
Because once you self-publish poems in a book, you can't send them in to magazines any longer. They are dead poems.
And I know that poetry books don't sell. The chances of me getting anyone who hasn't already met me to buy a copy, is almost nil.
So I'm spending all this time and effort to create a book that no one will read.
It's not that I won't promote it, I will. I'll promote the hell out of it. I'll put it on my blog, twitter, Facebook. I'll post it on all my writer's sites.
But do I think I'll sell even fifty copies?
No.
So why do it?
Why put myself through all this?
Because it's my legacy to the world. I don't have children. I don't plan on having any. I'm not brilliant or gifted. I'm not famous. A book of poems may be all that exists after I die.
And I want that immortality.
I want my book to survive fires, trash days, junk drawers, and so that 100 years after I'm gone, someone will still hear my words.
Maybe my words will say what their words cannot.
That's not too much to ask? Right?
I hope not.
Tirz
Why do it? Because nothing beats the feeling of holding your own book in your hands. Something you did, professionally done.
ReplyDeleteAlso, love the cover.
ann
As you wrote today - your words were released to the world - a kind of psychic conection as our words paint pictures to be picked up in another's mind. Poetry adds music to the words and in a sense you then release the song in your heart. Your books will simply allow the world to hum your music for generations to come. Good luck to you as I have written a book and was today re-reading after it was professionally edited as I fear missing something. I too must simply let it go!
ReplyDeleteI love the cover art for your book. You really don't have to rationalize anything you do as long as you are responsible to yourself and you aren't hurting or taking away the rights of others. You just do it, your reasons are your own. Honor that.
ReplyDeleteAine
Tirz,
ReplyDeletePoems are as unique as the poet behind them. Maybe someone can write "better" poems, certainly some have written worse poems (better and worse are mainly a matter of taste.) But nobody else can write "your" poems and "your" poems could be exactly what someone, somewhere you've never met needs to hear someday. This may sound cliche, but I've seen it happen, poems have a way of getting to the right place as long as you put them out there.
I should have it done soon.
ReplyDeleteI hope so.
It's not too much to ask, Tirz. I might do the same at some point. (Right now I hardly have any poems.)
ReplyDelete:)