Compiling a manuscript can be a strenuous process that makes you sit with your work and analyze your relationship to it. It’s not easy. With the Where Are You Poet manuscript contest in full swing, I have compiled some tips that I keep in mind when working on a new collection:
• Always put your strong poems first. The first poem plays a strong role in setting a reader's interest level and whether or not they will keep reading.
• Cut out any poem that you are unsure of or think is "okay." My goal when writing is book is for the reader could flip to any page of it and be blown away.
• Each poem should attempt to say something unique. It's okay for poems to have similar goals. However, attempt to have them reach their goals in new ways.
• Be aware of the arch of the collection. Try to create some sort of flow & story.
• Edit edit edit. Reread. Send the work to a few people who you respect and know for their honesty and have them give you feedback.
• Don’t use the same word or metaphor in every poem.
• Take note of imagery that you often return to. is it getting redundant? or could it be played up?
• Pay attention to punctuation. Does one poem end each line with a period and another have no punctuation at all? Attempt to make a seamless collection where the focus is on the poems as they exist together, rather than each one separately. Try to be consistent with punctuation.
• If possible, live in the book for a period of time. Give your thoughts to it. Question what you would like it to say. A book does not have to communicate every single thought you have ever had. There is always room for more books. Think about what makes this collection special.
I hope that these tips aid you in the process of compiling your work. To submit to the Where Are You Poet manuscript contest, please submit 10-20 pages of your manuscript here. We look forward to reading your work!
