self-publishing diaries | two paths

As I eagerly await the very first physical proof copy of my next book, CLOVEN, I thought I might give a little bit of attention to the differences between traditional poetry, at least for poetry, vs. self-publishing. Having lived happily on both sides of the fence, there are drawbacks and challenges for both, as well as challenges and rewards to be gained in each approach. The divide is often far more focused on fiction and other genres over poetry, despite the fact that I discover more poets every day opting to self-issue over pursuing other kinds of publishing arrangements. 

In the traditional publishing world, poetry is often the red-headed stepchild. There are no agents, no advances. No publisher-sponsored book tours and lavish royalties. Most books, even those published by high-end presses with lots of cultural collateral, sell well under 1000 copies unless you're famous for something else entirely. Even well-known poets struggle to get books in hands, with the bulk of promotion and audience building (what audience there is) still falling on their heads, even with larger publishers. These larger publishers barely publish poetry at all, with the bulk of poetry traditional publishing avenues dominated by a handful of literary heavies like Gray Wolf or Copper Canyon and academically-connected presses and series (seemingly always in financial peril and even more so now.) As a poet who wants to pursue traditional publishing, you have only a few option to land a book publication deal with one of these presses, the most popular being, of course, the contest system, in which thousands of poets toss their hats and their reading fees into the bucket and a winner is chosen for a cash prize and publication. These can be great for a poet to get eyes on their work and a little bit of lit celebrity cred when they land a sweet prize. Unfortunately, most of these only apply to first or second books, and are a never a guarantee that subsequent books will be contracted by the sponsoring press. Other prizes are for writers at any stage, but even these can be especially daunting for emerging writers, especially when the finalists lists often includes very well-known and established poets.

The other way, as a poet, to find a traditional publisher is to submit directly to the press. Many small presses have open reading periods annually or semi-regularly from which they select upcoming books (Black Lawrence, publisher of three of my trad published books, has a couple every year in June and November.) Others are open for queries throughout the year, after which the may ask for a full mss. (this was how my first book landed at Ghost Road Press, as well as how I lined up a couple of subsequent titles with Dusie Press and Sundress Publications.) Some of these opportunities require a reading free, others are limited in the number of books sent viable Submittable or another system.

On the spectrum between traditional and self-publishing. there are some hybrid approaches. Some presses are collaborative, meaning you may pay a cost or finance services that the publishing outlet offers when they release your book. Some just publish the work under their label, while others offer promotional , editing, and design services as part of the deal.  Often the outfits that get called "vanity presses" are some form of this arrangement, where you give them a certain amount of money or finance the printing but they function, on the surface, more like a traditional publisher with imprints, promotional staff, and arrangements with distributors. From those I know who have gone this route, many have had mixed experiences with these companies, often feeling like what they paid for wasn't worth what they got. Nor is there much vetting for quality among authors, basically if you pay, you can play. I also know of presses that are more curated in their choices that require authors to kick in on publication costs, or small presses that operate more on a collaborative model that take turns publishing those that are members of the collab. 

At the other end is self-publishing, which can take many different forms as well. This can mean making a handbound zine or saddle-bound chapbook of your work. Or it can mean working with a POD outfit to produce a perfect-bound volume. This can be something like Amazon's Kindle Direct Press or using Barnes & Noble's Press option (my favorite of the two). The one drawback with these options is that you will be fronting your publication costs, whether its paying for bound proofs and copies or making them yourself on a printer or photocopier. So the amount can vary in how much of an investment this is, depending on how much your pre-pub costs like hiring editors, designers, etc. Way back in 2004, I produced my first saddle-stapled chapbook for well under $100 in supplies on my home printer. For bound books, there is usually a base rate you pay for author copies. If you use Amazon, they will send a free proof, but you still have to pay shipping.  Prices for slender POD paperbacks are actually pretty reasonable (in the $2-$5 range per copy if you're doing simple black & white interiors) but you can go far more luxe with dust-jacketed hardcovers. I've done hard covers for journals, which usually cost me around $8-$10 per journal. This was the cost for the recent Patreon edition of EXOTICA, which was around $10. Ditto for GRANATA (which was still paperback, but cost more due to the color artwork inside.) 

The printing costs, however, may just be a drop in the financial commitment bucket of publishing your work. If you are good at design, you can cuts some corners, like hiring a cover designer. You may be able to get a friend to proof or edit your book instead of a professional editor.  You will also be responsible for fulfillment if you're shipping books yourself--so you'll need to load up on envelopes and shipping label software or platforms. (though you could also funnel traffic strictly through Amazon if you go that route, I am now doing a mix of both.)  Other things that may cost you in the long run include publicity, ads, buying author copies for readers, and other incidentals. 

Which one is for you? One one hand, traditional publishing can be a great way to reach new audiences that might cluster around certain presses and communities. If you have no interest in designing or doing the logistical work of selling and promoting your work, traditional publishing may be the ideal route. Also, if you are beholden to academia or pursuing certain kinds of awards, grants, residencies, etc., self-published titles often don't make the cut.  Going with traditional publishers can bring benefits like keen editorial eyes, established communities, marketing staffs, etc. 

Self-publishing is heavier lifting, but the rewards may outweigh the struggles. For instance, you have creative control, both over the finished book itself and the timeline.  You also have control over whether it stays in print. Two of my publishers have in the years since closed down, forcing my books out of print (luckily, I've been able to self-publish new editions of both.) Another publisher usually keeps books in print only for a decade, so as they've aged out, my books with them are no longer available--at least not from the publisher or through distributors. You also tend to make a bit more in terms of royalties. For books I sell through the shop, my profit is really anything above that per/copy rate. For Amazon books, I make around $6 per copy sold after marketplace has taken their cut. Considering my usual royalty on traditional published books (the ones with royalties at all) is around a $1, this is much more financially advantageous to the individual author.)  You can also dial in as you are capable with smaller batches. (I financed the first round of copies of FEED in 2021 with money earned from a Poetry Foundation reading, though on books since I've done smaller initial batches and ordered more as they sell out, which keeps the initial investment and storage needs much less. Since I do my own design, proofing, and publicity, this keeps overhead low enough to publish about a book a year, two if I am extra productive. 

I was curious when I started whether or not releasing the books myself would limit their availability and reach, though my books tend to sell just as many copies in the first few weeks as those I've traditionally published according to the royalty statements (and I am a small potatoes poet, so that's probably as much as I can expect.) It also makes it easier to do things like offer comp copies, giveaways, since the books are cheaper for me to keep on hand.  

For self-publishing, I've found it helps to have already built some kind of audience--some kind of community of those interested in your work. This can mean physical communities, with people interested in buying your book at readings or events. It can be a blog or other platform like YouTube. It can be social media driven through the communities found there. You may feel like you spend way too much promoting and not enough writing. You may get a little tired of hearing your own voice even. But you do it.

I've often heard people ask which is the best path to travel for them, and I think it totally depends on what you want from publishing a book, the type of career trajectory you aspire to. Also the skills and time you have to invest. A traditional publisher may only require a clean manuscript and do all the rest for you. Some parts may still fall to you in terms of promotion. When I worked with publishers I often still got to provide either input on or furnish my cover art. It depends on the publisher.  For self-publishing you need funds, at the least, for proofs and copies. More if you hire designers and editors. In the end, you pay all promotional costs (labor or financial.) Unlike handing over a sheaf of pages and getting a book in return, you may find yourself adjusting margins at midnight and fretting over fonts endlessly, but get the satisfaction of molding the project from start to finish.  

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