Once you have a basic marketing plan and have clearly outlined how you intend to fulfill your publishing goals, the next step is to consider your strategies, namely the "Four P's of Marketing": (a) product, (b) price, (c) place and (d) promotion. We've customize this crash course in marketing especially for poetry publishing. Yet, due to the range and diversity of poetry, there are a significant number of options available to self-published poets, as well as some marketing avenues that may even surprise you.

(a) PRODUCT: It's All About Presentation

Before you begin marketing, you want to make certain you have a well-constructed and organized product. Obviously, you don’t want your poetry to look cluttered on the page or published in a font too small to feasibly read. For various layouts, sizes and fonts that Wordclay’s professional designers believe are of the best quality, you can always access our poetry templates as well as clear layout instructions from the landing page. But always keep in mind that you are in control of your product – only you know what your target audience wants. Here are some standard tips that may help you design a presentable and professional poetry book that will make your product easily accessible:

• Remember that white space is your friend. You never have to smash your poem into a single page. Don’t be afraid to use two pages – your readers will thank you later. The alternative is a clutter of tiny words on a single page. As a reader, think about what you would prefer seeing as you first open a poetry collection.

• Size matters. Most readers want convenient poetry books, sized to take up little space in their bags or purses. Poetry collections are often thought of as literary gems or darlings, and sized accordingly, usually as 6”x9” books. Not many people can imagine lugging around an 8”x11” book of poetry, nor would they consider buying one.

• Clear, elegant fonts can do wonders. Readers are drawn to fonts that disarm as opposed to rigid ones that aggravate them. Think of invitations you’ve received in the mail. The more elegant and sparse the text, the more inviting the event seems.

• Don’t judge a book by its cover. But of course, sadly, we all do. Whether supplying your own cover artwork (an option now available through the Wordclay Service Store) or designing one yourself through the publishing wizard, a well-designed cover could give a browser the added push they need to order your book. Remember that cover text can go a long way as well. Articulate back cover blurbs and biographical information can greatly substantiate your poetic authority in the eyes of readers.

• Mind your manners and say hello. Introductory text by you, an established poet or literary authority is yet another way to convince your audience of your poetry’s merit. Have a peer or colleague read your manuscript and write a short introduction. In addition, you can always supplement your work with an author’s note, stating your vision for poetry and your experiences writing. Could be just the personal touch that connects your readers to your work.

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(b) PRICE: Finding the "Sweet Spot"

Poetry books are generally priced lower than non-fiction and fiction titles, especially collections published by emerging poets. Though your voice is distinct and your content fresh, poetry books and chapbooks are so prevalently published today that successful marketing depends heavily on price. Say you’re browsing a bookstore shelf for some poetry and you come across two collections you’re considering for purchase. One costs $8.99, and the other costs $11.99 – which are you more likely to buy? These lower priced poetry books are going to be your major competitors, and as a result, you must sell your book at a competitive price. If you’re certain you’ll publish a second book, you may want to underbid the hottest poetry sellers, and incrementally raise the price of your subsequent publications.

To determine what you should price your book, visit the poetry section in your local bookstores and study the prices of similar publications (i.e. similar in size, subject matter, style and voice). This should give you a reasonable range for the sales price for your book. Research and browse online retailers such as Amazon.com and the Wordclay Bookstore for prices as well. Who knows? You may discover niche markets and retailers that perfectly fit your title’s mood and marketing scheme.

It’s true – lowering the price of your poetry book will ultimately lower the royalties you earn with each sale. Bear in mind, though, that the more attractive the price of your book, the more copies you’re likely to sell. And the more copies you sell, the larger your readership will become, not only increasing the prestige your name will invoke when mentioned, but also paving the way for your future publications.

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(c) PLACE: Where Oh Where Has My Audience Gone?

