Who Will Buy Your Book Thoughts, and Skagit Poetry Festival Report

Panoramic View of La Conner

Skagit Poetry Festival

Skagit Poetry Festival was so fun – anyplace you can talk to local publishers, catch up with local poets from all over, see Robert Pinsky, Ellen Bass, and Ada Limon all read in an hour, and check out sunsets on the water, herons and tulips all at the same time is a winner for me. I was pretty wiped out when I got home (in fact, I’m still recovering today – stupid MS symptoms) but I’m glad I went! I came home inspired. Here are some pics so you can pretend like you were there too!

Thoughts on “Who Will Buy My Book” and Book Contract Expectations (and Why I Wrote PR for Poets in the First Place)

So, two articles came out today that people were talking about. The first was “Who Will Buy My Book” on the Millions, and the second was all about expectations with book contracts on Books By Women: “If You Give a Writer a Book Contract She’s Going to Want Everything” http://booksbywomen.org/if-you-give-a-writer-a-book-contr…/…

Both these posts will ring true to writers, especially writers who are embarking on their adventure with their first book. Their expectations are either way too high, or their jealousy at other people’s success will make them feel angry or they don’t understand what to expect from contracts or confusion about what publishers are going to do or not do for them…I wanted to empower writers. I wanted to give them tools and help them navigate the crazy world of publishing a book. This is really one of the reasons I wrote PR for Poets in the first place. I felt frustrated that no one in my MA or MFA program talked about what to expect when they signed a book contract, talked to publishers, or published their books. I mean, you’re just setting people up for disappointment and discouragement. People want people to buy their books, review their books, come to their readings…but really, I wish that everyone had an older more experienced mentor sit down with them and talk about what’s realistic, especially for poets.

The one thing I don’t want people to think after reading articles like this is “Oh, I’m a helpless victim of a terribly unfair machine” or something like that. We are not victims – we are artists who choose to do what we do. For God’s sake, don’t attack another friend you think might be slightly more successful than you – celebrate their success because really, that’s the only way to be a friend. There are things we can do to protect ourselves from disappointment, there are things we can and can’t control (we can’t -and shouldn’t want to – control whether our friends buy our books or how well our books are reviewed or which bookstores our books will be on the shelves at.) However, we can be pro-active – that’s what I wanted people to know. There are conversations we should have about expectations of marketing and distribution with publishers who are interested in publishing our books. How many ARCs are they sending out? Will they help with blurbs? Etc. Then there are ways to get the word out about our books. Whether or not we throw a book party for the release. There are ways to build community in your city, online, and everything in between, and being a dynamic part of your writing community is a good way to ensure people will be more enthusiastic about your book – especially if you attended their readings, offered to review their books, or bought your darn friends books! (Yes, you should do those things, but do not expect anything in return – it’s just part of being a good community member.) If you have fun doing readings, do a bunch of readings – but if you don’t, don’t! If you are great at social media, that may help you sell books – if you buy an ad somewhere, your publisher will probably appreciate it (and might even split the cost with you.)

The point is, if you feel disappointed, try to do something about it and not let it crush your dreams. And keep writing! If you encounter the heartbreak of an empty reading audience room (it happens, even when we do our best to promote a reading,) laugh it off, get a drink or browse the bookstore, and chalk it up to experience. If your book doesn’t change the world when it comes out, don’t worry – most books do not change the world. Maybe your next one will be a hit. When we compare ourselves to other people and get jealous of their success, that doesn’t really set us up for success – unless it gives you motivation to aim higher with your goals. The art of practicing graciousness – with other writers, with publishers, with reviewers, with our communities – and being grateful for the good things that come our way are key to remaining a happy and not bitter writer. And believe me, I understand where both these writers are coming from…Every time I start to feel that bitter feeling of “I should have gotten that award/grant or I can’t believe so and so rejected me” I try to think of the lucky opportunities I’ve had and the unexpected gifts I’ve been given. The kindnesses I’ve received. And I just feel that the best way to deal with those feelings is to reach out to those around us and help them. Say something nice to a friend. Buy their book, or review it or order it from your local library. A lot of times that will make us feel better, and them feel better, and maybe create a more beautiful writing community. If you add grace to the world, it will probably come back around – but even if it doesn’t, you’ve accomplished something great. Anyway, I’d love to hear from you about these articles – do they ring true for you? Was there advice you needed when you started out but didn’t get? What’s the most useful advice a mentor gave you about publishing? Leave comments! If you think I’m being too Pollyanaish, tell me that too!

