I am Torn
I’ve been looking at sending poetry for publication. Like to paper publications, publications that offer money or prizes. A number of the publications I like require that poems submitted be unpublished, of course, but that definition now includes publication to personal blogs.
Why do you even post to your blog?
I publish to my blog for a few reasons:
- It’s a mental “final step” that says I’m done editing.
- I’d like feedback from readers.
- I like y’all to know I’m still alive.
To a degree I feel a mighty need, likely from over a decade of blogging, to get stuff out there regularly. I like writing; I find it satisfying, and knowing people are reading makes it doubly so. But the prospect of formal publication (and, dare I hope, payment?) is awfully tantalizing…
…even as the thought of not posting a poem so I can try to get it published in a more formal way is irksome…
Which also implies thati believe putting it on a blog is not formal publication.
Which is curious…
So.. I’m sort of at a loss.
To post or to publish?