10-06-2011, 08:47 AM
Not for me mate.
I appreciate that there have always been poets who create their own chapbooks, and I think there's a definite niche for some of them as many I've seen have been hand-stitched or otherwise crafty little pieces, some even leather-bound, more like objets d'art and quite unique, showing that a lot of time and effort has gone into their creation. This is very different to the current trend of desktop publishing something that's never been edited or even proofread and sending it off to some print-on-demand place (or worse still, Publish America!) so that the only successful "published authors" are the ones who are the best at marketing themselves. Unfortunately, this is true of more products than just books -- the flashiest advertising, or the fastest talkers, are the ones who make the money.
To those people, I would wish all the best of luck if only they were not churning out such poor quality, first-draft writing and ensuring that the popular view of poetry remains one of general disinterest and a conviction that it's only a pastime for the self-indulgent, overly emotional or very pretentious.
I appreciate that there have always been poets who create their own chapbooks, and I think there's a definite niche for some of them as many I've seen have been hand-stitched or otherwise crafty little pieces, some even leather-bound, more like objets d'art and quite unique, showing that a lot of time and effort has gone into their creation. This is very different to the current trend of desktop publishing something that's never been edited or even proofread and sending it off to some print-on-demand place (or worse still, Publish America!) so that the only successful "published authors" are the ones who are the best at marketing themselves. Unfortunately, this is true of more products than just books -- the flashiest advertising, or the fastest talkers, are the ones who make the money.
To those people, I would wish all the best of luck if only they were not churning out such poor quality, first-draft writing and ensuring that the popular view of poetry remains one of general disinterest and a conviction that it's only a pastime for the self-indulgent, overly emotional or very pretentious.
It could be worse