Celebrating Friendships and Art, Spring Fever The Importance of Perseverance in Poetry & Looking Forward to Skagit Poetry Festival…

Spring Fever!

Hello and happy spring from my garden! These are my two rhododendrons and my dwarf lilac in bloom.  This is the time of year when part of me wishes to be outside all the time – I saw my first baby bunny and ducklings on my street this week – and the other part just wants to sleep and feels fuzzy and can’t focus. And no part of me wants to work. Oh, no spring fever for you?

One of the less fun parts of May can be the onslaught of rejections and accompanying closing of poetry markets – which always seem to come hand in hand as people are closing up the academic year. I am reminded of one of the hardest truths in poetry – success only comes for most of us after an awful lot of hard work and perseverance. If you believe in your work, you have to do the hard work of researching possible homes for that work, sending it out, waiting for what’s most likely a rejection…over and over again.

Celebrating with Friends

Michaela and I posing with the “Michaela” art wall

Roz Ray, Natasha Moni, Michaela Eaves and I posing on the back deck next to flowers

As I was too sick to celebrate on my actual birthday, Glenn invited a couple of friends over for coffee and cupcakes on this last beautiful weekend, and it was great to watch up with all of them. Roz is a fiction writer, Natasha is a poet (and she’s writing a novel) and Michaela is a visual artist and writer, so we had great discussions about art and publishing and I realized how much it helps us as creative folks to hang out with other creative folks. I am also lucky to have such fun and talented friends, seriously. It helps to remember that each of us is part of a community – we are not actually alone in the artistic universe. It can feel that way sometimes.

Art that Feeds the Soul

I also managed to make it out to Creatura house to their “Le Carnaval Des Animaux” Group Show. Here are two imperfect pictures of pieces that moved me, but here is a link so you can see them all. The peacock/woman is an untitled piece by Jane Kenoyer which I loved and wanted to take home, and the other is a piece by Josie Morway. If you haven’t made it out to see this little shop/gallery it’s located in walking distance to Elliot Bay Books in downtown Seattle.

 

Looking Forward to This Weekend at Skagit Poetry Festival

Lest you think my life is too much fun and games, parties and art galleries and flowers, this last week I also had physical therapy, an increase in MS symptoms (probably due to unseasonably warm and sunny weather, it turns out), an hourlong appointment with a neuropsychologist to talk about how the MS has been affecting me, and I’ve been working on a workshop/presentation on PR for Poets at this weekend’s Skagit Poetry Festival. (Check out all the Sunday workshops here.)

If you’ve never been to the Skagit Poetry Festival and you live remotely close to La Conner, I recommend making the drive and checking out some of the readings and talks that will be going on all weekend. La Conner is also where we make the pilgrimage of tulips each year, and it’s a lovely town, gentle river, tons of otters, seals, herons and eagles on display, some cute shops and restaurants, plus it will be chock-full of poets! Expect an update afterwards with lots of pics of poets and cute animals!

One of the things I’ve been researching for this talk is new media and how it can connect us to an audience. I studied Rupi Kaur’s Instagram account (2.5 million followers) and how some of my friends are using podcasts and Facebook Live. (See Publisher’s Weekly’s article on how poetry is selling and Rupi’s influence.) I definitely don’t feel like I’ve mastered the new world order of publicity in the world of poetry, but I want to at least try to keep up! I’m thinking of trying some Instagram poems and maybe a PR for Poets talk on Facebook Live (if you think people there might be interested!) Anyway, since writing this PR for Poets book, trends have evolved and changed in ways I find fascinating.