Next, you should consider where you’ll market your particular book of poetry. Only you know the best places and locales that will work for you and your title, so make a list of all the possible platforms that can successfully showcase your book. When you’re pondering where your book will sell and where you plan on focusing your first wave of marketing efforts, there are two levels of “place” you should examine, namely (i) geographic locations, and (ii) other online and offline meeting places.

Geographic Locations: Start Locally. If you’re a new arrival on the literary scene, then you may want to start with a local readership and eventually spread out into a more regional demographic. As a local author, you definitely have a clear advantage over the faceless, distant poets who send e-mails and letters. Local bookstores and literary centers are always looking for ways to make money and promote their organizations, and local authors can help them greatly. Not only is it more convenient for you to arrange that local retailers feature your book, but it’s much easier to host signings, readings and other events as well.

After a few events, you can reference these valuable experiences when contacting media outlets in your area to suggest an interview, paving the way for future promotion of your title. After a few successful open mic nights, neighborhood coffeehouses may even agree to sell your poetry collection at the counter.

Your local connections and efforts will have a much greater impact initially as a jumping-off point to spread to regional or national levels.

Of course, every rule has it exception. If you live in New York City, you may already be marketing on a national level. Due to the significant chunk of media outlets, publishing houses and literary institutions located in New York, your exposure has the potential of reaching around the world. Whether local or national, however, always remember that you still need to put in the hours and constantly apprise the media and your future readers of your publication. Your collection doesn’t sell itself – you do!

Your Demographic: A Cultural Space. In addition to your local connections, including any cities where you lived previously, lived while attending college, hometowns, etc., you can also play on any locations mentioned in the book. Remember: target your audience. People like to read poetry they personally relate to on some level.

Identify the kind of regional demographic your poetry targets, namely the atmosphere where you lead your daily life. Do you live in the Southwest, and does your writing have a Southwestern tone? Does your poetry examine or deal with a specific culture unique to you? Poetry that examines the Korean-American experience may have a vast niche market just waiting for your collection. As a result, if your poetry contains cultural content or styles, you should definitely list (and engage) these veins when you broaden your marketing focus.

Once you’ve established your place among your local and regional spheres, you may want to take your poetry book to the next level. But penetrating and remaining active within the national market is probably the most difficult of the “Place” hierarchy, and can typically only be done after all other local and regional outlets have been saturated. Again, remember your audience and be specific. "Everyone" is not specific enough, neither is "poets."

Next, evaluate target cities and institutions you want to visit for promotional efforts. For example, with a book of blues poems, you may organize a book tour that takes you through many proclaimed blues communities, such New York, Chicago, New Orleans, Memphis, and others. Whatever locations you choose, now’s not the time to relax. You may think by reaching a national audience, your book should sell itself. But national or not, markets are markets, and the national one behaves no differently than the regional or the local. If anything, storming the national market is the time to double your efforts. Envision the venues, months of the year, trends that best fit your poetry, and seek them out.

Long Distance Relationships: What Occupies Your Audience’s Time? Once you've identified geographic locations where you will market your book, next, you need to identify the places where you can actually find your audience members. Finding places where your audience gathers on a regular basis, both online and offline, is key to planning your marketing strategy.

Consider platforms such as literary forums, poetry book clubs, creative writing seminars, book fairs and publishing conferences, where you might meet new readers. Another “place” aspect to consider is where (or on what) your potential fans are spending their time. Do they subscribe to or publish within certain journals, newsletters, online communities or daily blogs? Do they regularly listen to a particular radio station? These places where distance can be folded between you and your audience can be invaluable resources once you begin to actively promote your book.

Consider some of these general places (and organizations) where your audience resides:

• Local Universities and Neighboring Libraries

• Artistic Organizations (i.e. Art Galleries, Poetry Centers and Literary Magazines)

• Conferences and Literary Events (i.e. AWP Conference and Bread Loaf)

• Bookstores (i.e. Barnes & Noble and independent bookstores)

• Cultural Institutions and Centers (varies depending on ethnicity, background and style)

Shopping Habit: In addition to the venues you’re consider for your future promotions, you also need to think about where your audience shops. Generally speaking, people (especially writers) are creatures of habit and will continue shopping where they’ve always shopped. On the national level, most readers order books online, and it’s likely they’re not going to step outside their comfort zone and radically change venders for you. Besides, nobody wants to hunt for your book into obscurity, and you already want them to find it easily, so why not make it easier for everyone?

