Show #11

This week on the IndieBookMan Show, we are talking about publishing poetry.

Who reads poetry? Who buys books of poetry? Who is crazy enough to write and sell books of poetry? Actually, you may be surprised. Hang out with us this week as we look at poetry, and different ways of publishing it. We also ask – what is the state of publishing poetry today? You will also get some great advice if you are a poet, and looking to publish.

Listen in as:

• Sean tries to sneak a haiku into the show.
• We have a talk with Marc Beaudin, who has been self-publishing and successfully selling his poetry in chapbooks, as well as full-length book of of poetry called, “The Moon Cracks Open.”
• Christophe Casamassima of Furniture Press is back, and tells about about a crazy scheme where he leaves published poetry laying around in public, for anyone to pick up and enjoy.
• We then speak with former Maryland Poet Laureate Michael Collier. He shares some really insightful thoughts on poetry, and gives some of the best advice you could ask for if you are looking to publish.
• And then we close things out with our weekly call to Karl Brown. I’m not going to tell you what we get from him this week, but let me just say this: He bares his soul. Karl Brown bares his very soul.

Special thanks this week to Sudara of RamenMusic.com for the use of his music.

We will be back on March 23rd with our 12th episode, “Your Website” We will look at what you could – and maybe even should – be doing with your website to maximize your books sales.

And now, please enjoy Publishing Poetry:

This week’s Report features poetry by Turkish poet, translator, photographer & musician Yusuf Eradam, and music by the Sonny Clark Trio. Click here to read more and listen to the episode.

… poetry & jazz from the Grizfork Studio, in the shadow of the Absarokas, in the reflection of the Yellowstone River, in the range of the redtail and raven …

Episode #51 is a special memorial tribute to fallen Saginistas Bruce Crawley, Al Hellus and Buddy “Shabazz” Harris, featuring some unpublished poems by Al and music by Al Hellus and the Plastic Haiku Band.

Episode #52 features the poem “Loon Point (Gavia Immer)” from my book The Moon Cracks Open: A Field Guide to the Birds and music by the legendary Teddy Edwards.

(POETS: To have your poems considered for a feature read on Report from the Mountains, contact me through the rftm blog for the address to send your book or manuscript. Thanks. ~Marc)

Episode # 50 is now online featuring the poem “The Illness of Windows (Junco Hyemalis)” and “Hymn to Freedom” from the Oscar Peterson Trio.

I know Valentine’s Day is met with plenty of disdain in general, and I get that. It’s supposeldy an “invented” holiday (though that’s pretty much a lie) that really is a win-a-little-or-lose-a-lot situation.

In the end does Valentine’s Day really ever make anyone very happy? Either A) Someone doesn’t live up to your expectations or, worse, B) You have no one to have expectations about, or, worst of all C) someone does somehow manage to live up to your expectations – effing up the holiday for you for the rest of your life because you know it’s never going to happen again.

I get all that.

But why is that Cupid’s fault? He gets so little love anyway. My daughter, almost 6 years old, has Santa, the Easter Bunny and even The Tooth Fairy tattooed into the synaptic flesh of the deepest most primal regions of her young little brain. But this morning she asked my wife and I why that baby had a bow and arrow. And, even after explaining the whole thing to her carefully, she still calls him “the baby with the bow and arrow.”

I guess the whole thing comes down to P.R. And TSYG. That’s, Tangible Shit You Get. Santa offers that in spades, and the Easter Bunny leaves you rolling in it too. Tooth fairy lays out flat cash. Cupid? Love. That’s not tangible. That’s no TSYG.

My daughter understands this. So, she won’t remember his name.

But look, were all adults now, right? We are beyond TSYG. We don’t get the TS any more anyway. Can’t we have a little sympathy for the guy? Isn’t the fact that he drew the lame-o card from the Holiday Super Powers deck a reason to like him more?