Writer’s Digest Guest Post on Promoting your Poetry Book as an Introvert, Skagit Poetry Festival, and Springtime

Welcome to spring! At least it finally feels like spring here in Seattle – it went from cold and damp, winter behavior, to full-blown spring seemingly overnight – and this wisteria is blooming! I love this part of spring…moody, rainbowish, flowers everywhere, birds chirping, rabbits and deer eating my roses…Woodinville seems sedate in May, but becomes full-blown touristy in June, with huge concerts, wine festivals, etc, so I’m enjoying the quiet time and the nicer weather.

Writer’s Digest Guest Post: How Can I Promote My Book of Poetry as an Introvert?

How Can I Promote My Book as an Introvert?
Thanks to Writer’s Digest and Robert Brewer for hosting me on the Writer’s Digest Blog with the blog post I wrote (related to my new book, PR for Poets) to talk about strategies for introverts who want to promote their poetry books. Some of these basics are covered in more depth in the book, but I get so many questions about this subject that I felt I had to address it! I myself am a bit of an oddity (for a poet,) an extroverted introvert, or an introverted extrovert – I love people but I’m exhausted/cheered by interacting with others. I hope there are some useful tips in there but if you have more questions, please leave them in the comments! It’s surprising these days how many ways there are to reach out and interact with audiences without actually ever talking to them in person…thanks internets!

Skagit Poetry Festival – Sign Up for a Workshop on PR for Poets!

What are you doing next weekend? If you’re in the Pacific Northwest, think about attending the Skagit River Poetry Festival in beautiful La Conner, WA which starts on Friday and ends on Sunday with…drum roll..workshops with Ellen Bass, Joe Millar, Matthew Dickman and…a workshop with me on PR for Poets (if you sign up!) Check it out!

https://www.skagitriverpoetry.org/festival/festival-workshops/

If you haven’t been to the Skagit Poetry Festival before, it’s a great opportunity to see and talk to a lot of poets all in one place in a gorgeous setting – they usually get some great guests and “star poets” but the whole vibe remains really friendly and down-to-earth. If you are looking for a first-time poetry conference, I like this one. Hope to see you there!

My Rumpus Review of Barbie Chang, Guest Post on PR for Poets with a Disability or Chronic Illness, More Cancer Tests, Faerie Magazine Poems, and How the Lit World Can Avoid More #MeToo Moments

Guest Post on Promoting Poetry Books with a Disability or Chronic Illness

Thank you to Trish Hopkinson for hosting me as a guest poster on her blog to talk about PR for Poets, and specifically, to address how writers with chronic illnesses or disabilities can help promote their books. One of my gracious beta readers suggested I address this in my PR for Poets book. I was worried it was not a universal-enough topic, but I did want to address it eventually, so thank you to Trish for giving me the opportunity:
How Do I Promote My Books with a Disability and/or a Chronic Illness

Rumpus Review of Barbie Chang

Happy to say The Rumpus has my review of Victoria Chang’s Barbie Chang up. Hope you enjoy it! Here’s a quote: “Barbie Chang is an intelligent, lively portrayal of the pressures on contemporary women (especially mothers), and a breathlessly entertaining read.”

Poems in Faerie Magazine

I also have a mermaid poem (along with two other poems) coming up in the future Mermaid (!!) issue of Faerie Magazine, but discovered they had put my poem from a previous issue, “The One-Armed Swan Sister” up online so you can see the beautiful art work that they put with it. If you are into the cross-section of fairy tales and fashion, and literature, you would love Faerie Magazine. I wrote “One-Armed Swan Sister” while I had a broken elbow, and I wrote my current set of mermaid poems while I was in a wheelchair. It’s weird how body issues can help you understand fairy tale characters a little better, or at least give you a different lens for understanding the lore.  Anyway, I want like five copies of the issue when it comes out! It’s such a beautifully produced magazine.

