Gettting Published.

A Little Background.

The rules are a little different for people who just want to get short stories, short prose, or poems published. Our work takes up much less space than, say, a romance novel, so you would think the demand would correspond with the available space. Not so, my friends. The market for poetry is not the same as the market for romance novels. The demand is arguably comparable as a niche market, however, the trick is tapping into the market. Then, you have the opposite dynamic of having a smaller network of individuals who realize that they like poetry. Remember what we had to read in 11th grade English? If you haven't gone on to explore contemporary poetry, or dig for better examples from that time, you'd be doing what other people do at the first sign of a poetry reading - running far and running fast!

So, in addition, you have to know how to sneak your work in under the eyes and ears of people who don't think they like poetry to open up your local market, and know how to reach people who already love your art form to anchor your audience size.

This is not as hard or as time consuming as it sounds, and as we enter the Era of Instant Information, there are people interested in the new Black Renaissance, and in Art as an Entertainment Source. So you see, the market is opening up for us. In the early nineties, Essence and Ebony have both explored the explosion of Black writers on the mainstream scene. As an additional mark in our favor, there are new, faster ways to get noticed, to get published, and even to get paid. No longer do you need to starve for your art-----;it can even be a tax deduction! (Consult your tax accountant and keep tabs on your expenses...including whatever you use for word processing and internet access. For an additional resource, and specific advice on tax deductions for this, and similar hobbies that make you money, read Wealth Without Risk, by Charles Givens)

With all these new resources, new interest groups and new, faster ways to get your literary creation into tangible form, comes a new way to market your work and faster, smoother ways to publication. In Poet Tips, there is even a short blurb on how you can get webpublished TOMORROW. In at least Two Places. For Free. Aha, now I have your attention , don't I? Of course, you can still get published the conventional way. The process I use and recommend to others actually includes some conventional publication resources, once you get to the point where you are ready to take your work to the next level. There is money involved, (to buy books) but not everything is free.

I used to go the snail route to publication, so allow me give you an example of that fun process, and you decide which way you prefer.

First, compose and type 25 query letters. (Okay, first, go to the library and find out what a query letter is.) Wait two weeks for 20 responses, 15 of which will be from places that are "not accepting unsolicited work at this time", two that will consider you for a $5 fee per poem, with no guarantee of publication, two that will take the only kind of writing you do not do, and one legitimate taker that wants your work in a very specific format, and only pays in copies. Send in three submissions wait two or three weeks, get one acceptance letter. Wait two weeks to six months to see your work in print, only to have your work or your rename spelled wrong. (Sorry, personal vendetta.) Start the process over, and after being consistent for a few years, maybe you will get an offer to publish your chapbook, or be in an anthology. Then maybe, you make a couple thousand bucks, and get 15 or 20 minutes of fame, and become a has been, or become a literature, black studies professor, and possibly after 20 or so years become the next Sonia Sanchez, Toni Morrison, or Derek Walcott.

Or, do it the way I know and be webpublished as soon as the day after you start. No matter what your level of expertise is, whether you are a novice or an expert, I will show you how to reach places that will publish you in their magazine, newsletter, or anthology, if you are good, in a much shorter turnaround time than six months, streamline your process so you can be applying to as many as 100 places a week in an hour or less a day -- with next day replies half the time, make your name known, get into local publications, and literary collectives that group publish books for fast profits, get your fifteen minutes of fame before this time next year, and maybe if you are really gung ho, start making public appearances, etc, get a following, and become the first you, instead of the next somebody else.

Now, the results I am predicting for you are not guaranteed just from you trying it my way. I am doing it for free, because this I wish there had been someone to do this for me, and because I want to get more regular visitors to My Sites. True, lots of people would pay for this service, but I don't charge because there are several inconsistencies in how people pursue their goals and dreams. There are several other variables involved; your level of dedication, whether you are willing to set goals and follow through, your ability to take constrictive criticism, your willingness to develop a daily or weekly routine, and your level of talent and charisma. And I am not willing to charge money for anything I cannot guarantee. BUT, if you are willing to do a little research, accept some friendly advice, read my monthly newsletter, visit some related web resources, become a regular visitor to New Afrika Empire sites, and maintain your patience and diligence, you can become a poet who is known in certain circles (making it easier for you to get published in the conventional way, if you wish to return to that) and perhaps make money at it on the side, like I do.

Having a hobby that pays is a great thing, especially when you realize that you can foresee the point where you could conceivably quit your day job and pursue your talent as a career. Not everyone wants that, but it sure is nice to have the option... Having said that, here is a list of the steps you need to go through in order to become a Real Live Published Author.

Steps to Publication.

1. Prepare yourself, your work and your peers.
2. Perfect your work using the feedback of unbiased parties.
3. Proofread your work, and get it proofread by someone else.
4. Pre-release your work in a controlled environment for evaluation.
5. Protect your work (See earlier advice on the "About" page regarding this.)
6. Perform your work.
7. Publish on a smaller scale, in smaller web environments, in newsletters on and off the web, in local magazines and newspapers. Don't count out friends and family as knowledgeable resources.
8. Promote, promote, promote. Submit, submit, submit.
9. Publish with a literary art collective. ( To find or start one, see the Premier Issue of Poet Tips.)
10. Publish in mainstream publications, anthologies and maybe even your very own book, and Prepare to Get paid.
11. Progress through steps One to Eleven Again.

I will also open your eyes to how to execute these Eleven Steps to publication in Poet Tips: Notes From The Empress, and show you where to start in order to get fast results. These kinds of resources will appear in-depth in the upcoming issue of Poet Tips: Notes From the Empress. Email subscription is free for those who sign up before September 21, 1998, and you can bet you will never find that level of assistance for less than several hundred dollars or 1000 hours of searching on your own, for years to come. Take it from someone who has been there, and done that. I have five years of active experience writing poetry and fifteen in short stories, ten years finding places to write for, and seven years promoting poetry readings, and other literary events. I also used to market, edit, layout and distribute a literary magazine in Baltimore. I am also combining my advice with the years of knowledge of dozens of other experts I know on the subject, who are exploding their distribution in this age of information.

See ya soon!

Empress