Fortunately, Wordclay has anticipated such situations, and now offers a variety of distribution packages through our Services Store that will make your title available at more than 25,000 online retailers, including Amazon.com and Barnes & Noble. Either way, poetry enthusiasts will want to conveniently order your book, and the last thing you want are buyers who are unable to order your title. A distribution package can make you secure with the knowledge that readers worldwide can easily order your book from their home, office or local bookstore.

Another package to consider if you want bookstores to stock your book on their shelves is Wordclay’s Retail Return Insurance, which allows booksellers to return unsold copies of your books. Retailers are hesitant to take on new authors, especially if they are self-published, but with the Retail Return Insurance, the risk to them is greatly reduced. Knowing that they’re covered whether or not your book sells will definitely increase your chances of being picked up by brick-and-mortar bookstores. The best part about this package is that you keep the royalties for each book the retailer orders, whether they return copies or not. Say a bookstore managers orders 10 copies of your book, sells six and returns four, you get paid for all 10 – it’s just smart business.

Of course, you have to stop into their bookstore and convince them that you book is the poetry collection belongs on their shelves. Bring a copy of your book and documentation of your previous sales. Mention the past, present and future events you have booked. Retailers want to believe in you, and it’s your job to present (and build) the facts that will make your case.

All in all, think bigger. Always book your time wisely as well as effectively, and always consider new, untapped marketing methods.

Remember, there are other poets just like you waiting for their fifteen minutes, so remain active within your scene, write and strive to maintain a loyal readership base. The more enthusiastically and consistently you inhabit the spotlight, the more your readers will remember you and expect your new poetry release in the future.

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(d) PROMOTION: Reaching Out and Touching Readers

Promotion is always ongoing, especially with poetry, and your marketing plan should examine a number of different angles. There are traditional methods and promotional events you can arrange, but there are also many non-traditional areas just waiting for your poetry book. Your mission should include tapping the traditional promotion ground, while considering (and exploring) different marketing modes that may benefit your sales as well as your reputation.

Looking for advice on a particular promotional avenue? Jump directly to your area of interest:

• Book signings
• Readings
• Book Tours
• Interviews
• Reviews
• Print Advertisements
• Online Communities
• Blogs
• Online Advertising

Let's first take a look at the traditional promotion categories:

(i) Book signings:

Once you’ve published your book, you can begin to arrange book signings. Visit a bookstore you’ve targeted for a signing and present your best case. Tell the person behind the counter you’re an author, and you would like to speak to a manager. Dress appropriately, as though for a business meeting, always remain professional, and never plead your case. The evidence you present to any manager or owner should speak for itself.

Speaking of the evidence, make sure to bring a copy of your book as well as documentation of your sales and publications. It's best to create a press kit that you can leave with a manager, which includes information about your book, any press releases that have been distributed and a record of any media coverage you've received. You can purchase starter press kits through Wordclay for a professional touch. If you have other events planned or books, don’t hesitate to tell the manager. They want to “keep up with the Jones’s bookstore” down the block as much as you want to publicize your book. If you’ve displayed success in the past (especially the recent past), you will more than likely draw a crowd, increasing the chances of new customers buying books from their location.

On the subject of bookstores, walking into a Borders or a Barnes & Nobel might not be your best initial approach. Start with your locally-owned and managed bookstores – they love promoting local talents. Once you’ve generated enough community buzz, then you can approach the chain bookstores with more confidence and experience. As you expand into the regional and national markets, don’t forget about independent bookstores. Most literary individuals (and poets!) frequent independent establishments instead of impersonal bookstore chains, not to mention the fact that the events conducted at independent bookstores are often times much more impressive and intimate, allowing you to connect with your audience on a personal level.