Spring Comes With More Cancer Tests and MS Treatment Decisions

It’s lovely spring here, the dogwood in bloom, and the lilacs. And I got a thirty dollar check that was payment for one of my poems in a literary magazine yesterday, that was pretty exciting. (That’s enough to pay for ten submission fees, LOL. Ah, the prosperous life of a poet.)
But I’m not going to lie, it’s been tough recently. I was down with MS symptoms (leg weakness, dizziness, and crazy tiredness) during my 45th birthday week and this week I had an MRI of my liver to check for growth, spreading, or proliferation of the 14 tumors they found last year. We are hoping none of those things have happen. I also have to get cancer blood tests. Cancer tests are pretty stressful, especially when they’re on top of MS symptoms and still trying to figure out the right treatment for that. Literally I could spend my entire life in doctor’s offices and different physical therapies if I actually went in as much as doctors want me to. Waiting for the results is stressful too. Last year at springtime they literally thought I had six months to live. So I’ve already done better than they thought. Now the neurologist is thinking of switching my MS meds around. Meanwhile, I just keep writing poems, planting flowers, spending as much time doing life-affirming stuff as I can. So think good thoughts for me. Summer is a tough time for MS patients – raising your temperature even one degree can bring an onset of symptoms, and worse case scenario, new flares that can put people in the hospital (it did me last June.) I’m going to try to do a couple of events – the Skagit Poetry Festival, and the Poets in the Park in Redmond – so think good thoughts for a better summer than last year!

Meanwhile, in Literary Land, Some Things About How to Prevent #MeToo Moments

Yes, yet another lauded male writer, it has come out, did and said some horrendous things to women writers. Scandal ensues. Again. So, I have a thought. If you are truly interested in preventing more #MeToo moments in the literary world, a few suggestions:

  • Read women writers, especially women writers of color and women in the margins. Buy their books.
  • Invite women writers to your campus or conference and pay them the same you would pay a male writer.
  • Publish women writers in your literary magazine or give their books a chance at your publishing concerns, then actually promote their work.
  • Review women writers. If you find you are reviewing 90 percent men’s books and ten percent women’s books, think about how that’s really under-representing women writers.

If women writers were given as many chances, as many extra passes, as male writers, I think you would see a lot less sexism and abuse in the system. I see women writers being shoved out of the way, talked over, published less, paid less, treated as less important, and I think: Why do people think this is okay, and why does it keep happening? Of course the literary world is not protected from these incidents – in fact, in my experience, it’s worse than, say, the tech world I used to operate in (I had very supportive male bosses who promoted me at AT&T and Microsoft, in particular.) So if you have power and influence, try using it to help women succeed. I bet it would prevent so many abuses. It occurred to me one of the reasons I wrote PR for Poets is I felt women writers, weren’t reaching their audiences because they weren’t being promoted, reviewed, invited to speak, like male writers. I’ve seen very shy, unself-promoting male writers lifted up by their male colleagues, taken out for a beer and given tips and even having their books suggested to certain high-end publishers, but I haven’t really seen the same thing for shy, unself-promoting women.  I wanted all poets to have the tools to help get the word out about their books, but I didn’t realize this was actually a subversive act. It’s subversive to help poets learn how to promote themselves because the literary world wants you to believe that it is a meritocracy, when it really isn’t, it’s a place where privilege and place and class and gender all reflect social norms, which means the disabled, the poor, people of color, and women are going to have less of a chance to really make it. When AWP ignores the needs of disabled folks, that means less chance for us to interact with others. When publishers skew their books to a male audience because male writers “are more universal,” well, no they’re not, unless you make that the case. Readers of books actually skew strongly female, so shouldn’t the authors of books also skew female?

I’m sorry if this tone disturbs you. I like to uplift people. I like to be inspiring. But lately, with the political tone of the country, the repeated shock at many men in power abusing that power, I have started to say: enough of the shock. Let’s do something to make it better. I may not live to see a woman president of America, but I want to make some noise for equality in the poetry world, at least. If I can support other women writers by bringing attention to their work (which is why I do book reviews even though they are time consuming and mostly do not pay,) I want to do what I can to make the literary world a better place. I want you to encourage you to take action too.

