Releasing the Poetry Collection

While it feels like the book has been out for a while, yesterday (September 1) was the "official" release date. Initially, I thought I'd have some kind of long celebration post about releasing the book (yay! hooray! woot! etc.), but I just feel a little wiped out--in a good way (you know, that "wiped out because I accomplished something important" feeling). Solving the World's Problems is "officially" published!

What I did on the "official" release date

I went to the Decatur Book Festival and did not promote my book. Instead, I celebrated and was inspired by the work of so many other talented writers. In particular, the whole family waited around the children's stage for the opportunity to watch Tom Angleberger, who does a series of origami books for Star Wars characters.

While we were out, I received a message from my editor that he had copies of my manuscript with his notes on them and that he'd ship them to me if I wanted them. I have a box filled with stuff related to this book, so I told him, "Yes!"

Another poet informed me that she reviewed my book and that it'll run in a literary journal around the beginning of 2014. I told her thanks, and then she let me know that one of my poems from Solving the World's Problems was selected for Verse Daily (on the "official" release date of the book, which I'm taking as a sign of good things to come). Click here to check that out.

I also returned answers to a couple interviews, both of which have already gone live:

But there's more

Today, I announced a pretty cool little challenge on my personal blog related to my collection. I'm calling it the Remixing the World's Problems Challenge, and it basically challenges poets (and non-poets) to remix the poems in my collection. Whoever enters the one I love the most will receive a gift of $50 from me. Click here to learn more.

This weekend, I'll lead a poetry workshop in Hayesville, North Carolina. Later in the month, I'll have readings in Atlanta and Rome (GA). In October, I'll be up around Cleveland, Ohio. My book will be featured with me at the Kentucky Book Fair in November. Click here to get the whole schedule.

So this post is shorter than others, but that's okay. This is the post that celebrates the release. This is the post that takes a deep breath. At the end of this week, we'll wrap up with the final installment of this series, which looks at moving past the poetry collection.

Have a great week!

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Robert Lee Brewer is Senior Content Editor of the Writer's Digest Writing Community and now an officially published author of poetry (yay!). Press 53 published his debut full-length collection of poems, Solving the World's Problems. Voted Poet Laureate of the Blogosphere in 2010, Brewer also curates the Insta-poetry series for Virginia Quarterly Review. He's married to the poet Tammy Foster Brewer, who helps him keep track of their five little poets (four boys and one princess). Follow him on Twitter @robertleebrewer.

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Check out other poetic posts here: