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ENTER OUR MONTHLY POETRY CONTEST
AT THE END OF THIS PAGE
Sit back and browse our poetry pages. I'll be adding and changing poetry info every few weeks. Don't forget to visit
this poets' web site often.
Hi.... I'm Barbara (Morris Fischer) Binstock, the editor,
publisher, and designer of all our great poetry
anthologies and poetry books for poets. I'm
so glad you all stopped by.
If you just linked to this page from a search
engine, please start at contents ourpage,
That has our poetry anthology contest guidelines.
When I see that a poet is sincere, I try to help poets become their best. When I encounter a vain person who has made no significant achievement in his life, calling himself "poet" because it seems like an easy title
to brag about, I send them a contemptuous rejection.
Such people destroy true poetry, (sharing the beauty of profound emotional expression through our language), for our society and our era by insisting what they wrote poetry. It is nothing anyone enjoys reading. The next step its readers will say they don't care for poetry or they don't understand it. They will not seek out poetry to read after reading enough trash.
After 43 years of publishing poetry, I have a lot to say to new
poets. There was no internet when I began, nowhere near as
many books to help improve your writing or achieve success
with self-publishing.
These articles I've written are based on questions and
mistakes I get from newcomers. I hope you'll find lots
of help and inspiration on this web site.
Click "favorites" up at top and add this page so you can return
effortlessly, to where poets have fun with poetry every week.
Before it's browning paper turns to dust, I want to share something really special with you.
Please click here to read CLOCK OF THE ANIMALS
by Emilie Glenn.
It has a surprise ending.
About about 36 years ago, I took my 5-year-old son on the
Long Island Railroad to Central Park in New York City.
On the train seat, heading for home, I found a "Little" literary magazine, (as they were called), "The Coffee House Review." In it was a poem that lived with me since.
Partly because I had just taken my little one to see the magical clock at the Children's Zoo in Central Park,
(like my father had once taken me to see).
I was publishing poetry anthologies back then, and one of our poets who really stood out was Emilie Glenn, (Greenwich Village, NY) when we published her poem "The Redhead in Washington Square." I wrote to Emilie to thank her for it.
Recently, due to the power of Google, a friend of Emilie found this on our web site and informed me that Emilie passed away at the age of 84, having left hundreds of poems behind.
Please click here to read CLOCK OF THE ANIMALS by Emilie Glenn. It has a surprise ending.
We have a new hard cover book printing special
for a limited time.
Please sign my Guest Register below whenever you visit.
(You'll be entered in our monthly prize drawing if you sign in.)
You may subscribe to our new FREE monthly newsletter as well.
Don't miss the interesting pages listed below after these popular FAQ's.
Tens of thousands of people a year fantasize about
being a "famous poet." Why?
Because they can't claim any kind of accomplishment in their life.
They figure "there are no standards in poetry. Any jerk can
call himself a poet and win respect and admiration."
A lot of never-be's send me hate mail
because I don't like impostors. I'm brutally frank, honest, candid,
and have 43 years of heavy reading, writing, and poetry
publishing experience behind what I say.
I'm far from "old fashioned." When I spot an
undereducated poet trying desperately to communicate
an expression from his gut, I publish him among our
poetically correct pieces. I even help by editing bad lines.
When I sniff that a person is forcing a poem to happen
and it is has no foundation, no soul, no vision, it gets rejected.
Reading J. Mark Press anthologies is a ride on an emotional
roller coaster. Our published poets reach our readers with
their expressions about life.
The comments below are answers to many
email questions we receive.
Q) - How do I get paid for having my poetry book published?
A) - Poetry needs to appeal to people who don't know you,
so much appeal that they'd buy the book once they started to read it.
You're asking strangers to give you their time and their money
when you ask to be published. Look at the entertainers
we give our time and money to. How does your contribution
to society stack up to theirs?
Many people with hammers aren't ready to be carpenters.
Many people who write poetry aren't ready to be "published" poets.
You can be mighty embarrassed forever by publishing your immature poetry.
Some people call themselves poets because they've done nothing to be proud of.
They've written some poems. They want to be published but refuse to become
educated about qualities that make poetry loved and memorable.
If that's too much work for you, keep the poetry in a scrapbook.
Some people aren't going to spend any spare time or money
learning more about poetry, or what's been done, or what can be
done to make their poems more interesting. They want to be
(Published - paid - celebrated - revered just for being!)
They never fell for and bought a book of poetry, yet they believe
someone would buy theirs.
Q. - Should I Publish My Own Book?
A - People are quick to think "anyone" can publish a book.
A dentist once told me he wanted to publish his own book.
I asked him," Why do you think you can be a
publisher? I wouldn't try drilling my own teeth!"
You need to acquire a good deal of knowledge to publish and
sell books. There are no shortcuts. A book needs to generate a
lot of money with not much of that money going to
any one individual.
That is why we offer to publish as few as 20 hard cover books.
Give them or sell them. Don't let your treasures of expression
go unheard. But don't be tricked into unrealistic expectations
that will break your heart and your bank account. If it sells,
pace your sales by printing some more.
