I Need Your Help: Publishing a Collection of My Poetry 

By Richard Everywriter (Edwards) Editor

I’ve been writing since I was in the 3rd grade. Oddly, I was dyslexic and had issues learning to read and started writing poetry before I ever read a book or fully understood how to have any flow or comprehension in reading a text. So I was a little 3rd grader banging out poetry and fumbling through The Little Red Hen. I don’t know, there was something in me that loved writing. I think that’s how it happens for many writers, they just know.

So I’ve been writing for many years and got a BFA in Creative Writing and Journalism from Bowling Green State University. It worked out for me that there were a handful of BFA studio writing programs in the country and I lived about 45 minutes away. I digress. I’ve written a lot and in the early days I did publish a good amount in journals and magazines. I won the BGSU award in fiction (yes I write fiction too), and I started working in publishing and then found teaching. I loved and love teaching, got my M.S. in Education and found a job. Teaching, family and Every Writer have been the most important things in my life for many years. I stopped publishing and even trying to publish my work.

Now, with self-publishing booming for many years now with no end in sight, I have decided to publish my first collection (there is another one out of print, but let’s not talk about it). I thought all of you, my readers and the long-standing community of Every Writer, might be interested in the process of me bringing my work to print.

I am new to print publishing. This is going to be a journey for me, so please be nice! I have published issues of Every Writer in print, but I have never used Kindle Direct Publishing. This is where I believe I will go, but I want your opinion. The steps I have set down for publishing are:

1. Editing (find an editor)
2. Book cover (I know this is key)
3. KDP and the process

What else am I missing? If you have suggestions leave them in the comments. I’ll tell more of my story and talk more about the steps along the way as I figure all of this out. Yes I have queried some publishers, but I am ready to self-publish now. Any help you can give me would be appreciated!

Oh, and follow me on @richardeverywriter on Twitter/X or on BlueSky. 

Couple questions

I’d love for writers who have been through this publishing process to help me with. 

1. Do you think I should publish my poems on a website BEFORE I publish them in print? Many of the short ones are social media. The longer ones are not. 
2. Do you think using Every Writer to publish some of my poems would be ok? Other than articles I write I’ve never published any of my own work on this site. 
3. What am I missing? What am I forgetting? What should I know before I start this process? 
4. Do you recommend a place other than KDP for publishing? 

Just leave your responses in the comments please. I will respond. 

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Richard

Richard Everywriter (pen name) is the founder of EveryWriter and a 25-year veteran of the publishing industry. With degrees in Writing, Journalism, Technology, and Education, Richard has dedicated two decades to teaching writing and literature while championing emerging voices through EveryWriter's platform. His work focuses on making literary analysis accessible to readers at all levels while preserving the rich heritage of American literature. Connect with Richard on Twitter  Bluesky Facebook or explore opportunities to share your own work on ourSubmissions page. For monthly insights on writing and publishing, subscribe to our Newsletter.

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