Publishing My First Collection of Poetry

Recently, I've made the decision to publish my first collection of poetry as a chapbook. Further, I've decided to go ahead and do it the old-fashioned way via self-publishing. Plus, I'm going to do the first (and probably only) printing as a limited edition of 101 individually numbered copies. These are the decisions I've already made.

A few other decisions already made:

• The official release date will be April 1, 2011.
• The official price will be $10 (which includes shipping to anywhere in the U.S.--not sure about the rates for outside the U.S.).
• All purchased copies will be signed by the author (moi).
• Super eager readers can pre-order now and receive copies before the "official release date." Just e-mail me (at robertleebrewer@gmail.com) for details.

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As far as the decisions not yet made, I haven't decided on what to name the collection just yet, though I've definitely got a short list of ideas. Also, I haven't decided on my final rotation of poems, though you can bet that these poems will make the cut:

• Solving the World's Problems (from OCHO)
• Watching the Ice Melt (from MiPOesias)
• Father's Shoes (from OCHO)
• 8 (from Otoliths)
• At the arboretum (from Poetic Asides)
• One day we looked for the snow (from La Fovea)
• Eavesdropping (from DMQ Review)
• They're Coming to Get Us (from Barn Owl Review)
• My Father (from MEAT)
• Cold Water (from Escape Into Life)
• I think the world is a pin cushion (from Kind Over Matter)
• A small tear in the pillow (from Escape Into Life)

There are another 30+ poems fighting to make the final cut, but there's only so much room available in a chapbook-length collection. So I'll share more details as they develop, including what the cover art looks like. I'm thinking it'll be something lo-tech and sincere, which is how I roll.

Also, if you have any requests for poems you'd like included, go ahead and let me know now. If I'm having trouble deciding between a few poems near the end, your voice may sway me in one direction over another.

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In the near future, I'm going to start sharing poems from this collection on this blog as part of my experimentation with video. Recently, I purchased a web cam, and I'm going to try reading some poems and sharing them here. Fingers crossed that I'll be able to figure everything out.

Anyway, I just wanted to share my exciting poetry chapbook news! Stay tuned for more information between now and April 1, 2011!

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Follow me on Twitter @robertleebrewer

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Check out some of my favorite poetry collections of 2010:

• I Was the Jukebox, by Sandra Beasley
• The Ecco Anthology of International Poetry, edited by Ilya Kaminsky and Susan Harris
• Toxic Flora, by Kimiko Hahn
• Ideal Cities, by Erika Meitner
• Dogged Hearts, by Ellen Dore Watson