Feb 09 2009
Joanne Oliviera at Shadow Poetry
Today I interview Joanne Olivieri , an accomplished author and poet who resides in San Francisco. She publishes a triannual ezine titled Ya’Sou! Ezine.
It’s very tough to get poetry published by a mainstream publisher - they simply don’t consider it “commercial”. So unlike my other interviews, I didn’t even have to ask Joan why she chose the self-publishing path.
How did you decide to use Shadow Poetry? Did you consider other publishing houses?
I spent about three months researching publishing venues. My main concern was that I have as much control as possible over the publishing process. I actually considered publishing the book myself from scratch however after crunching the numbers and considering my time, I decided to have it done professionally. I chose Shadow Poetry because they offered almost complete control over the process allowing for my input throughout. Plus, after I placed my order with them, I received my initial copies of the book within eight days. They are amazing.
What marketing strategies have you used to promote your book (either online or in your local area)?
I almost exclusively use online methods. I place ads, promote, network etc… all over the internet and it has served me well. In my local area I have placed a number of books in local independent book shops on a consignment basis. Although I enjoy poetry readings, I am deathly afraid of publicly reading my work. I have in the past and it was a disaster. If I could get over that fear, then poetry readings are the way to go.
Are you happy with your experience? What will you do differently next time?
I am extremely happy with the experience and probably would not do anything differently.
Thanks Joanne!
Joanne’s books are available from Shadow Poetry. Please check it out - you can read excerpts from the book before buying, which is a great idea.
For more information and further writings, visit Joanne’s website and blogs at:
