Omg I love your personality! ...And your accent! Congrats on getting your book published! The cover looks AMAZING! I myself recently started writing poetry (because I got inspired and my mind thinks in little tidbits here and there) and I've already decided I want to publish a poetry book someday! Unfortunately, I don't think I could afford to self-publish my book...which sucks...and leaves the traditional publishing route. But I'm determined and passionate so I know I'll figure it out someday! And I'll definitely be checking out your book! Congrats again!
Hello!! Thank you so much! I still think you should try to self publish! There’s always a way to find yourself around spending too much. You can source several editors and ask for a quote and mention your budget. And when you’re ready for print you only print however many you need. I hope you do go for it, it’s the best thing I’ve ever done. So much so I’ve written my second and will soon be doing the same. Good luck and I’d love to hear your progress!!! Ps. I hope you love reading mine! Xxx
The cover looks very polished and lovely. It reminds me a little of Andrew McMillan's 'physical' or Brian Patten's 'collected love poems' I'm glad that you took so much care into designing it and found an editor, which a lot of self published authors don't do. God bless.
*hey girl! can you go more into detail with how you chose the illustrations for your poems, or did you only have pictures on the front / back cover of your book?* 🕊
Hey Skyy! I can definitely film and give more detail. For my first book “Bones” in this video, there were no illustrations inside the book, but looking into doing this for my second book. Will post about it soon. ❤️
Thank you so much! I really appreciate that. Here is your reminder to keep chasing your passion and to make it a reality!! Hope you have an amazing day. Janette x
Thank you! Do you have any tips as to what app I should use? I see a lot of people use Photoshop. I've been playing around with it but not really sure what to do
For me: Both my books layouts were simple, and I knew exactly how I wanted them to look, so I believe my graphic designer only used Photoshop to enhance the images, and InDesign to actually develop or edit the books cover template. If you are experienced with any editing software I would play around and see what works for you, and go from there. :)
Youh have such amazing energy, glad you were able to self publish and get this book out there last year. i was just wondering how do you know if the poems are enough in regards to the amount of poems, have you made much sales?, what would you tell someone who is now starting a poetry book themselves? x
Thank you!! Regarding the amount of poems, my opinion is: quality over quantity. Ensure that the poems flow, match the overall theme of the book, and all pack somewhat of a punch. I would rather have a smaller book full of stronger poems, than a larger one with more poems, just for the book to be longer... for someone who is starting a poetry book? Be patient, and enjoy the process! Self publishing is really exciting and I learnt so much about myself during it. I wish I didn’t rush myself so much, so take your time!
@@JanetteVoski Pleasure, thank you for such a positive response, I will & I'm sure many other people will take this all on board all the best to you and everything you put your mind to do in life!
I charged based on cost of production + time + editor + graphic design fees. I also made it around the same price point as similar books in the market. I didn’t really market this book though. So majorly for me its been word of mouth. I’m going to get more into marketing, in my next video.
That’s amazing! Don’t worry about your age, don’t let that be a limitation. I say this because you wrote you are “only” 13. I’d love to hear how you are progressing, and good luck :)
Congratulations. I wrote some poems over 16 years ago and then while i was cleaning out my closet i found them. I was so happy. So much has happened since i wrote my poetry my mother died 11 years ago and i lost my eldest daughter last year 6/3/20. So i want to dedicate my poetry book to my mom and daughter. I wanted to ask you how many pages do i need to have a complete book. I only have 20 poems thats why i ask
Thank you so much! I am so sorry for your loss. I hope you are doing as best you can to be coping, I couldn’t imagine the measure of grief. Getting back into writing may be the best thing for you, and I think it would be so beautiful to dedicate your work to your mum and your daughter. May they both Rest In Peace. If you have 20 poems and don’t want to write more, you could do a chapbook. A chapbook is a very small collection of work with usually the same theme, by the same author. They can be poems, prose, short stories... what do you think about that? My third book will be a chapbook. I hope this finds you well Latanya. ❤️ sending you a big big hug. Xxx
Hey, congratulations! Keep doing more and more...❤️ Can you say me what's the size of your book? It's A5, A6 or B6? Font sizes of your heading, subheading and content? Kindly reply please.... ✨
Thank you! I have since published two more books, and shared way more videos of my learnings along the way. I hope you enjoy those videos too.🥰 The first edition of Bones (referenced in this video) is 4.25x7.00 (178mmx108mm). I’m unsure of the font size as I no longer have the soft copy on hand, however remember the font in the first edition of Bones was Georgia. I would recommend trialling fonts and font sizes and printing it out to see what you prefer the look and size of. That’s what I did! 😉
@@JanetteVoski woah! Thank you for replying ❤️.... Happy to see your reply. I think the book size is B6 or A6. Is it? And now I'm currently working on a self-publishing poetry book. Your video make me inspired!
