I've just self-published a book of poetry - how to publicise it?

If you're not looking to make any money, you've made all the right moves. Sorry, not meaning to be sarcastic. Lulu is supposedly a good way to go with self-publishing, but if you can get anyone other than your mother to buy a book of your political poetry, then you must be one hell of a salesperson. Good luck!

Edit: Tristan definitely provides a better answer than I do, and his advice is solid. It's soooo hard to sell anything, though... if you try hard enough you may get the job done.

In this case, given the political nature and the party affiliation (No sin I guess) I suggest use the WWW to promote your work. Not everyone locally or globally is against capitalism at some level, and while there may be valid platform points stated, I suspect a majority might not side with you, especially people running even small businesses.

Of course selling by way of the net, will involve more than book signings and hand outs. That's overcome by determining a price for the book as well as a form of shipping, the trust factor involved for the buyer, even one who might feel as you do, in asking for the $$$ up front. The issue might be reaching the largest audience you can with the least amount of personal effort.

The first step would be to organize a book launch. Talk to local bookstores and community centers about having reading. Use social media to publicize the events. Be prepared for a lot of store to say no, especially chains and non locally owned stores. They are not being mean, they just have other priorities.

As you are doing this to benefit a political party ask them to help organize events and publicize as well.

good luck

May I suggest YouTube!

Make it theatrical with a well recorded reading and some non intrusive sound effects, maybe even some non intrusive music that gets the beats of the poem right.

That way you'll be able to send it to people on this massive social network with similar views or sympathetic views to yours.

I would do it for you, the technical side of course but I am not really sympathetic to your views unfortunately, but hay it takes all sort to make a world.

Learn to always use a link to your book...