publishing poems

[dorindarasbe]

hi all, my mum passed away on the 5th november aged 57 and as me and my 2 sisters were sorting out her things we came across a folder of poems that she wrote herself and was wondering if there is anywhere we can go to getting them published, the money that comes from the sale of the book we would donate to charity. any help would be much appreciated. many thanks and a happy christmas to you all. xx

[saxy_jag]

There are lots of print-on-demand places around on the web. As long as you do your homework keep your expectations realistic, then you won't get ripped off.

http://www.lulu.com/uk are a very straightforward, no frills publishing company that offer decent products and services and will print as many or as few copies as you need. You can have a page on their 'shop' pages, set your own royalties and also publish in ebook format if you wish. I'm using them to publish my mother-in-law's memoirs.

There are several other companies who offer similar services, but you need to check for things like minimum print runs and hidden extras (such as marketing packs, which aren't really worth it, in my opinion.

Other companies to check out/Google are Diggory, Authorhouse, PABD, Trafford and Matador/Troubador. Don't be seduced into using poetry.com - they are vanity publishers in all of that breed's unabridged glory and even those of us in the amateur writing world's lowest of the low (ie, we who 'self-publish') won't touch them. Plus, they'll rip you off.

You should also remember that whoever you decide to publish with, you'll need to lodge copies at the five main British libraries. It's known as the legal deposit system, and you can find out more here: http://www.llgc.org.uk/aldl/

Please come back and let me know how you get on. If you decide to go ahead, I may even be able to get the book a little mention and a link on the writing forum I visit.

[dorindarasbe]

thank you saxy_jag for taking the time out to answer my question. i didnt realise there was so much to do and look out for. i will indeed let you know how i get on and thanks once again. xx