Tips for Putting a Poetry Collection Together
Not every poet wants to publish their work. Some of us write just to write — to process big feelings, life events, or to figure ourselves out. Some of us write because it is our calling — no matter what we’re going through in life, we put pen to paper every day and some of that art never sees the light of day. Some of us write because we want to share our work — to be a beckon of hope for others, and to be recognized for our craft.
Whatever your reason for writing poetry, there may come a day when you decide you want to turn your poetry into a collection, and then you might decide to publish that work. This is a very exciting (and scary!) decision… but the good news is, it is less daunting than you might think.
I’ve worked with authors from all over the world who want to self-publish their books. I used to work exclusively with memoirists, but in the last year, I have expanded my work to include poetry collections and it has been one of the highlights of my career. During this process, I have had the opportunity to read so many beautiful chapbooks and have developed a few key strategies when putting a poetry collection together.
One
The first two questions I always ask new authors when I start working with them are: why? and why now? I like to make sure an author has asked themselves these questions — they might not have a solid answer, but at least it will be on the top of their mind if challenges arise. Coming back to your “why” can be important, and I find being able to remind writers of their “why” can also be very soothing if a time comes when they want to give up on the project. I will say something like, “Remember how you said in the beginning that this book might really help someone who is struggling?” I also aim to figure out why they are choosing to make a collection of their work at this moment. The “why now” might be because of a deadline, financial reasons, a life event, etc.
Two
Consider the theme and/or title of your collection. This will be helpful in the next step. While having an overall theme isn’t necessary to create any form of art, it can be helpful to find the “common thread” amongst most of the poems in your collection. For example, if the title and theme of my collection relates to depression, it doesn’t mean every single poem will reference depression, but it means that there is a common thread that the reader can see and feel throughout the book.
Three
Next, I create labels for all the poems that might go into the collection. I start one main document titled, “Possibilities” and then I ask the author to read each poem out loud to themselves and determine which of the following three categories the poem belongs to:
Yes, definitely! This is a poem that you love and think it 100% belongs in this collection
Maybe… This is a poem that might fit, but you aren’t 100% sold yet.
Not feeling it… This is a poem that might need editing… or it might be one that you remove completely and it goes into a different collection
Four
Now it is time to work on any of the poems in the “Maybe” file and determine which poems you want in your collection. During this process, you can work with a writing coach, or hire beta readers to help you sift through and edit these poems that you’re not totally happy with. At the end of this step, you should be able to move all your “Maybe” poems into the “Yes” or “No” file. The “Yes” file becomes your manuscript.
Five
Now that you have a working manuscript, it is time to put them into an order that makes sense for you. You can order your poems chronologically:
-in the order that you wrote them in
-or, in the order they took place in your life
If you don’t want to put them in quite a concise order, you can always order them backward, or randomly. The main thing to remember is that you likely want to have some hard-hitting or intense poems close to the beginning, as well as at the end.
After you have your poems selected and in order, there are many other decisions to be made! You will have to choose a title, if you haven’t already, as well as make design decisions for the cover art, font size, paperweight, etc. Next comes the fun part where you decide how to market your book! This means seeking traditional publishing or choosing to self-publish. I am an advocate for self-publishing, but it is important to be aware of what you’re getting yourself into if you choose this route. A writing coach can help with these decisions and walk you through the ups and downs of having your art out in the world.
If you’ve decided to put a collection of poetry together, you are already amazing! The fact that you are willing to write, and are working towards sharing that work is incredible. My main advice is to keep coming back to your “why,” and, when you get to publishing, be willing to ride the ups and downs—both of which will be plentiful!
