Quote:
Originally Posted by Michael Cantor
Why an individual would buy the book simply because you're smiling (hopefully, even if it makes your teeth ache) and there escapes me
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Michael,
That's because you and I aren't pretty enough to sell books on looks alone. We also don't dress the part.
But I know lots of poets who do brand-image advertising, and they're pretty good at it. They make the readers want to be part of something. And there's a long tradition of it: Gary Snyder comes to mind. He had his own traveling roadshow. Or the poetry brothel. You get the range.
Cyn, for an event like this, you need a tagline. Me, I'm a metaphysical love poet (don't use that one, you won't sell anything!) So instead, the conversation goes something like this:
Buyer: what are your poems about?
Me: Hot wild monkey sex!
Buyer: I'll take three copies. Will you sign them?
Love poems don't sell. Sex, on the other hand...
Thanks,
Bill
(and don't forget to have an elevator speech ready, in case you run into a publisher! )