New Poetry Anthologies [ Edited ]

[johnniestrange]

I've been writing and studying poetry for years with/under some very esteemed and world renowned poets and, in the past six months, decided to publish a couple poetry anthologies of my own. I also design my cover art from scratch.

Genesis of Love:  http://www.lulu.com/content/paperback-book/genesis-of-love/11729039

2011, Paperback, 85 pages, $6.99

This book of poems is a tribute to love. A tribute to the grotesque beauty of it's loss, the discovery of a deeper connection to a once unfathomable point and the void of decisions, choices and emotions that lay in between. These poems were written from experience as the moments they correlate with passed. I wrote this book to testify against a world without love. I’ve always felt that there is nothing more versatile than love. It can be the darkest most volatile scene but just as easily, it can be beautiful to the point of bordering itself upon mythical.

Strange Melodies:  http://www.lulu.com/product/paperback/strange-melodies/18951375]

 2012, Paperback, 102 pages, $6.99

Poetry’s oldest and most important root is rhythm. Without rhythm, poetry is not possible; with enough rhythm, poetry becomes song. The following pages are a collision of verse and song written consciously enough to be read effectively as poems but also sung just as easily as songs. The melodic tones should be visible though not striking. The familiar forms should appear as the writings of a lyricist, but be absorbed as the creativity only a poet can produce. The themes will range from the words of an intoxicated lover, to a hollowed out man and from a contemporary maniac to a charismatic wanderer. These are my voices and this is my tribute to the sacred rhythm of poetry.

and here's a link to my Lulu Store  http://www.lulu.com/spotlight/johnniestrange

[RiazAli]

Have looked through your preview.

Why is the beauty of love that has been lost 'grotesque' ?

Your quote from the Lennon-McArtney song - I take it you have paid for that? If not, you could be looking at a few thousand dollars.

From your poem 'Lucid Love'

'Entices me to long

For loving you to death'

sounds clumsy. 

The title of your next poem 'To My Future Ex-Wife' is witty. I like it. The 'ashes on your tongue' is interesting imagery. 

The book cover, with it's gothic style print and green and black colour is personally off putting to me but I guess it reflects the theme of the poetry inside.

[Ken Anderson]

Are you using a NHS funded computer for your private use here? Are your employers aware?

[kevinlomas]

Both books have a lot of formatting issues, have a good close look at any other similar books.
There's also no need to say where it was printed, in case it is not printed there.

[Peter May]

Interesting use of fonts - and nice to see them named at the front.

Like the cover art, especially the rear of Genesis that makes it look as if the book is transparent.

Choosing a format that can only be printed in the USA can cost you sales from other countries because of postage charges.

I'm confused why - since both books are by you - that they have different author names.

[kevinlomas]

Very Strange ...

[Ron Miller]

I think as the word is generally used, an anthology would be a collection of works by different authors.

Both books look quite nice, with effective covers, but I would remove the headers and footers from all but the main text pages. They should not be on the title page, copyright page, etc. And there may be one too many fonts throughout (for instance, I have no idea why the introduction to Strange Melodies is set in a sans serif face).

There is no need to give so much credit to Lulu. They are really just the printer: you are the publisher.

You probably do need permission to quote from the song lyrics. I would certainly take the safe route and ask.

[johnniestrange]

I really appreciate the comments guys. This is exactly what I've been needing due to my obvious lack of experience here (hence the low prices) 

@Riaz - I contacted a few people about it, most said it was "probably brief enough to be fair use" but even I was a bit unsteady about using it. I'll probably be removing it and just replacing it with my own.

I do appreciate the critiques/comments on the work as well. I wanted the first chapter to feel shaky to show the reader some of the lack of clarity that stems from a broken heart. A task I still struggle with.

@Ken - I am not. 

@Kevin - I do struggle with formatting. I've been very limited as to what programs I can use for this step. If you have any advice on programs or how to do some better formatting, I'd appreciate it very much. I really just tried to emulate some formatting from other author's books in my collection. I'll have to practice in this area quite a bit.

@ Peter - Thank you. I try to put a lot of work into my covers. I'm not in a particularly great financial situation so I do everything the free way. I do every role in the book process (minus a small amount of editing to individual poems) so the choice, although not my first, is one I have to deal with until my finances get straightened out. The second book is just written under my pen name. I've decided to start using it since it is unique and in a google search of the other, only I come up.

@Kevin(again) - I'll take that as a compliment

@Ron - From my understanding it's one or more. I'm not sure what other word I could use for these since they're previously unpublished. Thank you! Both for the compliment and the advice. I've been experimenting with each of these quite a bit as far as formatting goes. I also know there's no need to give much credit to Lulu but I just thought it would help others discover Lulu if they'd like to get into self publishing. 

[kevinlomas]

I had been using Word 98 since it was new (my art prog is from 1995) and it was all I needed. Word 98 worked on all Windows, but then I got a W7 PC and it would not even read the CD it was on, so I got Office 2010.
But if you cannot afford that then there is an MS Office clone. http://www.openoffice.org/why/

Created by Sun who really had it in for MS once!

Free Photoshop clone? >> http://photofiltre.en.softonic.com/

[kevinlomas]

Don't update old postings, it can be confusing!