Meeting up-close-and-personal to arranging a book signing is your best bet. Show the manager you mean business by showing up and proving you’re a perfect fit for their store. Calling bookstores in order to arrange a signing can be more difficult and is often met with distrust. Of course, if you're setting up a signing out of town and a visit is out the question, be sure to offer to mail or e-mail any supplemental information about your book.

Once you have a book signing arranged, you should consider ways of drawing your crowd to the event. The most effective methods of making communities aware of your event is through posting flyers at coffeehouses, poetry centers, galleries, wherever you believe people of interest frequent. You can make your own promotional materials, or you can always order materials from Wordclay’s Services Store and allow one of our professional designers to generate flyers, posters, whatever your heart’s desire, listing all your event information, including time, location and other attending authors.

(ii) Readings:

Often supplemental to book signings, readings are arranged in a similar way. Visit your local bookstore, present your case in a well-organized, convincing manner and await their response patiently. The benefit of readings is that they can take on many forms. While signings are generally confined to bookstores (though this is not always the case), readings can be conducted anywhere.

You can arrange a reading of one of your poems on a radio station. You can attend open mic nights, read from your book and sell copies afterwards. If you live near a university, you can always contact the creative writing department and see if you can piggyback on a reading already organized. You can record yourself reading aloud and post sound clips on your Web page. The possibilities are endless!

Think of the flamboyantly theatrical poet Dylan Thomas, and his recorded (and re-recorded) poem, “Do not go gentle into that good night.” Everyone has heard this poem at least once in their lifetime, and it’s almost like a classic hit song now. The reading of this poem alone has done wonders for Thomas’s claim to fame, and a reading of your poetry could have a similar impact – who knows? If listeners get a piece of your poem stuck in their heads, repeating it over and over like music, it’s only a matter of time before they stop and order your collection.

Consider recording your poems onto compact disks and marketing in the audio realm. Or have a recognized personality read your work aloud and publish the album as a collaborative piece – this only opens up new, rich marketing avenues, but also gives you the combined selling power of two individuals instead of just one, namely you.

Generally-speaking, these events are free, open to the public and often encourage a relaxed, conversational approach to literature. It may be the perfect way for you to unwind, talk shop and get some new fans. Reading your poetry aloud might lend your collection the personal touch that some readers need in order to really commit to writers and their work.

(iii) Book tours:

Obviously, book tours are larger scale projects that are actually a string of signings, readings, interviews and other events. Organizing a book tour takes time, energy and diligence to start. More often than not, a hired publicist will arrange book tours, but individual authors are always more than welcome to tackle these as well. Before you begin arrangements for a tour, make sure all your ducks are in a row. Do you have the funds to leave your job and travel for a few weeks? How many copies of your book should you bring with you on the road? Have you arranged for proper accommodations? Is anyone willing to sponsor your tour?

Being a poetry collection by an emerging writer, likely, you’ll be footing the bill for your first book tour, but keep in mind the more successful your first tour, the better your chances of getting financial assistance and better venues in the future. If you have a particular marketing point to your poetry – perhaps a regional voice with a trendy political subject – you may want to appeal to grant foundations and political organizations that share your views for possible funding as well.

Book tours can often be exhilarating as much as they can be exhausting, so make sure to factor in relaxation time. In order to make the best impression, you want to stay energetic and healthy. What venues will want to rebook you if you have to cancel the first time around due to sickness or sheer exhaustion?

(iv) Interviews:

Of course interviews are a great way of both publicizing your book as well as confirming your professional reputation with your public. Being able to hear your voice and see your mannerisms will create a connection between you and interested listeners.

Once your collection becomes available, you may consider notifying your local media outlets and suggesting interviews. The best way to inform radio, television and other media outlets of your title is by distributing a professionally-written press release.

