The Poetteer

Hello Poetteers, Before you even write balance life and poetry. I leave writing for when it doesn’t take me away from an experience. I know I feel ready to write when I’ve accepted the situation that I’m writing about, the lesson is learned and there is positivity. I love a poem that shows the whole story. I want to see a piece have a balance of both sides. For example: if you share something dark, add something light. if it's negative, add positivity. if you're searching for something, share it being found.  The format matters too. Break up run on sentences to fit the format and remain consistent with the rest of the poem. It can look too heavy or too small compared to the rest of the piece. Also, remain consistent with the poetic devices you used.  Don't be afraid to question your poetry to pull out what's necessary for it. How do you know you've written a well balanced poem? stay inspired, Fida

Gold Gift Every time I look down at my wrists and see the bracelets I see their hands, I am reminded of both women who wore it before me I hope to embody their strength. Behind the Poem This poem is from Her Durian. I wrote it after my mom gave me her bracelet that she had gotten from her mother. In the moment it felt casual. She slipped on my wrist to give me some arm candy before our trip to Malaysia. My own grandmother didn't recognize it yet thought it was beautiful. This memory will always be attached to the bracelet and poem. Signed paperbacks are now available for purchase. 

Hello Poetteers, Positive affirmations help you believe in your goals and propels you towards action.  Affirmations for Editing My writing is strengthened by editing notes from others. I can visualize the improvement editing makes on my poetry.  I trust in the editing process. I will take my time with my poetry. It's good to write slowly. I will carefully look over my poetry. Action Items Reach out to beta readers and sensitivity readers Hire an editor. Both can offer an outside perspective.  Notice if critiques highlight similar issues. Keep it in mind for future editing. Take breaks between writing and editing. Also have breaks between each editing round. Doing so will help you look at your work from a clear headspace.  Read it aloud, read it backwards. Ask your poetry questions. Don’t rush/force writing specific stanzas. You don't want to over edit. Be vocal about the voice you want to portray in your work.  Stay inspired, Fida  I'm a poetry editor. Inte...

Hello Poetteers, A table of contents helps your readers navigate a book and find the poem that calls out to them. There are two styles I like to use. Option 1 is to add all the chapter titles. Option 2 is to add all the poetry titles. It depends on the length of the book and how the poems are organized. How to Make It On Google Docs and Pages go under the insert tab and the option will be there. When it pops up there will be instructions on how to create it. Whatever text you want to go on the table of contents should be in the paragraph style called 'Heading'. Message me when your poetry book is ready to be edited. Stay inspired, Fida 

Hello Poetteers, I've noticed some repetitive elements on the covers of some of our favorite poetry books. This is one trend to look for when publishing your own poetry book.  Black  White  Minimal  Floral (or nature) It's a combination of those elements. My shelf is filled with poetry books with a black or white cover. The focus is on the text and a minimal photo of some sort, for example: flower, animal, fruit or geometric shape. Sometimes a majority of the cover is covered in floral or a natural landscape. Most recently, I noticed several white covers with a pop of color (pinks or blues) in the middle. What have you noticed about your favorite poetry book covers?  Stay inspired,  Fida  P.S. An underrated cover design is using a solid bright color with a minimal silhouette.  @poetfida Top 4 poetry book cover trends. ##poetry ##bookmarketing ##selfpublishing ##editing101 ##indieauthor ##smallbusiness ♬ Love - Cody Simpson,Ziggy Marl...

Hello Poetteers, I started writing poetry on spring 2008 and a few months later I started sharing them on a blog. I found my courage early on. Sometimes it staggers but it continues to grow. Define your why : what’s your purpose for sharing your poetry? Remind yourself of it when you question yourself. Know that it can evolve esp with your life experiences. Mine started as a way to express my love for nature and faith. Afterwards it changed to express my emotions and now my purpose is to spread mental health and cultural awareness. Practice : Find your voice. Know that it’ll start of decent and continue to improve. Done is better than perfect. Read a lot of poetry to get a feel of the genre. When writing your own pause on the reading to not let it subconsciously affect your voice. Trust readers : get your trustworthy and honest friends to read and give you feedback. As you get compliments from friends and strangers keep a positivity file. Read them when you start doubting yourself. Pus...

Hello Poetteers, As someone who has self published several poetry books my top tip is to diversify your distribution. Don't exclusively publish your book on KDP. They only distribute through Amazon. Smashwords is an ebook retailer and distribution site. They will distribute your book to places such as B&N Nook, Apple Books, Kobo and Scribd. Check out their site for more info. Other Ebook Distributors: Smashwords Kindle Direct Publishing Book Funnel Payhip Smashwords and KDP only distribute ebooks. I used to publish paperback through CreateSpace but that site is now closed. I go directly to Barnes and Noble Press to publish the paperback version. Other Distributors:  Barnes and Noble Press IngramSpark There are several self publishing services out there. Look for familiar authors and transparency on their website before working with them. This website does a great job rating and reviewing different services.  My self publishing guide is...