My take on self-publishing: pros and cons of DIY poetry

Some of the pros and cons of a DIY approach, based on personal experiences

Salena Godden’s LIVEwire vinyl, which I released in 2017

This is another age-old battle that continues to dominate the poetry landscape. Some poets opt for self-publishing out of preference, taking pride in the punk/DIY element. Some are left with no option. Here’s my take on it.

Firstly, I must say that I haven’t self-published any poetry in book form. I have, however, self-published audio releases. This led me to form the Nymphs & Thugs record label, which mainly operated from 2015 to 2022.

One of the most common forms of ‘vanity publishing’ is to create a poetry press, under the guise of publishing a range of work, before adding yourself as the first name on the roster. However, nowadays, with Amazon’s model, that isn’t necessary.

My post will explore some of the pros and cons of self-publishing based on my experiences. This extends beyond my own solo releases: I was lucky enough to work on a range of projects, which included CDs, vinyl, zines, t-shirts, tote bags, and more.

I’m going to keep this post for paid subscribers. I’m finding it tricky to balance what should be paid and what should be free. The paid plan costs £5 per month in exchange for two full weekly posts, including the entire archive, now over 50 posts.