Why aren't publishers featuring new poetry?
Poets tend to say, "look at me, listen to me." They seldom
wonder what it's like for a publisher to receive their poems.
Publishing, like any business, has high overhead.
Rent, insurance, utilities, editors, typesetters,
advertising space, the cleaning supplies, paper
and ink, equipment maintenance, sales reps,
postage, lunch.
If a publisher can't sell 100,000 or more copies of a book
quickly, (before overhead consumes the incoming money), he can't
bother with it. Advertising alone costs thousands of dollars.
Most people never in a lifetime buy a book of poetry by an
unheard of poet.
Most famous poets self-published at first. They created
a demand for their work.
You've got to do considerable studying about publishing,
advertising, graphics, and marketing.
Self-publishing poetry is expensive. You'll find it difficult to recover
your cost selling poetry (unless you have a theme like inspirational
or love poetry.) That's why publishers aren't interested in poetry or
any topics that won't make books sell.
Publishing may not be the career you really want. You
may just want to write poetry for the pleasure it brings
to you and others.
We can make you 20 to 40 hard cover books of 32 pages
for an affordable price. Then you'll have something to
share with close friends.
Q - How can I become a famous published poet?
A - Beware. There are numerous firms that praise and
publish any words on paper sent to them, just to create a
product to sell to vain, unsuspecting novices. (Is that
where you think your words and name belong?)
Or should you take the challenge...
Read great classic poetry that endured for generations,
read books about writing poetry and develop interesting
techniques to communicate with people who don't know you?
If you don't like what it takes to get a poem accepted
by a genuine publisher, perhaps you aren't
ready to be a poet.
We believe anyone should be able to have a hard cover
book published if he wrote one.
When you believe you're ready to show people your
messages, why not let J. Mark Press make 20 to 40
books or so for your personal use?
Check out our various options at
www.jmcutlery.com/bindery1.htm
Here now is a comment from someone who thought
they could fool you and me into believing that
all writing is "good."
She thought uninteresting, unskilled writing should
be excused in the name of "diversity."
In other words, down with schools and genuine knowledge.
In with impostors.
Is that what you want to hand down to the next generation?
Don't try it here.
Never let anyone try to trick you about what is right!
Don't let anyone waste your time telling you to read
bad writing that doesn't thrill you.
There is poor quality in comedy, entertainment, music,
and art as well as poetry.
It is not "diversity." It stinks!
She asks:
"Who are you to decide what is art and what is junk?"
Answer:
Everyone knows what good is. They unanimously, enjoy
"good" comedians, movies, singers, actors, musicians, artists, and
poets.
99% of good is recognized as good and celebrated by an
overwhelming majority. The bad gets "canned" by society.
The public does not patronize it. It gets lost.
There are "juried" art, craft, and antique shows to call
attention to what is skilled and stimulating without visitors
having to plow through heaps of dung to find it, (or maybe
never find it due to the junk in front of it obscuring it).
Publishers with genuine "knowledge" from education and
experience are needed to decide what to
show to enthrall an audience and how not to bury "good"
works under a heap of idiotic distractions. (Just like juried art shows).
Amanda says: "You simply seem to be a narrow minded poet who
believes that only his own type of work is "worthy" for publication.
It is a shame to offer such a haven, as you referred to it, filled with
a lack of "appreciation for diversity"
That comment is proof that Amanda did not read what we publish.
The truth is you can't fool us. I don't excuse untrained drivel
by calling it "diversity." The correct word for it is "dung!"
But, you can be fooled, Amanda!
When you have proper knowledge of poetry, you won't
wonder if a piece of writing has merit.
There are teachers, books, colleges, and libraries. Should we get rid of them
and their standards and go by Amanda and her diversity??
REAL Diversity is revealed in the style and subject every poet and poem we've
ever published. We don't stretch the meaning of the word "diversity" to mean
everything from excellence to crap.
To Send Us Email Click Here[Back to Contents ]
Check out the directory below.
Hard cover Book Printing, for self-publishing poets and writers, or hard cover book binding for your own printed pages
Next page: Guest Register plus monthly poetry contests and interesting tidbits."
Please Click here and read some prior winners before you enter your poetry! Poetry Contests - List of All Winners' Names from all J. Mark Press anthologies. Great Poets Of Our Time Awards
Illustrated Great Poets Continued
Poetry Contest
Winning Poems of
these books:
Helping Hand, Bright Horizon, Sunlit Path.
Poetry Contest - winners' poems from Notable American Poets Anthology
J. Mark Press Prize-winning
published poets
of 2000.Hard cover book publishing & Book Printing, for self-publishing poets and writers. OR
Hard cover book binding for your own printed pages
VISIT OUR "POETRY WORKSHOP"
How To sound like a seasoned pro.
[workshop 2]
Article
"Promoting Yourself"
Keepsakes for J. Mark Poets See some excellent poetry samples from our editor:
"A Backpack of Milestones" by Barbara Morris Fischer Binstock
J. Mark Press
"Poet of The Year"
Sean Young
we'd like you to read this page to understand the meaning
of fresh use of imagery and the English language.
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