Calling Writer and ALL writers! Need help/info for talented student to get published!

[Whoa_Nelly]

I have a student who writes beautiful poetry. For the first time, this student showed me her work. She has a binder FULL of poetry that sent absolute shivers up my spine, tingles down my arms, and brought tears to my eyes. This child has real talent.

Help/info needed to get her on the path to being published.

I read somewhere that it's a good idea to copyright all your work...?

I would like to approach her parents with this, but want to have good info and sources.

This student has enough poetry written to publish a book, and I suspect that what she showed me today was just some of what she has produced.

Anyone???

Thanks! :hi:

[Heidi]

1. Kick.

:kick:

[Shakespeare]

2. The first thing she needs is a literary agent.

Especially for something as difficult to get published as poetry, she needs an agent to shop her stuff for her. There are lots of resources online and at the library with lists with contact info for literary agents; she should work on a really good query letter, enclosing a couple of her poems as a sample of her work, and send it out to a range of agents. In the meantime, she can submit works directly to literary journals and magazines (again, there are resources to get lists of these--many universities publish quarterly anthologies, for example). It'll help her get her work published as a collection if she can get some work individually published in journals/magazines.

I wish her luck--poetry is really, really difficult to get published.

[conflictgirl]

3. A few things...

Copyright is not necessary and is usually viewed in the industry as the sign of an amateur. As soon as you write something down, copyright is implicit.

A literary agent is a good start. I would also recommend getting a Poet's Market book and sending out some of the poems to literary magazines. It is extremely difficult these days to get a book of poetry published by a complete unknown, but if a poet is really good, they'll get published in the lit magazines. The publishing world is extremely small and people take notice when talented writers get published, even in small markets. View it as a stepping stone of sorts.

I think it's great that you want to encourage this student! I know that it matters a lot. I had teachers take notice of my writing in high school, which led to me attending some very special programs where I was able to get extra attention to develop my abilities. I have been published in national markets as an adult and work as a freelance writer now, and I do think some of the credit goes to the great teachers who helped me along the way :)

[Whoa_Nelly]

4. Thanks for the input all!

Have also now gotten her nglish teacher involved and fired up to find out how to help her get published. Age 15, SpEd, and writes with sweet passion. She wrotes poetry that will outlast and appeal to many generations to come.

Am getting her the Poet's Market book, and I think the English teacher is going to look into to the Writer's Market book.
We both agree she has a rare and precious natural talent.

[mokawanis]

5. I was going to suggest The Poet's Market

Just one more comment, no need to respond:

I published quite a bit of poetry years ago and that publication served me well. Anyone who takes the time to sift through the 1'000s of entries will likely find an appreciative audience.

Expect the terms to be free copies of the issue(s) her work is published in and no money. Buy a ton of stamps and envelopes and send the writings out there. It's a thrill to see one's poetry published.