How to get people to buy your poetry book

Okay, the really hard part's over, to wit: your book's been published.

It's easier for a camel to pass through the eye of a needle* than to get a book published (apart from self-publishing, which would seem obvious and unnecessary to state explicitly, except I've learned that it's not) by a commercial house.

But poetry?

How about a camel cubed?

Really nearly impossible.

And yet.

Poetry continues to be published.

But don't quit your day job just yet unless you've already won the Nobel or Pulitzer Prize, 'cause it's not like the cash register holding your royalties is gonna be overflowing.

What to do?

Well, chances are you've got a lot of free time.

It comes with the poetic imagination.

So slum it a little and write a review for the New York Times Book Review.

Under the first column you'll get your name in boldface italics, following which, in non-boldface italics, there'll be a sentence saying what you do (ostensibly) and giving the title of your most recent book.

Tell you what: I buy on average a book a week in just this fashion.

Just yesterday I purchased Dana Goodyear's "Honey and Junk" after reading a review by her.

*