He’s like Aqua Man. Aqua Man can’t really do a damn thing but heard fish, and we loved him for that! Awe man, Aqua Man is gonna solve the problem with Salmon. That’ll never work but it’s so cute. GO AQUA MAN, YOU CAN DO IT!

But not cupid. Poor Cupid.

Perhaps he should try a little of his own medicine… shoot us, shoot himself. We would fall in love with him. Except, we all know… he certainly knows… that those damn arrows cause more problems than they have ever solved.

I guess that’s part of the reason too. Damn arrows.

Anyway – I think this MP3 helps to explain it all. In any case, it’s some damn brilliant writing. Listen to it:

Joshua Idehen & Dan Le Sac
Dylan on Cupid

I don’t know Maryann, and have never spoken with her. She is only 3 posts in as I write this. But I like what she’s done so far and I really hope she continues.

She has a wonderful piece about her local library, posted just yesterday. Seems her book shop is two blocks up from a library:

All the books I have for sale in my store are available free of charge less than two blocks away. Their hours are longer; they have more staff; they have access to more resources and they have comfier chairs. My tax dollars go towards paying their expenses.And I think it’s a grand and glorious thing.

Nice stuff.

Of course getting over the initial hump and falling into the grove of posting regularly is hard – Lord (and you, if you are a regular reader) knows I struggle with this all the time. Finding readers if even harder. So, here is hoping she can push through that and find an audience.

Please take a moment to stop by, welcome her to the blogosphere and drop a comment or two. The more folks we have writing about books, the better.

Report from the Mountains, Episode #47 is now online, featuring the poem “Linguistics” by Marc Beaudin mixed with music by Mike Johnston of The Northwoods Improvisers. The featured track this episode is “Incident on South Street by the amazing Lounge Lizards from their debut album.

Click here to read about and listen to the full episode.

Debora and I had a great phone conversation a bit ago, comparing notes on how we find the state of indie publishing, what our goals and plans are etc. I think we found in each other a kindredness of spirit, and an equal dedication to spreading the indie pub gospel, and helping authors sell their books.

I am really hoping that some good things can come from our new-found friendship, and we have some big plans. I will certainly keep you posted as things develop.

Also, and I will be making an official announcement soon, but Deborah is set to join our team of freinds here at IndieBookMan – bringing us a new perspective on indie publishing.

So, stay tuned for much more to come from this new relationship!

RFTM #46

Christopher Herz is dedicated to selling his book, and he proves it by putting himself out on a limb every day. Not only does he believe in his book, and believe he can sell it, he knows he has to if he wants to be home in time to have dinner with his wife.

Here is his deal; He leaves his house each morning with 10 books in his hand. He then wanders the streets of New York, approaching strangers and pitching his book. He does not return until he sells them all. This has happened as quickly as an hour on some days, and has taken up to 10 hours on others.

His book is titled The Last Block in Harlem, and he published it through his own imprint, Canal Publishing (canalpublishing.com). He has been featured in Publisher’s Weekly, and has appeared in Baltimore at the Baltimore Book Festival this past fall.

His is a fascinating experiment, and he is sure to have a lot of insight on what it takes to get a complete stranger to stop, listen and buy. I am really looking forward to speaking with him, and letting you listen in on our conversation.

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The IndieBookMan Radio Show covers all aspects of literature, writing, books and indie publishing in the Baltimore region and far beyond.

If you are interested in literature, books, writing or publishing, if you know you have a book inside of you and want to find out how to get it out into the world and into the hands of readers, then The IndieBookMan Radio Show is just what you need.

Hosted by AuthorsBookshop.com founder Brad Grochowski (a.k.a. the IndieBookMan) each show we feature an author, publisher or mover-and-shaker in the indie book world, explore their history, walk through the steps they took to success, and find out a bit about their project.

Join us January 20th at 8:00 PM est at http://umbrellaradio.org for the live broadcast, or listen to the archive at http://indiebookman.com, or subscribe to the podcast at http://bit.ly/ibm_podcast