My book of poetry is ready for sale. It started with 200 poems but then tryouts came and we cut the ones with good legs but a lousy bat. I could put a lot more sporty metaphors in here because I am a poet, after all, and nothing says quality poetry like sports metaphors.
Now, in its slimmed, competitive form, it has 107 poems in it that I wrote this past year. The book is 168 pages long and took about 1,000 hours to write, edit, assemble, and proofread many times. I can polish it no further.
Now, based on my “extensive” research, most poetry books run about 30-50 poems and are priced in the $10 to $20 range.
I tend to shoot on the low side because what I really want is for these poems to hit as many people as possible and the reason I want that is because I am shooting for posterity. It is my dream to be considered a good poet not just by my contemporaries but by your grandkid’s grandkids as well.
So, I’m asking you, subscribers, what is a price you will pay for 107 poems? I need to know. Thanks, Wes
Well, talk about a difficult question! as what is the monetary worth of a poem, let alone an entire book with 107 poems?! When I think about this question for myself, I am a rather pissy little poet when it comes to putting a price on my poetry, as I think you may have read a few weeks back. I mean, think about it... I'd say that each of your poems is at least worth $1, at least! making the whole lot worth, at minimum, $107! But of course no one is going to pay that, unfortunately. And then when you put the price at say, $20, then divide by 107 you get around 18 cents per poem. And all be damned if your poetry is only worth 18 cents per poem. So, where in holy hell does that leave us? For me, I cannot think of one time that I have ever bought a newly published book of poetry. Definitely not my thing. However, I just bought an old hardcover, an Anthology of Western Poetry, spanning from Sappho to roughly the Moderns for only $2! with probably a thousand plus poems, which you don't dare do the math on that one, as talk about depressing when it comes to the monetary value per poem. Thus, and after this long rambling, I'd say, cover your cost, and sprinkle an extra dollar or two in for fun, as that's the general profit for any professionally published work. And, if I were you, I would print a hardcover of absolute beauty! something worth displaying on the shelf, as you cannot go wrong with a stunning hardcover. Nonetheless, I'll be purchasing a copy no matter the cost, as I am rather fond of you, Weston, and your work.
Congrats on the book!!
It really depends-if I knew I love the poems, and will re-read them(I love re-reading), I'd pay a lot, if I had the money of course. Wouldn't depend on number of poems.
Could depend on how hard it is to get the book as well.
Once I paid tons for thin self-published book-was my only way to have those on paper, and I cherished them, so. I don't remember how much, but 40 minimum.
Sorry, if the answer's not very helpful.
Again, very excited for you!