Another busy week, and I’ve been burning the candle at both ends. I’ve been wanting to post more chapbook reviews on this blog, but haven’t had time to write them. They will come soon. I’ve had two reviews to write for the next issue of Sphinx, which I’ve just sent in. I also plan to work on a review for another publication. I have a couple of poems fermenting in my mind that might suit a certain magazine. And I have this Patron Saint of Petrol Stations idea for a poem, which is a scrappy mess of notes at the moment. The title was inspired by Jim Sheard's list of Valentine gifts one might pick up from petrol station shops on the 13th February.
The other night, I went through all the poems not included in my chapbook and noted the ones that might conceivably be good enough for a future collection. The next stage is to find a ‘concept’ that appears to hold a large group of them together (I have a few ideas) and try to shape the collection accordingly. Then I’ll revise these poems until they resist all further tampering. I may write a few new ones as well.
It looks like it’s going to be book-length, about 60 pages. I’d consider self-publishing, and I’d definitely consider another chapbook publisher (and shorten the length accordingly), but I’m going to try to interest ‘commercial’ (sounds funny when applied to poetry!) book publishers first. I have a few in mind – those who have published books I’ve read and enjoyed. Some will likely be way out of my league, but I’m going to have a shot anyway.
But first the choosing, the shaping and patterning, the revising. At the rate I’m going, I might have a book out by 2016 or so.
