It’s National Poetry Month!
What better way to celebrate poetry than to release a book of poems? That’s how I plan to celebrate this month! My upcoming anthology Picture Perfect Poetry: An Anthology of Ekphrastic Nature Poetry For Students will be published later this week (hopefully)!
Last week, the authors included in the book got their first glimpse at the anthology cover!
I received some nice feedback from them!
As I think about the journey I took starting last year on the first of August, I’ve come a long way!
Twenty-four author-photographers came along with me for the ride! They hail from four countries on three continents: the United States, the United Kingdom, Canada, and Australia!
Tip #1: Invite others to join you
Self-publishing a book is a time-consuming experience. It is filled with learning curves that constantly challenge but provide personal and professional growth as a writer. The key here is to persevere and continue creating your product – the book!
As I moved from the submission stage: August 1st – November 1st, 2023, to the layout and design stage – November 1st to February 1st, and finally to the editing stage from February 15th to March 15th, I encountered some obstacles but was able to overcome each of them by working hard and trying different ways to troubleshoot.
Now, the hardest part might be in front of me – marketing! So, what better way to market than to share tips about my journey as an indie publisher for a poetry anthology during poetry month?!
Each day this month, I hope to do just that!
Today, I’ll just start with a cover reveal!
The cover features one of my photographs of a mushroom. This purplish beauty was found in Acadia National Park in September 2022. Several poems in the anthology use fungi as their poetic inspiration. Therefore, I thought it was a fitting cover. Plus, I just loved how it looked!
I hope you visit often this month to celebrate poetry, writing, creativity, and community! Plus, you’ll get some insight into the world of indie publishing from an indie author-publisher!
The Apples in My Orchard 
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