Fifteen years of self-publishing and pay-to-publish coming to an end.

First, here's an excerpt from a blog post I wrote over five years ago:
Earlier today (March 24th), I picked up copies of my latest chapbook NEVER MET BUKOWSKI from PIP Printing (have done business with them since 2000) at their Sun Valley, CA location.

I'm still a holdout from the period where poets self-published their own chapbooks (either through the former Kinkos or places like PIP) and sold them to each other at readings. This is not a popular avenue anymore, since a lot of local poets would rather have their books published by small presses instead.

There's a lot of erosion-through-change of the local poetry scene since 2000. Once upon a time, there were quite a few more independent bookstores in LA/OC--and, in several cases, the stores would support local poetry and purchase chapbooks that were self-published and non-barcoded.

Now, there are far fewer independents--and some of those stores mimic the conformity of the local scene in only wanting local poets "established" with small press credits (it can't be just any small poetry press, it has to be the "right" press).

And sometimes, even those local poets don't always make it into these local independent stores with "high standards."

In the past few months, I've put a handful of chapbooks onto Amazon to sell as Kindle e-books.  Almost no response unless I did free promotions.  As coincidence would have it, NEVER MET BUKOWSKI moved the most free copies.

Money was spent to make HOLLYWOOD POETRY: 2001-2013 happen with Xlibris after it was rejected twice over the years by two different small presses.

With regards to the chapbooks I've self-published, 20 GREATEST HITS: 1997-2004 and the original edition of WICHITA FALLS were the best sellers.

I've had some mild success with free e-books via Smashwords (POEMS BELOW THE LINE) and Scribd (CONSPICUOUS PRESUMPTIONS).

And, locally, I had a few pay-to-get-print-copies chapbooks published with Don Kingfisher Campbell's Palabra Productions imprint.

But it's time for me to be realistic, limit further monetary loss and unsold inventory, and stop the (at times, too-prolific) habit of self-publishing books by various means which began in late 2000.

I'm currently working on the final chapbook titled ONE VERSION OF THE SKY.  It should be available in print form by September.

Thanks to all the people who have bought copies of my chapbooks/books in person, in stores or online.

And thanks to PIP Printing (particularly former employee Sabine Steinmetz for teaching me about formatting) and Don Campbell for delivering quality product.

Hoping future poems of mine will find acceptance by print/online anthologies.

If you self-publish, prepare for tradition-should-rule negativity.

Noticed this article in my e-mail box from POETS AND WRITERS magazine about self-publishing, done in a glass-half-full manner: http://www.pw.org/content/selfpublishing_perspectives

And here is a commenter with a differing view:

eyeswideopen says...

The only thing true about this article by these 3 interviewees is when they say self-publishing is here to stay. Other than that, there's quite a bit of hypocrisy and misinformation being thrown about.
If self-publishers are bringing in millions, it's news to the millions who have self-published. It's actually the self-publishing industry that has grown up around self-publishers making the millions: Cover artists, fly-by-night editors, author services charging exhorbitant rates, only to have these books languish, known only to friends and family, never to be seen by strangers. Sockpuppet reviews. Dismal Amazon ratings. Haranguing of friends and family on Facebook to buy/review whether they've read the book or not "just drop me a 5".
I'll continue to trust the gatekeepers to continue publishing authors I like, books I like, and I'll depend on word of mouth from trusted friends, none of who have ever recommended a self-published book. 
Now, why not do an interview about the real truth of self-publishing? About how only a very few sell even in the hundreds. Look at the dismal Amazon ratings of self-published books, pick a few and then interview THEM. That's where you'll find your millions.

Village Books in Pacific Palisades raises the bar for stocking self-published/small press books--including poetry.

True story: A few years ago, I would occasionally attend the poetry reading at Village Books on 1049 Swarthmore Avenue in Pacific Palisades, CA. And, back then, I was even allowed to sell the store some self-published saddle-stitched (bound by staples) chapbooks.

A few months back, I visited the store again. To their credit, the do-it-yourself poetry volumes by myself and other poets were now on a carousel, making them easy for store customers to find and consider for purchase.

But when it came time for me to ask them about carrying a recent saddle-stitched poetry chapbook of mine published by a small press based in San Pedro, I was given this new set of rules, which I will reprint below:

CONSIGNMENT/PURCHASING GUIDELINES
Due to the significant increase in requests to stock self-published books (or books not distributed by Ingram or Baker & Taylor) we found it necessary to institute a formalized system for submission of such books. If you would like your book considered for stock, please follow our consignment/purchasing guidelines:
1. All requests must be made in writing. We regret that we are unable to accomodate walk-in visits.
2. In keeping with our general inventory, only bound books with legible titles on their spines will be considered.
3. To submit a book for consideration, please drop off a copy of the book along with a one-paragraph letter including your contact information, any promotional material and a self-addressed stamped envelope with sufficient return postage at current rates. The submission should be marked "Consignment/Purchasing Request" and dropped off at the register or sent to the above [store] address.
4. Our review process takes up to one month. The book (not the promotional materials) will be returned in the self-addressed stamped envelope, along with a letter notifying you of our decision. Books submitted without a self-addressed stamped envelope will be held at Village Books special order cart for pickup. After 90 days, books not picked up will be recycled.
5. If your book is accepted for consignment of purchase, you will have the opportunity to discuss your work with our buyer. Unfortunately, prior to acceptance, requests to contact personnel in person, by phone or email will not be granted.
6. With this in mind, the decision made by our buyer is final.

Village Books is proud to support the writing community through our consignment/purchasing program. We do our best to provide shelf space and display opportunities for consignment books, while still keeping in mind our inventory needs and the interests of our consumers. Consignments are books that Village Books agrees to add to our inventory with the understanding that payment will only be made on completed sales. We look forward to reviewing your work and we thank you for your interest in Village Books.

True story number two: Recently, Jon Stewart guffawed on THE DAILY SHOW about the poem read at the Obama/Biden inauguration--and how the public left en masse because it was placed towards the end of the ceremony. Stewart made a dumb "shouldn't poetry rhyme" comment to boot.

What do these two true stories have in common?

In the case of Village Books, the buying public has little interest in sampling poetry they don't know by poets they've never heard of. This has led to the more severe policy above discouraging the majority of chapbooks/self-published bound volumes from being carried by the store.

And, in Jon Stewart's case, poetry isn't on his radar--and he apparently still equates it with formal rhyme-and-meter learned in school and forgotten decades ago.

Poetry--still ghettoized in the year 2009.