The Process

Patience is everything.

In August of 2009, I sent my fourth poetry manuscript "Variance" to five publishers. A few weeks later, I received an offer of publication from a small but fairly well-known Canadian publisher. Of course, I was thrilled. But the offer wasn't all it seemed. The publisher wanted me to guarantee that I would purchase a third of the run, which worked out to about $2,000. He was very adamant that his company is not a vanity press (a publisher that will print anything if you pay them enough). I agreed. He was willing to put some money into the project, and, as he said, "we always lose money on poetry." No, this publisher wasn't a vanity press -- they are a subsidy press. This title didn't sit well with the publisher either.

So, I let that one fall away.

A rejection from a second publisher followed: all part of the process.

Then, in November, came a real offer from a very real, small publisher. BuschekBooks from Ottawa offered a no-strings, straight-up publishing deal for a first book of poetry. I accepted.

Many people ask how i choose publishers and markets to send to. It's always a gamble. Sending your work away, you have to accept that it becomes prey to the whims of chance and the tastes of editors. A piece that might be perfect for a specific magazine or journal might find an editor in the middle of the worst day of his or her life. So, it's not enough that the work has to be good. It has to be received at the precise moment when it will be welcomed.

When i first began sending my work away, 24 years ago (yes, it's been, and continues to be, a long apprenticeship) I'd send to the largest markets possible. Write a short science fiction story, it's going to Asimov's. Write a poem, it's going to Poetry. Of course, these were always rejected. After years of this, and needing to make a living at something, I started to pitch ideas for articles to small, regional magazines. The old High Grader, run by now-MP Charlie Angus and his partner Brit Griffin, was a fine publication in my backyard. After a few rejected pitches, I landed an article there and wrote freelance for them for about four years. They were great to work for and they taught me a lot about writing, publishing, and getting the story.

With a few publishing credits to my name, I branched out and began pitching to all manner of magazine -- this was in the mid-90s, the internet hadn't squashed the magazine market just yet -- and over the years wrote CD, book, concert and product reviews, articles on everything from bridge maintenance and snow removal, bloodhounds, and pet cemeteries. It was fun. It was also exhausting.

The freelance writer works every moment of the day, always looking for a story and a market for that story. During the most intense period of my freelance experience, I was sending out about 50 pitches a week and maybe getting 3 jobs/month. Sometimes these were well paying, several thousand dollars for an article with photos. Other times, the gig paid 50 dollars for a CD or book review. It averaged out around $200/job. Considering that each article took about a few days to a week to research and write, it's easy to see that it can be a hard go.

Over time, one builds up a list of clients. Sometimes the unexpected happens, editors change and bring in new writers, magazines fold, or airplanes smash into the World Trade Center.

The freelance market, along with everything else, was shaken by the attacks of 911. One of my most lucrative clients lost all of its ad revenue in one week and folded. It resurrected a couple of years later but as an in-house only magazine, meaning no freelance writers. Other magazines went the same way, tightening the editorial belt.

But I started out discussing a book of poetry, which is an entirely (almost) different thing from freelance writing. First, there is little to no money in poetry. Publishers offering poetry are really doing cultural work on the frontlines. Therefore, it's not about money -- whereas much of the freelance work I've done (and continue to do) was (and is) about money.

Back to the question: "How do you choose which publishers to send a poetry manuscript to?"
Here, for what it's worth, were some of my considerations:

1. What writers are in the publisher's stable? If there are writers there that you admire, good. If you see that some of the writers have gone on to publish more books with the same publisher or with other publishers, better;

2. Are they small enough to care? Will my book be just another in a list that will be forgotten as the publisher labours on its next batch of releases, or will they work with me to promote the book and give some guidance throughout the process? I read everything I could about the publisher, including interviews with their authors to determine whether they stand by their writers;

3. Are their books nominated for awards? It's not about winning, or even being nominated. Awards mean nothing to the work itself. Yet, if a publisher's books are consistently nominated for awards, it means that someone is at work. You want a publisher that will promote the book.

4. How long is the waiting time. I've had manuscripts sit on editors' desks for a year and longer. Life's short, get on with it.

5. How likely is the publisher to read the manuscript and to accept it? With a first book of poetry, or any literary work, it's difficult to get noticed. Many large publishers accept only work submitted by agents. It's unlikely that Faber & Faber is going to accept a first book of poetry from a Canadian poet with a few poems published in literary journals. This is not to say it can't happen. Personally, looking at the pattern of my life and, ahem, career, a contract from F&F seems unlikely. So, go closer to home.

Okay, this should have been two entries: one on freelance writing; one on poetry publishing.

Back to the beginning. I accepted the offer from BuschekBooks. My manuscript underwent significant transformation and will be published as Ghost Music this fall. As of this writing, we are entering the final edit phase, tossing away some poems, polishing others.

I will post all updates and adventures here as the book goes to print and as I wander the earth promoting it, and will try to stay on topic.

Thanks for reading.