Marketing Your Book of Poems

by Robert Demaree

Let’s assume that you are not looking to get rich on the sale of your book of poems and, unless you are among a small percentage of poets sought out by the big-time publishing houses, that you probably have some financial stake in the publication of your book and some responsibility for its sales and marketing. So we will not be concerned with the financial arrangements with your publisher—whether you receive a royalty, or remit a certain amount for each copy you sell, or receive copies from the publisher at a discount (the latter two may come to about the same thing). We are interested here in what happens after that carton of books arrives.

And what a moment it is! You open the tightly sealed, neatly packed box, and there they are, your collection of poems, handsome cover, perfect binding, looking for all the world like a volume by Ted Kooser, so much more professional than those saddle-stapled chapbooks of other days.

Now what? Your publisher has no doubt provided or discussed a marketing plan. Let me share some observations, drawn from my own experience and that of friends, regarding the best use of your time. My publisher offered much excellent advice. His central point: your book is most likely to be purchased by people who know you personally, or, to a lesser degree, by others who hear you read your work publicly.

You will need to be reasonably assertive in “getting the word out,” a trait not inconsistent with a desire to see one’s work in print in the first place. Announce that you are available for readings by contacting town libraries, bookstores, book clubs, any other venues with regular poetry readings. Your state poetry association (www.nfsps.com/links.htm) can probably provide you with a full list. Seek out opportunities for programs based on the particular emphasis of your work—churches, if you write religious verse; retirement communities (contact the activities director) if you are interested in the transition to the senior years, the local historical society, your civic club, clubs of your spouse, friends, neighbors. Many nonprofits are looking for good pro bono presenters, happy for you to have a little stack of books for signing afterwards. You might even develop a little brochure announcing your availability.

As an aside, let me comment on a question sometimes asked—at what point should you consider putting together a book-length collection? One can answer, “When you’re ready,” or when you’ve reached a certain number of publication credits (100, say). In my experience, the retirement years are ideal for all aspects of the process, from selecting poems for inclusion to selecting names for your mailing list. Don’t quit your day job—indeed, if you’re working full time, you will have to give up most of your precious leisure hours. It’s a perfect pursuit for the second phase of retirement, after you’ve stopped charging money as a consultant.

Books sold directly to acquaintances and through readings will probably account for about 80 percent of all sales, the balance through bookstores and your publisher’s distributor. I had initially entertained high hopes for placing copies with the small, independent booksellers in our area and wound up with modest success on the shelves of two. Most small booksellers are understandably wary of unknown poets, but it is exciting to see your collection on the shelf beside those of Billy Collins and Denise Levertov. If you decide to pursue this avenue, I recommend that you go in person, present the color brochure your publisher may have provided, and speak directly with the owner or manager. Deliver your elevator speech—a well rehearsed list of reasons why your book simply must be read that you can deliver in one or two minutes (50-100 words). Be personable and friendly, but do not take up too much of the owner’s time. As you pique interest, suggest that they get copies from the publisher or distributor and not on consignment from you.

I’d advise caution in leaving copies of your volume for booksellers to “look over”—the same goes for review copies. Your chances for a newspaper review are directly proportional to the size of your community—the smaller the community, the more likely a review. It is probably not a good use of time to invest much hope or effort in pursuing big newspapers or the big-box national bookstores.

What is extremely helpful and gratifying is to have your book listed on Amazon.com., which the publisher or distributor should be able to arrange—in the Internet age, this is the logical way to provide access for your friends in other cities. Many poets have their own Websites, an excellent place to post your publication info and then send your e-mail list a heads-up.

Finally, a few thoughts about direct mail. The extent of your mail and e-mail lists will be a function of decorum and zeal (we did not include blood kin), and there can be a fine line between people you simply want to know about the book and those you hope will buy one. Remember that you join William Blake and Walt Whitman, good company of people who believed in their own work enough to spend some money on it. I include e-mail, of course, as a preferred means of communication—you might even harvest some addresses from those poetry reading announcements you receive. A friend used a full-color postcard effectively as a publication announcement, a reasonable device with numerous vendors online.

After about two years you may reach the conclusion that just about everyone who will ever want a copy already has one. You have set aside a few for the great-grandchildren. At this point perhaps it is time to begin thinking about a second collection. You’ll have discovered that one of the rewards for publishing your book is that you now think of yourself as a poet, devote more time to your writing, and are more aware of your audience.

Robert Demaree is a retired educator/administrator who lives in Wolfeboro, N.H. and Burlington , N.C. His book of poems, Fathers and Teachers (Center Ossipee, N.H.: Beech River Books, 2007), is available on-line at Amazon.com.