Happy May, Poems in Jet Fuel Review, Springtime Blues

Happy May!

Goodbye to April, National Poetry Month, and my 45th birthday. The week of my birthday I was a little down, both physically and emotionally. The combo of dental work, the PR for Poets book launch, and my little adventure amid the tulips took their toll, and I had to try to rest and deal with the combo of dizziness and fatigue that I’ve learned is my signal that “You’ve done too much! MS is acting up!” I still managed to sprain something so I was literally on bedrest for my actual birthday, a huge bummer, but it was cold grey weather too, so at least we enjoyed the nice weather while it was here. I did manage to submit an AWP panel for Portland and write a few poems. And here’s a picture of last late April cherry blossoms with early moonrise.

Jet Fuel Review Poems

This morning seemed to start a little brighter. And I should say I was happy to have two poems up at Jet Fuel Review! That’s a link to the whole issue (which is fantastic) PDF; I’m putting a little graphic of one of the poems, “Post-Life,” because it’s one of my more close poems to my heart and used to be the title poem of my next book manuscript before I changed it:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Birdwatch!

I have to say that this first day of May almost feels like the first day of spring, especially with the birdwatching. I saw three different kinds of woodpecker and an eagle from my bedroom window, and when I walked out on the deck I saw a pair of quail! I think these birds are all some sign of good luck. At least I hope so!

Plans for May

I hope your May will be bright, spring-like, and kind. I am going to get some poetry submissions out and I’m looking forward to the Skagit Poetry Festival coming up mid-month.
And a quick reminder – let me know if you enjoy PR for Poets (and please put up a few words of review on Amazon) and let me know if you have any questions I didn’t cover. I’ll do another “questions” post about subject related to poetry marketing soon!

And here’s a rainbow to remind you it won’t always be grey outdoors – spring is definitely arriving!

Tulip Festivals, Sci-Fi Legacies, and Upcoming Appearances, Plus Field Guide and PR for Poets Reviews!

Happy National Poetry Month – I hope your April is treating you well. Just got back from La Conner, Washington, to visit the Skagit Poetry Festival. We had a rare combination of sunny weather and a day without appointments, so we made the most of it.

Thanks to Margaret Rhee for writing – and including me in her interviews and discussion of Sci-Fi Legacies, “The Feminist Legacy in Science Fiction Poetry,” up on Strange Horizons now! It makes me thankful for a great community of writers who enjoy poetry and science fiction equally.

Thanks to Brian for his review of Field Guide to the End of the World at his site, Damaged Skull Writer.  And I was happy to see two reviews pop up on PR for Poets on Amazon’s site!

Are you sad about the end of poetry month and looking for something in May to get your spirits up? I’ll be returning to Skagit to do a workshop on PR for Poets at the Skagit Poetry Festival on Sunday, May 20, 1-4 PM. The roster of poets who will be up there that weekend looks fantastic. I’ve never had a bad time at that festival, so I encourage you to attend if you’re in the area!

And here are a few photos of the Skagit Tulip Festival in 2018. It was a beautiful couple of days. Lots of bald eagle and heron sightings. We even squeezed in a visit to the Northwest Art Museum! I am worn out but it was great to be reminded of how gorgeous the Northwest can be in springtime when the sun shines.

Questions about PR for Poets and more

Q &A for PR for Poets

Whew! Back from getting two (!!) crowns yesterday, and it’s been too rainy and cold for flower pics (but check out this local stream at flood stage) but I’ve done two events for PR for Poets so far and I noticed some repeated questions in the Q&A and thought I would address them. (And thank you to everyone who’s bought the book so far!)

(Also, Writer’s Digest has made my Podcast, “PR for Poets,” available as a fee-based tutorial – and you also get it free if you buy Poet’s Market 2018, which is a great resource for beginning and intermediate poets! Here’s the tutorial link: https://tutorials.writersdigest.com/courses/pr-for-poets)

At both the speaking event at Open Books and during my Twitter talk, there were lots of angsty questions about how to do travel and readings!