@@JanetteVoski I heard you reference something about making sure your font does not have a copyright. I'm using a font from Word...do you know if those are copyrighted? Also, LOVE your enthusiasm, and staying true to your thoughts!
hey! I loved this video! I love how your so authentic and passionate about doing poetry :) I hope you can answer this question, but I am currently 16 and I have a great passion of writing poems. I have contacted couple publishers and they are ready to work with me to publish my poetry book, I am not sure if I should do it or not. If you were in my shoes what would u do?
Hello! Thank you! ☺️ the main reason why I did not consider approaching a publisher is simply because I wanted to own 100% of my work, (including all creative control!) I wanted to know that from start to finish I did the whole thing! However, when self publishing, you have to market your own book. So the plus side to going with a publisher is they market the book for you, they do most of the little parts that, with self publishing, can either be daunting or a bit of a challenge. I think it depends on what you want, or how much you’re willing to do, but if you’re happy with the publisher that you’ve chosen, it would still be a great experience in my opinion. Congratulations though, That is incredible :) Please keep me updated with how you go, I’d love to hear about it!
Janette Voski Awh thank u so much for that! I am so happy you are sharing ur experience:) yeah I am currently still writing poems so hopefully by this year I have a good collection of my poems :) I don’t want to rush anything but as soon I think I am confident with my work I might self publish or have it published by another company! and I will definitely let u know how it goes! My ig is @itsdrishya ❤️
You could approach poetry and literature magazines to publish individual poems and you can also enter competitions, alternately collect all of your desired work and self publish in a book.
Hi Anthony I formatted it myself but definitely see the value in having a professional do it. “Bones” was very different to my second book “X” for many reasons and formatting was one of them. I would recommend printing at home to check the formatting is correct, or viewing the document as a PDF and changing the view to a two page setting. It will change the view to look the way it will when it prints. You’ll then be able to see whether the margins are aligned the way you want them to, and if the page numbers are in the same place, etc. If you’re seeking a professional, check their previous work. Just ask to see it, and be very clear in what you need when you hire them. Good luck, this part is so exciting because it reminds me you’re almost ready to publish. :)
I think you should do whatever you’re passionate about, regardless of what others will think. If you’re unsure of the content, I would advise seeking advice / input from an editor.
Going the same motions right now. I have an edited book right infront of me. Even formatted ready to go. But for some reason I wont push the botton. Help!!!! I should reach out to you as a mentor....love your energy
Hello! Perhaps you can think of a few reasons why you haven’t yet “pushed the button” to move forward...? Write a pros and cons list if you really have to. But if it is because you’re afraid, I am telling you, once you do this, you will really ask yourself why you didn’t do it sooner! You could also just progress and only order one copy for yourself. That should eliminate some fear. The only difference is that you have self-published and have your own book in your hands...not just the final edited version on your computer. Or perhaps you need an incentive! Either way, I would love to keep updated with your progress, so let me know how you go. You can do it!!!!
@@JanetteVoski you're inspiring me to do this thing...I am on Fiverr as I write this. Trying to do it alone is what keeps me back. Very kind of you to get back to me. Congrats on your work and I will check it out. Will keep you posted...
I can relate to your fears! You’re not alone! I had to set goals for myself to constantly keep me motivated at times. Empowering and supportive words from friends who believed in me ultimately gave me the confidence to realise “why can’t I believe in myself? I am AMAZING.” I hope to hear from you soon, telling me you’ve self published! Good luck! I am also here for you if you need me to remind you that you can do this! Because you can! 👏🏼 And Thank you, I appreciate that. ☺️
@@JanetteVoski trully appreciated. My editor just got back to me and I'm gonna need to make minor changes this weekend. Just got your book in the mail btw...love the cover. And lines like "you said goodbye without even a tear in your eye" Luve it. What an amazing collection this is
Hello I’ve just pasted this reply from someone who asked the same question. Hope it helps :) I didn’t have to register or pay to get my poetry books copyrighted. In Australia, copyright is free and automatic once an original piece of writing is placed into a manuscript or word document. Almost all markets recognise this. It’s just important to ensure there’s a disclaimer page which has your copyright information. This is how I understand it to work in Australia. I’m unsure where you live or if this applies to you.