If you’ve worked within a media outlet, you understand the importance of an informative, yet brief release that immediately catches the eye of editors. If you’re not 100 percent certain you can successfully draft and distribute a press release, you can always purchase this service through our Services Store. One of our seasoned promotional writers will draft your unique press release using Associated Press Style guidelines, and Wordclay will distribute it to the media outlets within the cities you select, so that you can reach your targeted audience(s).

After successfully carrying out an interview, it’s also important to revisit the interviews in which you participate. For example, a recording of a radio interview can easily be converted into a pod cast and posted to Web sites. Even referring to your interview within blogs can drive internet traffic to an archived article about your book. You can make your coverage and media exposure work for you weeks after a single appearance.

(v) Reviews:

In order to maximize the review of your work, it’s necessary to divide your poetry into two phases: (a) before you publish and (b) after you publish.

(a) If you’ve published individual poems in magazines or literary journals, you may want to contact the editor and ask for a few lines about your poetry. Ask them the reason the editors chose your poem to publish within their pages, what emotions or thoughts your work invoked in them and if your poetry is reminiscent of any already-established poets.

Or perhaps you know a fellow author who’s willing to submit a few words about your poetry or an old writing professor who has always enjoyed your work – what’s the harm in sending them a draft of your manuscript and asking for a review?

Once you have a few good reviews and secured the permission of the reviews you’ve solicited, you can then post some of these on your cover, back cover or within the first few pages. Not only will these brief quotes lend credibility to your work that readers might otherwise have to search out on their own time, but it will also pave the way for further reviews after you’ve officially published.

(b) After you’ve published your book, and it's available for order, you should consider having it reviewed by professionals. Since media outlets are extremely busy and often have a book review queue filled for months, blind book submissions to magazines and newspapers might not be the most effective use of your marketing time.

Of course, if you have friends who review books for magazines, you could send them a copy of your collection. But, in most cases, in order to hook bigger media outlets into reviews, you may need to start smaller. Consider sending copies to poetry book groups or online communities that review books frequently, such as TeensPoint.org or Twisted Librarian, to name a few.

Professionals posting reviews about your poetry will spark discussion and drive readers to order your book, if only to participate in the ongoing blog conversation. Even a poor review can earn you marketing points. Not only can you benefit from the constructive criticism, but you’ll enjoy the talk (and perhaps defense) of your book.

(vi) Print advertisements:

Buying space in a magazine or newspaper and submitting an advertisement for your collection has the potential to intrigue readers, but this is also a dangerous game. Make sure you do your research before you purchase ad space. Remember your target audience. You want to select a periodical that will pique your audience’s interest. Obviously, a poetry collection with language that leans toward the abrasive would not have a good advertising home within Reader’s Digest or another more family-oriented publication. But an ad in your local alternative paper might help get your community motivated for an upcoming signing or reading.

Remember your budget as well. Advertisements often cost a great deal of money, and can eat away at your reserve marketing funds quickly. Pace yourself. Once you’ve done the research and selected the publications that best fit your audience and budget, time your ads to maximize your earning potential.

Be Resilient: Promote Actively. Contact the appropriate media when you’re ready for interviews, poetry discussions and public exposure. Once you’ve arranged a radio interview with one syndicated radio station, call others, tell them about your upcoming interview and see if they're interested in arranging another. E-mail national magazines that may be interested in publishing some of your new pieces in their next issue. Continue networking with publishers, editors, agents and other writers. Attend book fairs and literary conventions. Submit your work to poetry book contests, some of which can be linked to from our “Other Resources” section.

Marketing Your Poetry Online:

While there are traditional methods of marketing poetry, new, innovative ways of publicizing poetry collections have been surfacing since the birth of the Internet, namely (vii) online communities, (viii) blogs and (ix) online advertising. These methods can perform a vital role in your book’s promotion, and allow you to actively engage your audience on a daily basis.