Q: Do I have to do a book tour? Is it cost-effective?
A: Good question! Most poetry publishers aren’t funding a big book tour, so yes, these are usually money-losing propositions for poets unless you’re staying with friends and family or a university or festival is paying your way. I have a fee that is my minimum for travel (because I have MS, travel’s a little harder for me these days) but I always offer to Skype in if they can’t afford the fee.

Q: Readings make me anxious – how many do I have to do?
A: I say in the book PR for Poets that many poets sell most of their books through readings, and though that’s true, there are plenty of other options that I outline in the book for you to sell books, including sending out an e-mail newsletter, book postcards, or talking to professors about teaching your book. Every book is unique, and every poet is unique. Some people are extroverted and confident public speakers – those people should do lots of readings as long as it makes them happy. But if they’re torture for you, do one or two readings in places you know you have lots of support and see how it goes from there.

Q: Should I pay a fee to a bookstore to book a reading?
A: This is a fairly new practice that I think is not good business for the author, so I would find a venue that won’t charge you. Even a coffee shop can work, or a friend’s house, for a great reading!

Q: I’m in a small town and can’t afford to travel. I’m stressed out!
A: The good news is, the internet has made the world much smaller, and you CAN get the word out about your book even if you’re in a small town. In this case, just like with those who can’t travel due to budget or health concerns, make sure you have a solid author web site, a social media presence (on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram…wherever you feel most comfortable.)

There’s way more info in the book, but I hope this will be helpful for those of you curious about the process of promoting a book! I’ll try to post some more Q&A as I field more questions about the book and the process of marketing a book of poetry.

And a special thanks to Rita Maria Martinez, who wrote the very first Amazon (and Goodreads) review! She’s also a fantastic example of someone who did a great job marketing to the special audience (esp. Jane Eyre fans) for her book of poetry, The Jane and Bertha In Me!

“I have long admired Jeannine Hall Gailey’s poetry, but I have also admired her media savvy and online presence. I have followed her blog closely over the last couple of years, and I was very excited to receive this book in the mail. PR for Poets does not disappoint. Gailey guides the reader by the hand through what can be a sometimes daunting and stressful process: promoting one’s poetry. As poets, we often focus so much on craft and fail to take the necessary steps to properly promote the fruits of our labor— poetry collections which have required precious time, sweat, and dedication. These are some of the topics Gailey covers: PR kits and sell sheets, pitch letters, social media, book prizes, reviews, readings, launch parties, and book tours. I also like that she interviews editors, poets, and industry experts throughout the book. They don’t necessarily teach all this stuff in graduate school. Much of it is learned through trial and error. Gailey’s mission is to help writers avoid some of those errors and pitfalls. I wish this book had been around when my first full-length poetry collection was accepted for publication. PR for Poets is a must-read for every poet who wants to reach as many readers as possible.”

Springtime and Aging, PR for Poets and Thinking about a Poet’s Choices

A little April tour of Seattle’s Japanese Gardens to start us off…I hope you’re not bored with my flowers yet!

PR for Poets and a Poet’s Choice

Well, the PR for Poets talk at Open Books went well, and there were so many interesting questions during the Q&A session…”How do I become a book reviewer?” “If I’ve been sick for six months after my book launch is it too late to promote the book?” “How does a chapbook compare to a book?” “What if I do all the things you’re supposed to do but your book still doesn’t sell?” All good questions that got me thinking about the life of a poet.

I thought about my own life…how did I start reviewing, and why? It was almost fifteen years ago now that I started reviewing, believe it or not. Why did I decide to do a chapbook in the beginning? I just was so excited to have my work out in the world – I think chapbooks are a beautiful art form (and great practice for what to do when your full-length book comes out.) What did I do when one of my books didn’t sell as much as I’d hoped? I did almost exactly the same things for all my books, with varying results. What happens when say, you have your book release date and you think you’re dying of cancer because at least three doctors have told you so and then you catch pneumonia the week before the book party? Yes, that happened with my last book, and looking back, it was a wonderful book party, so many friends and family there, on a beautiful day at a winery, and I barely had a voice, but I was glad I was there. I guess because I’m turning 45 this month and last year I thought I might not make it past 44 -I’m going to be personal for a second and say why I ended up finishing the PR for Poets book even when I had a bunch of bad health stuff going on in the background – why I wanted other poets to benefit from my experiences, to tell others how to make their lives as poets a little easier, though the life of a poet is sort of by definition never easy.  I hope the book does that – gives the readers a little bit about what I’ve learned, what my friends have taught me, what generous advice experts have offered.

