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.