There comes a point in a writer's career (do I really have a career? another post...) where the idea of a book haunts them day and night. You have tons of questions (Is my writing good enough? Will someone publish me? How do I go about editing? etc.) and you go through a roller coaster of emotions. I have been toying with the idea of a book for over a year. After almost 13 years of writing, I figured it was time.
I will save this for another post, but I do have a lot of challenges with creating this book. From editing my work to who to trust with the product, I have been a mess. I've stalled several times. As a matter of fact, I'm stalling now even after taking a big step (you'll see in a moment). Each step is scary.
I already have a title (Late Night Feelings) and a possible cover. All I need is to choose my content and go through the act of editing and formating the darn thing. I had someone who was beginning to help me, but he jumped ship (dunno where the hell he is, only Facebook lets me know that he is occasionally alive). so finding someone who I can trust with the project is also holding me back (I need feedback and another eye to help me edit and format).
For inspiration, I went to the Chapbook Festival at the CUNY Graduate Center last month. I saw books in so many formats. It gave me so many ideas on how I could distribute my poetry. But then with so many choices, I was stuck again. I thought to myself, "You need to jumpstart this idea somehow. It's the only way you'll start putting this book together."
My opportunity came at the end of a workshop I attended at the festival. One of the editors from Poets & Writers Magazine (my dream magazine to write for; you know I got her contact info!) demonstrated how to create a pocket-sized book with only one page of paper. Well how to fold it at least. The pages she had already had random prints on it. It was so easy! A lightbulb went on after that demonstration.
A couple of weeks later, I chose eight short poems. I went online to the P&W site and learned how to layout the page. I printed out a few copies at work and BAM! A pocket-sized sample of what's to come for Late Night Feelings.
The title of the sample is called Bitten in the Wake of Dusk: Anticipating Late Night Feelings. I recently have gotten into instagram when the Android verison came out this month. I took one of my instagram photo and made it the picture for my cover. Included two poems that have been published in online lit mags and the rest was material that I haven't shown anyone before (well maybe one person has seen these poems).
Take a look at the picture for the cover!
I will save this for another post, but I do have a lot of challenges with creating this book. From editing my work to who to trust with the product, I have been a mess. I've stalled several times. As a matter of fact, I'm stalling now even after taking a big step (you'll see in a moment). Each step is scary.
I already have a title (Late Night Feelings) and a possible cover. All I need is to choose my content and go through the act of editing and formating the darn thing. I had someone who was beginning to help me, but he jumped ship (dunno where the hell he is, only Facebook lets me know that he is occasionally alive). so finding someone who I can trust with the project is also holding me back (I need feedback and another eye to help me edit and format).
For inspiration, I went to the Chapbook Festival at the CUNY Graduate Center last month. I saw books in so many formats. It gave me so many ideas on how I could distribute my poetry. But then with so many choices, I was stuck again. I thought to myself, "You need to jumpstart this idea somehow. It's the only way you'll start putting this book together."
My opportunity came at the end of a workshop I attended at the festival. One of the editors from Poets & Writers Magazine (my dream magazine to write for; you know I got her contact info!) demonstrated how to create a pocket-sized book with only one page of paper. Well how to fold it at least. The pages she had already had random prints on it. It was so easy! A lightbulb went on after that demonstration.
A couple of weeks later, I chose eight short poems. I went online to the P&W site and learned how to layout the page. I printed out a few copies at work and BAM! A pocket-sized sample of what's to come for Late Night Feelings.
The title of the sample is called Bitten in the Wake of Dusk: Anticipating Late Night Feelings. I recently have gotten into instagram when the Android verison came out this month. I took one of my instagram photo and made it the picture for my cover. Included two poems that have been published in online lit mags and the rest was material that I haven't shown anyone before (well maybe one person has seen these poems).
Take a look at the picture for the cover!
Instagram and the now deceased Picnik made this cover possible. Oh, and the Lefferts Blvd platform of the A train!
Last year in January, I took advantage of two of best friends going to London. I bought some postcards and wrote poems on them. Their job was to put these postcards in random places in London for other people to find them. I called the project between me&you: postcards to london. This time I took advantage of my co-worker's trip to Florida where I gave her two of my mini books and told her to find them a new home. Take a look at the pictures below!
 Is it my imagination or is there a CR carved into that table? It's FATE! |  Late Night Feelings will certainly be an after dinner drink choice for you to contemplate with on those hard thinking days. Good choice Anna, hope you guys were reciting it after dinner haha! |
I also took advantage of my aunt's creativity. Well not on purpose. I was prepping to go to the Sarah Lawrence Poetry Festival (didn't go; boyfriend had serious car trouble), when my aunt inquired about what I was doing (I was folding my books up at the time). One thing lead to another and the next thing I knew, I had a box to carry them in! My aunt is always making something out of nothing. I swear she should have a shop somewhere. She was complaining that we didn't have the right stuff in the house! She did more than what I could have done with the box, complete with wrapping it with Glad Sandwich Wrap to preserve the box. She is the greatest!
The box where I am carrying my mini books around. My aunt helped me make it. Isn't it nifty?
Today is National Poem-In-Your-Pocket Day. For those unfamiliar with the concept, this is a day where you carry around a poem in your pocket and share it with others (or make yourself feel good by having your favorite poem in your pocket). You can find out more information about Poem in Your Pocket day by going to The Academy of American Poets website, Poets.org.
To help the world celebrate, I am offering my mini book online (don't worry, it's free like the paper version) via PDF in its fold and go format so that you can carry a copy with you in your pocket. Heck, make many copies and share them with your family and friends (just remember, it has my name, you can't say YOU wrote a poem for them haha!)
To learn how to fold it and to learn how to make your own mini chapbook, go to the tutorial on the Poets & Writers website. You can click and download the PDF below to have your own fold and go version of Bitten in the Wake of Dusk.
I know I will be giving (and noticably hiding) copies anywhere I go today so look out if you are out and about! There's also a business card hidden in there from E.A.T. Media so don't forget to check out E.A.T. Media too!
To help the world celebrate, I am offering my mini book online (don't worry, it's free like the paper version) via PDF in its fold and go format so that you can carry a copy with you in your pocket. Heck, make many copies and share them with your family and friends (just remember, it has my name, you can't say YOU wrote a poem for them haha!)
To learn how to fold it and to learn how to make your own mini chapbook, go to the tutorial on the Poets & Writers website. You can click and download the PDF below to have your own fold and go version of Bitten in the Wake of Dusk.
I know I will be giving (and noticably hiding) copies anywhere I go today so look out if you are out and about! There's also a business card hidden in there from E.A.T. Media so don't forget to check out E.A.T. Media too!
| Bitten in the Wake of Dusk.pdf |
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