Your dilemma reminds me of my situation with my J/P novel. It's not publishable, but the reality is that more people will see it published on A03 than will ever read most novels. It's an odd thing, this whole internet publishing situation with regard to words.
One thing that might be helpful is... I read recently, I forget where, that the way to give our creations life is to inject them into the infrastructure of the written word -- meaning that something posted online is by nature ephemeral, whereas putting something into print in an official way makes it part of the literary canon of humanity -- filed in the Library of Congress, etc.
I want that for my work. Need it for my work (minus the J/P novel, because see above), over and above anything else. Not for my ego, but because my central goal is to have what I'm writing affect the world after I'm gone. If it's just online, that's less likely to happen.
You have different goals, perhaps, but that resonates for me so I'm sharing it...
oooh - the ongoing dilemma for all us writers - really, there's as much of a 'correct answer' as there is working the tables at Vegas... maybe submit to a few journals first, but only ones that would really make you happy to see your work in, & then if they don't take it, have at it? thinking also, if you get it into a journal, can you afterwards broadcast that piece of work on your socials anyway?
I don't read too many journals so I'm not even sure where I'd be happy to see my work at this point. But yes, if they have an online component, I could certainly share that.
I'm not a poet, so pls take with a grain of salt - perhaps posting this & discussing further with people will help you distill exactly what your goal is; ie long term vs immediate gratification, any sort of exposure vs something loftier, & is there anyone whose poetry trajectory you especially covet, etc? then go from there? along the way consider if submitting to contests would help you get there?
"is there anyone whose poetry trajectory you especially covet," This is an interesting question and honestly I'm not sure. I can't think of anyone. But maybe there are pieces of other people's experience that I like. Will have to noodle around about this. Thanks for the useful prompts!
Why is it one or the other? Why can't you post your poems and submit them to journals at the same time?
Most don't take previously published poems.
I'm raising my eyebrows at the idea that poetry journals could afford to be fussy. But they no doubt are.
🤷♂️ There is an abundance of poets out there that want their work in print.
Your dilemma reminds me of my situation with my J/P novel. It's not publishable, but the reality is that more people will see it published on A03 than will ever read most novels. It's an odd thing, this whole internet publishing situation with regard to words.
One thing that might be helpful is... I read recently, I forget where, that the way to give our creations life is to inject them into the infrastructure of the written word -- meaning that something posted online is by nature ephemeral, whereas putting something into print in an official way makes it part of the literary canon of humanity -- filed in the Library of Congress, etc.
I want that for my work. Need it for my work (minus the J/P novel, because see above), over and above anything else. Not for my ego, but because my central goal is to have what I'm writing affect the world after I'm gone. If it's just online, that's less likely to happen.
You have different goals, perhaps, but that resonates for me so I'm sharing it...
Legacy is certainly a different goal with a whole set of different actions.
I think it's a reasonable rule of thumb that nothing about art should be done for ego. Always for what is best for the art. If that helps.
Oh man, your story put me right in the scene! And I did *not* want to be there! 😂 Well done!
Lol, I'm glad you understood the story exactly as it was meant to be understood.
oooh - the ongoing dilemma for all us writers - really, there's as much of a 'correct answer' as there is working the tables at Vegas... maybe submit to a few journals first, but only ones that would really make you happy to see your work in, & then if they don't take it, have at it? thinking also, if you get it into a journal, can you afterwards broadcast that piece of work on your socials anyway?
I don't read too many journals so I'm not even sure where I'd be happy to see my work at this point. But yes, if they have an online component, I could certainly share that.
I'm not a poet, so pls take with a grain of salt - perhaps posting this & discussing further with people will help you distill exactly what your goal is; ie long term vs immediate gratification, any sort of exposure vs something loftier, & is there anyone whose poetry trajectory you especially covet, etc? then go from there? along the way consider if submitting to contests would help you get there?
"is there anyone whose poetry trajectory you especially covet," This is an interesting question and honestly I'm not sure. I can't think of anyone. But maybe there are pieces of other people's experience that I like. Will have to noodle around about this. Thanks for the useful prompts!