Jeffrey Greene: All writers and artists have to promote their work, even film stars. Poetry is no different. Many novelists and short story writers have their own marketing nightmares. We, of course, hear about the few that have glorious careers. There is no mystery to selling art. You produce the best product you can and you sell it through advertising, bookstore contacts, radio, teaching, reputation, and participation in literary life. Some poets are better at this than others. You can't force anyone to love your work, but if you believe in it and you have committed years to it, it's a duty to give a book its best chance. The rest is out of your hands.
Marc Woodworth: I give readings if I'm asked. There are newspaper writers and radio people who love poems and do give poets a chance to let people know about their work.
Marge Piercy: I give many readings. You have to understand, my poetry does sell. The Moon is Always Female has sold about 95,000 copies and my selected poems, Circles on the Water, is in its 14th printing.
Cornelius Eady: Poetry and the marketplace is a very weird dance, done by awkward partners.
Billy Collins: I have encouraged the sales of my poetry by trying to write clear lines, one below the other.
Honor Moore: Poetry is selling better now because there has been a big public relations push. How I sell my works is to give readings and always have books there to sell and sign. If I were a book seller, I would have a different book of poems by the cashier every week along with those other small cash register books. I would have a little rack and a photo maybe, but mainly just the book.
Richard Matthews: I haven't had much opportunity yet to do anything, but in a way, knowing that it doesn't sell is liberating: I can worry more about writing the next poem than selling the next copy without much consequence.
