{"id":123,"date":"2007-12-28T08:44:50","date_gmt":"2007-12-28T16:44:50","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.matilijapress.com\/publishingblog\/?p=123"},"modified":"2007-12-28T08:44:50","modified_gmt":"2007-12-28T16:44:50","slug":"your-authors-platform-for-poetry","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.matilijapress.com\/publishingblog\/?p=123","title":{"rendered":"Your Author’s Platform for Poetry"},"content":{"rendered":"

Yesterday, Angela Hoy, editor of Writer\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s Weekly<\/em>, passed along an email from a reader. Josie (not her real name) had read my recently published piece on establishing a platform. She wanted to know how to establish a platform for a poetry book.<\/p>\n

It always surprises me when authors of fiction, poetry or children\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s books seem to miss the points I attempt to make loud and clear in my articles\u00e2\u20ac\u201dpoints designed to include them. Any author should be able to take the instructions and information in my book, The Right Way to Write, Publish and Sell Your Book <\/em>or one of my articles and immediately begin to build their author\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s platform. I\u00e2\u20ac\u2122ve decided that their stumbling block isn\u00e2\u20ac\u2122t ignorance, it is denial. Most authors of creative endeavors simply do not want to face the reality of promotion.<\/p>\n

Here\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s what I wrote to Josie:
\nPlatform is not just about nonfiction hooks and expertise. You can also establish a platform related to your genre. Here are a few ideas for establishing a platform for a book of poetry:
\n\u00e2\u20ac\u00a2\tGet involved with appropriate poetry sites\u00e2\u20ac\u201dbecome acquainted with the hosts, participate in message boards, write letters to the editors, submit your poetry to be posted at the sites, see about promoting your book at these sites, etc. Do everything you can to become known in the world of poetry.
\n\u00e2\u20ac\u00a2\tSubmit your poetry to magazines, newsletters and sites in order to establish yourself as a poet.
\n\u00e2\u20ac\u00a2\tIf your poetry focuses on a specific topic or theme, promote your work and yourself through related sites, magazines, newsletters and venues. Promote inspirational poetry through religious\/spiritual sites, for example, poetry featuring parenting moments through parenting and baby sites, mags and so forth.
\n\u00e2\u20ac\u00a2\tBuild a website and advertise (announce) your book widely at other sites and through newsletters and magazines related to poetry and literature.
\n\u00e2\u20ac\u00a2\tIf you are involved in a church or club or you help edit a newsletter, talk up your poetry book there in and through these venues.
\n\u00e2\u20ac\u00a2\tGet your poetry book reviewed at as many literary, poetry and fiction sites and through as many magazines and newsletters as you can.
\n\u00e2\u20ac\u00a2\tEnter poetry contests.
\n\u00e2\u20ac\u00a2\tRun poetry contests.
\n\u00e2\u20ac\u00a2\tParticipate in poetry slams.
\n\u00e2\u20ac\u00a2\tTeach poetry classes to adults or children and be sure to tell the local newspaper editor about it.
\n\u00e2\u20ac\u00a2\tCreate a newsletter about poets and poetry for those interested in writing and\/or reading poetry.
\n\u00e2\u20ac\u00a2\tCollect contact information and build a huge mailing list you can use in promotion.<\/p>\n

A platform is your means of getting your name and your work out there. What you\u00e2\u20ac\u2122ll notice is that this list, which is designed specifically for poets, is really no different than the list of platform-building activities suggested for authors of nonfiction books. As I said, most poets and many novelists and children\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s book writers either don\u00e2\u20ac\u2122t want to face the reality of promotion or the concept of promotion just doesn\u00e2\u20ac\u2122t compute in their creative brains.<\/p>\n

If you are writing a book\u00e2\u20ac\u201dit doesn\u00e2\u20ac\u2122t matter the topic or genre\u00e2\u20ac\u201dyou should also be building your platform as you go. Let these suggestions guide you in this effort. And for additional information, instructions, education and resources to see you through the writing, publishing and book promotion process, read the revised edition of The Right Way to Write, Publish and Sell Your Book <\/em>and use the companion book, The Author\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s Workbook<\/em>. http:\/\/www.matilijapress.com\/rightway.html<\/a> <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Yesterday, Angela Hoy, editor of Writer\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s Weekly, passed along an email from a reader. Josie (not her real name) had read my recently published piece on establishing a platform. She wanted to know how to establish a platform for a poetry book. It always surprises me when authors of fiction, poetry or children\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s books seem […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":5,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":[],"categories":[5],"tags":[],"aioseo_notices":[],"aioseo_head":"\n\t\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t