Get Your Poetry Collection Published
I’ve just been looking at online thoughts about the pay to be considered idea for poetry, and wonder how you feel about it? There is no charge to submit to a full length collection to Ginninderra Press, nor to Pure Slush/Truth Serum Press (two important South Australian Publishers), but there are certainly reading fees if you wish to submit to many other publishers.
How do you feel about the idea of paying a fee to submit your poetry? I don’t feel that is something I wish to take part in. My finances don’t run to paying money to have a poetry collection considered for publication, not at the moment anyway.
I am willing to pay a competition fee, for entering a poetry competition, and I am the Competition Secretary for Adelaide Plains Poets, a writing group that also runs a national poetry competition every year. This competition has a fee for entering, for the Open (Adult) section, but not for the two student sections, it is free for them to enter, but the students can only submit one poem.
This competition has cash prizes for the top three entries in each of the sections, quite good prizes, and the fee is only $10 for the first entry, and $5 for subsequent entries, from each adult entrant. I haven’t taken a big look at such things, but I think our fee per possible prize ration is fair.
So, What Do You Think?
I hope to get responses from other poets about this issue. Both from poets who submit manuscripts for possible publication, and those who submit individual poems or groups of up to five or so for publication in a journal or other literary publication.
This website has the article with some interesting information. I think the idea of paying big dollars for a little result is something that has been going on for many years. Poets or wannabees, are often ripped off by unruly types.
There are many ‘publishers’ who are more than willing to assist people who want to self-publish their work, and charge exorbitant fees too, with little in the way of producing a quality book one to be proud of, nor much money put into the marketing of the books.
Please leave a message, this is an important thing. Poets tend to not be rich people with lots of money to spare.
Carolyn Cordon - Creative 
I agree. Covering costs is one thing but fleecing people’s hopes is another. I wish people could be paid for their creativity more often!
LikeLike
Yes, covering costs, that’s all the fee should be doing. Not making the organisers rich! Thanks, it would be great if poets and other writers got paid properly for the hours and hours that may go into producing their work/words!
LikeLike
I agree Carolyn. I am happy to pay an entry fee for written competitions and I think the Adelaide Plains competition fees are very reasonable. I especially support your free entries for juniors. However to pay exorbitant fees to a publishing house carries a risk of never being able to recoup costs. Poetry in particular targets a niche market and let’s face it, producing a best seller is unlikely.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Yes Shelley, poets write for the love of writing, at least in the beginning, but even so, they are unlikely to be earning big dollars from their poetry, no matter what. I am certainly not earning big dollars, even with 7 published books, two of which are poetry collections. I do some poetry writing workshops, but there has been little payment in that for me so far, and I don’t mind, because I am working for groups that are mostly unable to pay.
I enjoy that work very much, it keeps me happy to be helping, and the world always needs more poets in it!
LikeLike
I wouldn’t bother with any publisher who charges a fee for your collection to be considered. Gininderra are terrific. I don’t think publishers even charge for novel submissions to be considered though I think they only want the first three chapters
LikeLike
There will always be some horrible person who will try to rip you off, if they can, whatever you’re doing. That’s why spreading the word amongst others is a good thing – knowledge is power!
LikeLiked by 1 person