From Stigma to Strategy: How Self Publishing Became a Legit Path for Poets

1. Opening scene
A decade ago, a poet handing out a stapled pamphlet at an open mic in Leeds or Hackney risked being quietly dismissed. If your work did not pass through a recognised press, people assumed you had missed the mark. The rule was never written down, but everyone knew it. You had to be serious.

2. What “proper poet” used to mean
Serious poets subscribed to Poetry Review, PN Review and The Rialto. They clocked every new issue of magazines such as Magma, Ambit, Butcher’s Dog and Acumen. They tracked pamphlet releases from Smith Doorstop, HappenStance, Shoestring and Tall-lighthouse. They knew who had moved from Faber to Picador or stepped across to Cape. They knew about the canon, even championed obscure ones. This was the culture of correctness and it was a full-time job. Oh yes, they were mostly men.

3. Why things changed
Digital tools lowered barriers. Print on demand services such as KDP, IngramSpark and Lulu brought costs down. Mixam and Ex Why Zed made small runs viable. A poet in Norwich could design a cover, send the file to print and have twenty books ready for a weekend fair. The poet did not need a gatekeeper to check it was good enough, would sell enough copies, eventually say yes. Or no

4. The poet changed too
The rise of spoken word reshaped expectations. Poets were no longer only page writers queuing for magazine slots. They were performers touring pubs, bars and festivals. Open mics across London, Manchester, Bristol, Liverpool, Cardiff and here in Woking created active scenes for local people to become involved in. A poem refined on stage fed straight into a hand sold pamphlet. The poet became author, editor, promoter, bookseller and sometimes publisher.

5. The new audience
Spoken word brought people who had never read Poetry Review into the room. They bought what moved them. Salena Godden, Joelle Taylor, Robert Garnham built loyal followings through live work long before anyone took notice. When those readers wanted the poems in print, self published or micro press books filled the gap.

6. The new landscape
Tables at Ledbury, the London Small Press Fair show self published work stacked beside titles from Nine Arches, Verve, Bad Betty, Fly On The Wall, Paper Swans and Bloodaxe. But publishing is a precarious trade. Small presses stretch shoestring budgets, depend on grant cycles and volunteer labour, and sometimes fold without warning. In the past decade presses such as Tall Lighthouse and Eyewear have closed or paused activity. Others shrink their lists or skip a season when money or time runs short. A poet who waited years for a perfect home could watch it disappear overnight. Self publishing became a practical safeguard against this uncertainty.

7. Money and control
A ten pound pamphlet printed through Mixam might cost two pounds per copy. Sell it after a reading and the poet keeps most of the margin. In a traditional deal the poet might receive one or two pounds per copy. Self publishing also means choosing artwork, correcting drafts immediately and reprinting on your own schedule.

8. Where the old stigma still clings
Some gates remain narrow. Prizes such as the Forward and T S Eliot typically accept books submitted by publishers. National review pages lean toward Picador, Faber, Cape and Carcanet catalogues. Yet blogs and podcasts including The Poetry School, Sabotage Reviews and Lunar Poetry regularly feature self published titles.

9. Choosing what fits your life
A press such as Carcanet, Bloodaxe or Peepal Tree works well for poets who want editorial depth and distribution. For occasional writers or anyone who cannot spare hours each day sending to magazines, a local print shop may be the simplest route. Design a cover, order fifty copies, give or sell them to friends and local readers. Either way the work reaches the world.

10. Closing reflection
The definition of a poet has widened. No longer confined to pages in sanctioned magazines, poets now read, perform, film, post and print on their own terms. Some still pursue the traditional ladder. Others build their own steps. A poem that connects with a listener or reader counts. The route it travelled is no longer the test. So this year I will self-publish a book.