How does someone go about publishing their poetry? And is there a market for it?

Self-publishing is another good option too. Check out the sources for some sites. There's also plenty of books on the subject -- check out Amazon or even your local library.

Also, be sure to copyright your work. You can do this at the US Copyright Office.

If you are selling any products in connection with the title of your book (e.g. toys, clothing, etc.), it is strongly advised that comprehensive research be conducted to ensure that the name you're interested in is truly available.

This entails searching the pending & registered Federal and State trademark files as well as the US National Common-Law files. Then, if clear, you can decide if you would like to file for a Federal or a State trademark.

Research is needed to make sure your trade name is legally available, before opening, before expansion, before incorporation or before designing your logo. Similarities in sound, appearance and meaning affect you too!

There are 16+ million trade names in use in the United States. Similar names matter, if close in sound, appearance or meaning. Similar names in related classes, distribution channels and customer matter too. You are affected by Common Law use (14 million), State Trademarks (500,000) and Federal Trademarks (2 million).

through the school I am attending I have been warned against self-publishing unless it is a industry based non-fiction that has it's own market. Self-published books are excluded from almost all award considerations, you have to do all the marketing yourself not to mention the cost and finding shelf space anywhere...which will never include any of the major retailer's. Why don't you consider getting a copy of the magazine "the writer" they usually have a few opportunities listed for contests that can result in some sort of book or magazine publishing. You also might want to research some marketing books to see about submitting your work to magazines around the country. Yes, the pay will be little or none at times, but it isn't about the money...you can build a reputation and then get an agent to approach publishing firms. Ya gotta walk before you can run!! Good luck & best wishes.

Publish it yourself. There are a variety of programs, like Quark, that can help you. Perhaps you have a friend who is a designer, or has always wanted to design a book but doesn't have the material--it would be a great collaboration, your writing and their design talent.

I'm pretty sure that Kinko's will help you (for a price) to design and publish a small number of books. A local printing business would do it cheaper. Call them and ask about it.

Look for local places where you can read your work and sell your books there (like a band selling their CDs after a show). Look for online forums and sites that publish poetry. If you find a site where you like the poetry, there's a decent chance that they will like yours (below is the URL for Yahoo Directory's poetry section, lots of sites).

Look for poetry magazines in larger bookstores or university bookstores. Same thing, if you like the poetry in it then that's a great place to submit to. Reading more poetry will also likely give you more ideas and continue to improve your writing. Some bookstores will also take books to sell on consignment.

The market for poetry is small. But you can make your own market. You and your work need to be what gets people interested in buying the book. The more you can get yourself and your work exposure, the more likely that you can get interest and sell a few. You won't make a living off it or likely even recoup your investment, BUT you will be able to give them to people you care about and know will appreciate them. And you'll have a personal connection with the people you give or sell them to.

You could also put them up on a website instead of publishing a book. Consider doing a blog and posting one a day (or once a week). You wouldn't make money off that per se, but you also wouldn't spend any (or much) putting them up. You could also put ads on the site and make some money that way. Or, if you do publish a book, too, you can sell the books on the site.

Have you considered getting them onto www.poetry.com? They often publish books of poetry from their website. You put your poems on the site for all the world to see, and if they're good enough they'll be published and you will be notified by post and/or e-mail. If you do log on to the site, check out my stuff! I'm under Michelle Elizabeth Snell, my poems are Ode to Fluff, Knife and Myths of a Wintry Beach

poetry.com is a scam

see:

http://www.eliteskills.com/writing_scams/poetry.co...

Use eliteskills.com as a writing forum, it will tell you if its good enough for publication.