tirzahlaughs

I'm trying to organize a book of my poems and I'm driving myself crazy. Why is it when you go to put something in print, you start to second guess yourself?

Is that line really strong enough?

Is that poem good enough to be printed?

Am I wasting my time putting together a self-published book of poems?

IS the title right?

Is the artwork good enough? (Post picture is my cover art)

Because once you self-publish poems in a book, you can't send them in to magazines any longer. They are dead poems.

And I know that poetry books don't sell. The chances of me getting anyone who hasn't already met me to buy a copy, is almost nil.

So I'm spending all this time and effort to create a book that no one will read.

It's not that I won't promote it, I will. I'll promote the hell out of it. I'll put it on my blog, twitter, Facebook. I'll post it on all my writer's sites.

But do I think I'll sell even fifty copies?

No.

So why do it?
Why put myself through all this?

Because it's my legacy to the world. I don't have children. I don't plan on having any. I'm not brilliant or gifted. I'm not famous. A book of poems may be all that exists after I die.

And I want that immortality.

I want my book to survive fires, trash days, junk drawers, and so that 100 years after I'm gone, someone will still hear my words.

Maybe my words will say what their words cannot.

That's not too much to ask? Right?

I hope not.

Tirz