Ivy PagePoetic Entanglement

Feb
1stBook Publishing, and Cold Winter Nights.

Look out! Two blog posts in one month!
It has been a long weekend for me. I took a couple of extra days off of work this weekend, for sanity’s sake. As it is with every company, my day-job has felt the proverbial crunch of the current market. Because of this, we have all taken a 10% pay-cut for the second time in a year. Thank goodness for teaching part-time! So many people I know are picking up second jobs just to get by, that is, if they can find one.
As I consider how it could be worse, I am thankful for all that I have. A warm house is among the things I am thankful for tonight. The temperatures this weekend have dipped as low at 1 degree! Welcome to an after-the-January-thaw New Hampshire freeze. The other things I am thankful for are an amazing husband, good friends, a loving and supportive mom and dad, and my beautiful daughters. Without the support and love that we get from people like these in our lives, times like these would be unbearable!
Just recently I submitted my manuscript to a few publishers. The first that showed an interest was, Plain View Press. After discovering that they were a cooperative, and offered to look at my manuscript with the understanding that I would foot the entire publication bill, I turned them down. Now, there is nothing wrong with co-ops.  However, the co-op should offer something more than putting their name on your book. You should always look into whether the co-op offers help with distribution and promotion.
The second publisher I queried was Salmon Poetry, out of Ireland. I felt this was a long-shot, but if I didn’t try I would never know. After sending my query letter and 10 poems as a sample of my work, the Managing Director, Jessie Lendennie asked to see my whole manuscript. Their list is full until 2012, so even if they do decide to publish me, there is a wait. Not that I mind! I would be honored to be published in Salmon Poetry. They are the biggest publisher of poetry in Ireland, and they published Ray Bradbury’s poetry!!! (Crossing fingers and toes at this point!) I should hear from them in the next few weeks!

There are other publishing houses like, Write Bloody!  I love Write Bloody Publishing, and I previously mentioned in this post that they were a co-op.  Mr. Brown, of Write Bloody corrected my information.  They are not a co-op!  Mr. Brown states in his comment, “We are a publishing house. The author fronts nothing as in all traditional houses. They also receive royalties and we do promotion. Our difference is that authors must tour.”  Thank you Mr. Brown for letting me know.  I do enjoy what you have published!  Some of my good friends, Mighty Mike McGee, Lea Deschenes, and Victor Infante, are all wonderful poets that have been published through your press.  I am sorry for my confusion on this matter.

I am thrilled to say that OVS Magazine produced the first issue, and it is lovely.  We are in the throws of receiving submissions for the second issue.  I am thrilled that we are getting more art submissions, and the poetry submission are coming in fits and starts.  I feel confident that we will have another wonderful copy in May!