Hello 👋🏼 So far, I’m quite new to this, so I have only shared it with friends (word of mouth) and social media. My goal for my first book wasn’t necessarily to sell as many copies, as for me it was more about my healing and the ability this book could have in helping others experiencing the same thing. Might I suggest if you’re keen on marketing for your book, try contacting your local library or arts studio to see if they can hold a book launch for you. For my second book, I will be considering more options for marketing. Being more consistent in my approach to social media, more audio promotion (like podcasts), have a clear genre and target your audience to cater for this, collaborate with other small artists (eg a photographer who took your cover book image, who will show their work on your book to others). I hope this helps. As I learn more and as I go I’ll be sure to post more about what I’ve learned to help you. Good luck, and congratulations if you’re already at the marketing stage!! 😄
I don’t think there is. I think the perfect amount of poems for your book will be the number it takes for it to tell your story. If there are 30 or less I would recommend a chapbook.
also, if I have different themes for each poem like a few are happy, a few are sad, one is about friendship, some are about monsters, some are about self love. Can I put all these together? I don't have an equal amount of all these themes but some in this and some of that you know...so how could I format the book and how can place them in an order because I don't feel like all of them directly relate but I want all these topics together, I am SOOO confused, please help. x
Yes, of course you can! What I spoke about in this video was what I did and what my preference is, but you can present your poetry in the ways you like, and that work for you. You can separate them using chapters if you want to split them up. :)
The way I decide what to title the chapters is heavily dependant on the theme or title of the book, so again, it is up to you with how you want to go ahead with it! If you’re not sticking to themes then you possibly don’t need chapters? Food for thought! :)
@@JanetteVoski Hmm, I see... So basically I was planning on naming the book rainy days, both literally and metaphorically. So I guess I'd have to work with that? thanks :)
You could look into junior graphic designers or editors who charge less. Or try to teach yourself how to prepare the documents ready for print. Most of it I did myself but really wanted a professional to look over my work. Some of the cost is also printing them. Just make sure you don’t buy too many copies, start small and you can always buy more. But at the end of the day I think investing in yourself is a good way to spend money :)
Hello I didn’t have to register or pay to get my poetry books copyrighted. In Australia, copyright is free and automatic once an original piece of writing is placed into a manuscript or word document. Almost all markets recognise this. It’s just important to ensure there’s a disclaimer page which has your copyright information. This is how I understand it to work in Australia. I’m unsure where you live or if this applies to you. Hope it helps!
Hello, I decided to buy my ISBN’s from: www.myidentifiers.com.au/identify-protect-your-book/isbn/buy-isbn Just select which option is best for you, and shop around! I’ll be talking about this in my next video too :)
Hi!! I am working on self publishing a poetry book, so i wanted to ask as to how many poetry pieces you have in your collection and the page count too. I have a 170 poetry pieces for my book but they sum upto 86 (like a whole front and back included page) pages and i feel like the book might be too thin or something, i'm wondering if you could help me out
Hello ☺️ Firstly, congratulations! I’m very excited for you.. and 170 poems is quite an achievement for your book! In my first book, Bones, because it is heavily based on a specific experience of mine through heartbreak and overcoming that pain, I had to minimise the amount to keep my work relevant. So personally, I don’t think the number should matter. I definitely started out with more poems until I decided I wanted it to pack more punch than place more poems just to make it bigger. “Quality over quantity”! At the end of the day though, this decision is all yours! In my first book, There are 93 numbered pages, and about 8 pages where it has the title of the book, my ISBN, a thank you page, and a dedication-type page (“this book is for the one who...”). Page 1 starts on my Preface. It might also be useful to know that I separated my poems by chapter, and made sure the new chapter always started on the right hand side of the page, for separation and understanding of my personal “stages”, so this made the book bigger. I hope this helps, and keen to hear how you go! 😊
@@JanetteVoski Thank you very much for replying, i think i'm going to stick to the number of poems i have. Other than that , i wanted to ask (this may seem silly) but when numbering pages, on a single page , one side would be page 1 and the other side page 2. Or do you count the whole page, both side included ,as 1. this is confusing me a bit, in regard to formatting.
Not a silly question at all. Formatting can be very fidgety! The whole page will be counted as one page. The way I formatted mine was to place page numbers from where I wanted the book to start, and then separating each poem under a new page. Keep in mind that although you’re editing in a word document (most likely?) it is shown as A4 by default, but this formatting will also change depending on the size of the book you decide to go with when publishing for print. This also helped me understand which poem would read on the left vs right hand side, and how it would look when it becomes a book. :)
Ps. By “the whole page” being one page, I meant single sided! If you have a bookshelf nearby, pick up your favourite novel and see how they have formatted their book too. I did that too, and it helped me :)
@@JanetteVoski thank you so much. One last query i have is regarding calculating the width of the spine. As searched on the internet, they tell me to multiply the number of my pages with the thickness of page. here again the ''number of my pages'' aspect is confusing. Like if my book has 170 pages, do i count the total number of my pages as 86 for the spine width? I'm gonna go crazy because of these pages !!
Or more specifically, Would you mind if you buy my book , I just putted it 5$ cause I don't want money out of it , I want to show what I felt through it