What Makes You Happy, and a Poet’s Choices at Midlife

Anyway, today I was thinking about Mrs. Dalloway, The Hours, and Virginia Woolf’s health problems and life trajectory, and the sadness and isolation that often being a woman writer involves, being outside the mainstream. Social media can somehow both relieve the isolation and make everyone more lonely at the same time. I don’t have any kids, so I don’t have a legacy except that which I leave behind in books. I’m not miserable in exactly the way of the women of the Hours were – I appreciate my life, and I love (as you can tell) on the days I’m healthy enough to get out in the sunshine, among the flowers and deer and rabbits. I love sitting and reading in a quiet room on rainy days. My husband is a great support and makes a lot of my lately-difficult life easier than it could be. I am thankful for my friends and family, my support system, the artists and writers that have inspired me.

Sometimes my health problems can seem overwhelming – the time scheduling and attending all the medical appointments alone take up can be overwhelming – but I am happy this April to be seeing another spring, to see the little cherry tree I planted last year bloom, the tulips and daffodils show up in a garden that was pretty barren when we moved in. I got an award for my last book of poetry, Field Guide to the End of the World, which came in the mail yesterday (see below.) I’m happy to release this weird non-fiction PR for Poets book that hopefully helps some poets have an easier time than I did. I’m happy right now to be alive and able to go out a bit in the sun, to walk a little bit and watch the wildlife. I don’t know what my expectations of my life were when I was little, but I don’t know that I could have predicted how things turned out – but I know I don’t feel disappointed. I look forward to writing another book of poetry, even to sending out another book, and bringing that next book of poetry into the world. I feel scared of some aspects of my life – mortality and the scariness of the MS diagnosis and my liver tumors and etc – but I think writing has made my life better and happier, and I hope that poetry makes your life happier too, but if not, be sure to get outside and smell the..tulips. (Last pictures this post I promise!)

 

How Are You Celebrating Poetry Month? Free PR for Poets workshop tomorrow, Literary News, and More!

It’s raining sideways here today, but yesterday it was in the sixties and we had a bit of sunshine. I went out to photograph some of beginning magnolia and cherry blossoms because wind storms typically take all those petals and whoosh – they’re gone! I got some more April-appropriate pink highlights for tomorrow’s event, as you can see! Spring is definitely a good time for pink streaks!

I’m so excited for tomorrow’s PR for Poets workshop at Open Books (starts at 4:30! Come early to get your handout!) and bringing my first copies of the book to Open Books for sale. This book is unlike my other books for a lot of reasons – it’s the first time I’ve written a non-fiction book since my attempt at a memoir a couple of years ago and my actual technical book back in 2001. It’s been poetry, poetry, poetry all the time – which makes this book a little bit of an adventure for me. I hope it reaches its audience and empowers poets to take charge of their own creations in terms of how its marketed and promoted – so many times poets say, “But my publisher won’t…” (pay for a book tour, buy ads, send my book out for review” or “I don’t know how to…” (sell more books, put together a PR pitch letter, etc.) So I hope this will help people who feel that way! I certainly don’t claim to have all the answers – I’m still making notes to myself about how social media is rapidly change, for instance, and how reading habits are evolving.
Oh yes, and my box of books is here, so if you want a signed copy, you can contact me for one! I should have the order form page updated soon, but in the meantime, there are links to buy the book on Amazon and direct from Two Sylvias. And I’ll be doing a Twitter Q&A on all things PR and poetry related on April 15 (6 PM PST) as well as making an appearance at the Skagit Poetry Festival later on in May.