(vii) Online Communities:

If there’s an idea, then there’s an online community started already. You and your poetry collection could fit perfectly into one of these communities. Do a quick search for “poetry community” and read through the results. You may want to narrow your focus even more, by selecting “Chinese poetry community” or “Experimental poetry community." You’ll be surprised when you find that more than one actually suits you.

Become a member and make some friends. Mention your book on your profile and perhaps post a poem for all to read. Embed a link to the order form for your book. Participate in poetry conversations and debates. Once you’ve become a well-known personality within the community and have other members interested in your writing, it should be easy to convince them to purchase your book, attend your upcoming event or refer your poetry to a friend.

The major benefit of online communities is that you can promote your book by being yourself, actively talking about poetry and posting your new poems and opinions within blogs.

Be on the lookout for other communities as well, ones that might not have such an obvious link to your poetry, but may have other connections, such as politics, style, members, message or inspiration. The more places you frequent and provide valuable feedback, the more likely you’ll drive other members to your profile and your book.

(viii) Blogs:

Start your own poetry blog or jump on an existing one – whatever direction you choose to take, posting regularly on blogs is a perfect way to actively engage Internet surfers. When you provide interesting and relevant comments on articles, both within your personal blog and responses to articles you found on other blogs, other people will notice and look for you in the future. Link back to your own blog and feature your book on the page.

Set aside maybe an hour a day to read your favorite blogs, research articles and post your responses. The more you post and actively participate within blogging communities, the more traffic you’ll notice on your Web site(s). But make sure to post regularly. As much as your insights will be valued, blog followers will admire (and respect) your consistency as well. They’ll begin to expect your presence and trust your words of advice, which will only encourage them further to purchase and read your book.

Don’t stop there. Go outside merely discussing your book and post about articles you’ve read in your favorite publishing periodicals, interviews you caught the night before, writing strategies, any topic to get the conversation rolling. The more you post, the more Internet searches will bring up your name and the keywords you often use. Essentially, you’re building a cyber net to catch your audience, and the fewer holes you have in your net, the less potential readers will escape your grasp.

(ix) Online advertising:

Print ads work, but don’t forget about the Internet. Anyone can purchase pay-per-click ads through popular search engines, such as Google, Yahoo, and MSN.com. There are also static and active ads that you may want to consider designing or having designed for various Web sites. For file sizes, dimensions and other relevant information, we recommend that you contact the Advertising Representative of the Web site that’s pique your interest.

If you know of other poets (or artists) marketing their work, you may want to partner with them, exchange ads to post, include them in your e-newsletters, perhaps even comment within their blog. Partner with other online communities that review books, read poetry and actively engage members on a regular basis. Collaborate and post responses to articles from other members as well as other authors with whom you’ve teamed up. Get excited about the future of poetry and other poets. The more knowledge of your community you express and command, the more readers will trust your words and order your book. Remember, knowledge is power!

Launching your own Web site or poetry blog can help act as advertising too, if you can keep up with certain trends and tactics to optimize your site for search engine results (for those interested in learning more, search the Internet for "SEO" best practices).

The newest trends in book trailers are filtering through the Internet even now, and you can always post your own at such places as YouTube or Myspace. If you lack audiovisual experience, you may want to contact trailer professionals, some of which can be located on the Book Marketing Network at http://bookmarket.ning.com .

Whatever you decide, keep in mind the rules of thumb. Avoid floating head shots for solid minutes, but rather use your trailer to tell a vivid, memorable story about your book, its conception, its topic, its publications and its importance to the world. For more information on book trailers and generating them, we recommend you watch a few online and connect with Internet video specialists.

Never Surrender! Now that you have a better understanding of the poetry marketing basics, it’s time to sit down and brainstorm. Start your marketing plan and develop your strategies with Internet research, active engagement and the development of your literary product. By setting goals, staying focused and utilizing the resources available to you through Wordclay, you will undoubtedly discover a world of success within the publishing industry.

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