Within the top ten poetry books on Amazon are: Where the Sidewalk Ends by Shel Silverstein, Edgar Allan Poeâs Complete Tales and Poems, Milk and Honey by Rupi Kaur and Chasers of the Light by Tyler Knott Gregson. Each book is unique in its theme. One is fun and witty, meant for the eyes of the young. The other delves into the macabre darkness within. A third takes a journey into the authorâs life. And the last one gives readers a glimpse of hope.
Most poets strive to have a book published because we know others share the same thoughts, have been through similar struggles, and hope that by taking the risk of revealing our words to the public, that those who donât know how to cope with life will see some glimmer of hope in our poetry. Some of us have been writing at a very young age and have gathered quite a collection of poems. We have seen how our writing has evolved over time. But when it is time to submit a collection for publishing, it becomes a difficult choice.
No one can really tell you what the right choices are when picking poems for a book, or what will be successful. It is a very difficult and competitive market unless you have a large following or a major publishing company willing to spend the money to promote you. But most poets donât do it for the fame or money. We write because we enjoy it.
So when an opportunity comes to submit a manuscript, perhaps do some research or just use your heart to decide which poems to submit. Go back to your social media pages or blog and see which poems obtained the most feedback. Scour the top poetry book lists and see which themes are remaining steady. Or take this as the opportunity to try something no other poet has done before, and be an original.
You donât always have to give the world what it needs; sometimes you may need to share the right poems for yourself. If you lived a life filled with abuse, maybe sharing your poems can be your therapy and feel fulfillment knowing it may reach out to someone else. If you have experienced being in a desperate financial situation, share your story and how you survived, as many out there might need those poems of encouragement. If you are fighting for a cause, use your poetry to bring awareness to it.
If you are ready to get your poems out there, I suggest taking advantage of any opportunities available.
Creative Talents Unleashed is offering a 5-year poetry publishing contract to one lucky winner. This is a chance of a lifetime because not a lot of contests are out there that allow you to submit without a fee. All you have to do is submit a sample manuscript with ten poems to get started.
For more details, click here: CTU Publishing Contest
Written by: Donna J. Sanders
Donna is a freelance writer and blogger in West Palm Beach, FL. She is the author of Ataraxia â a poetry collection about the struggles we face, the state of the world and how to see beauty in the simplest things, and Cardboard Signs – poems to bring awareness about homelessness, mental illness, self-esteem and the injustices many face.
Find out more about her here:
https://theraven6825.wordpress.com/
http://www.facebook.com/DonnaJSanders6825
http://www.ctupublishinggroup.com/donna-j.-sanders.html
http://www.facebook.com/Creativetalentsunleashed
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Photo Credit: © Donna J. Sanders