So, I’ve had an exciting April so far! My latest poetry manuscript was a runner-up for the Tupelo Dorset Prize, have gotten invited to four different out-of-state reading events, written five poems and worked on an AWP panel proposal. I have felt a little MS-y here at the beginning of the month (ache-y, tired, headachey, and a lot of tripping) but am hoping my energy ramps up with the spring! I’ve also set myself higher goals with my poetry submissions, trying either places I’ve never tried before or have been scared to try. I’ve been also thinking about the ways I can bring more positive energy to Facebook’s poetry community as well as here – there’s so much negativity everywhere these days that I want to contribute as much light as possible, which includes buying poetry chapbooks and books and subscribing to lit mags, but also I’m thinking of ways to lift the conversation. These are all goals. So what are you doing for yourself for poetry month?
I bought a copy of Jenn Givhan’s Girl with Death Mask and received a copy of Atticus Review’s print annual which has one of my fave poems from Field Guide to the End of the World that Atticus Review published early on – “Introduction to Spy Narrative with Love Story” (Pics with Sylvia below.) So some good reading to look forward to.

 

Happy National Poetry Month (and My Birthday Month,) More about PR for Poets and PR for Poets Events!

Welcome to April! It’s National Poetry Month, as well as my birthday month, and the month of the launch of PR for Poets! Here are some spring images for you…Cherry blossoms, a blue moon….

It’s also almost time for the launch of PR for Poets! My first event, a talk at Open Books this Sunday April 8 at 4:30, was written up in CityArts (at the bottom of the page, sure, but still there!):

http://www.cityartsmagazine.com/jinkx-monsoon-ufos-in-burien-tea-with-the-duwamish-a-new-lynn-shelton-film-weird-vulgar-theatre-first-thursday-and-the-all-new-art-walk-awards/

I hope to see some of you there!

I don’t have my copies yet (they’re supposed to be on their way here tomorrow) but people have reported getting their copies today! (Edit: They’re finally here today! Here’s a picture of Sylvia posing with a box of books!) In addition, I’ll be doing a live Twitter chat April 15 6 PM PST under the hashtag #PRforPoets to answer questions about all things PR for poetry-related.

I also got a copy of the San Diego Poetry Annual 2017-2018, which features a poem by me called “After Dark, Southern California.” Other contributors include Diane Wakowski and Marge Piercy, so exciting! Here’s a shot of Sylvia posing with the anthology, along with our new pink camellias and more cherry blossoms.

As for the beginning of April, it was nice to celebrate Easter with my little brother and his wife, watch the live new version of Jesus Christ Superstar (a thumbs up, though I will always keep a special place in my heart for the original), and I’ve already written two poems, so that’s a pretty good start to April. I’m hoping my physical energy can keep up with my enthusiasm this month – I’m hoping to see some friends, do a couple of events for PR for Poets, maybe send my new poetry book out a couple of times to potential publishers, and write/submit at a good pace – all without wiping myself out. I’m ready for the long days, the warmer weather, and the few flowers in my garden – daffodils and hyacinths, the tulips aren’t up yet. April does usually cheer me up, what with my birthday at the end of the month (keeping it low-key this year, a trip up to the tulip fields) and poetry in the air. It’s been a rough little stretch of time for me here in the last year and a half, but I’m hoping the journey will start easing up a bit the rest of the year.

Jeannine Hall Gailey

Jeannine Hall GaileyJeannine Hall Gailey served as the second Poet Laureate of Redmond, Washington and the author of Becoming the Villainess, She Returns to the Floating World, Unexplained Fevers, The Robot Scientist’s Daughter, and winner of the Moon City Press Book Prize and SFPA’s Elgin Award, Field Guide to the End of the World.  Her latest, Flare, Corona from BOA Editions, was a finalist for the Washington State Book Award. She’s also the author of PR for Poets, a Guidebook to Publicity and Marketing. Her work has been featured on NPR’s The Writer’s Almanac, Verse Daily and The Year’s Best Fantasy and Horror. Her poems have appeared in The American Poetry Review, Poetry, and JAMA.

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