A. Poulin, Jr. Poetry Prize

Ask yourself this question. When was the last time you went into a book store and bought a book of poetry? For many of us the answer is never. That is why there are so few traditional publishers willing to publish your poetry manuscript; there just isn’t a big enough market to sell your book of poetry. Many have turned to self-publishing as a way of self financing their dream of publication and that is a viable option for today’s poet. Over the years I’ve spoken to many poets who feel their work is to good for self-publishing and what I tell them is that it doesn’t matter how good your poetry is, if you don’t have some way of marketing yourself and your book than no publisher is interested. There are very few literary agents willing to take on clients who are poets because the retail market for poetry is so poor.

There is one publisher who still accepts manuscripts for review. Boa Editions, Ltd. is a publisher who specializes in publishing poetry. They hold a yearly contest for the A. Poulin, Jr. Poetry Prize which is awarded to honor a poet's first book. If you have a poetry manuscript and you’ve never published a book of poetry than I suggest this contest. It is an extremely competitive competition so be prepared for a negative response, but you can’t win if you don’t submit your book.

Good Luck,
Pete

Eber & Wein Publishing, a good opportunity

Eber & Wein Publishing sponsors a poetry contest. The company is one of very few that offer cash prizes for beginning writers. They collect the names from people who enter the contest and offer them their publishing services. This is a normal business practice in many industries. Some writers believe there are publishers who are willing to pay you for your poetry and this is simply untrue, especially if you are an amateur poet. It is true that this is not considered a professional publishing credit. This type of publishing is consistent to having your work published in local news papers, church newsletters, or chap books.

My research into this company confirms that you don’t have to buy a book in order for your poem to appear in one of their publications, which is also unusual for this type of publisher. Another interesting practice of Eber & Wein Publishing is that anyone can purchase their books at major online retailers. My conclusion is if you are a new writer and want to share your poetry, this is a good opportunity.