Dear O'Abby: Do I need an agent to get my poetry published?

 Dear O'Abby,

I've written hundreds, if not thousands, of poems over the last ten years.  I've had some published by literary journals and poetry magazines, but I would really like to publish a collection of poems loosely grouped by theme.  I've done some research, but I can't seem to find any agents who represent poetry collections.  Does this mean I don't need an agent to publish a book of poetry?

All the best,

Poetess

Dear Poetess,

You don't need an agent to publish a book of poetry. There are small presses that are dedicated to poetry and don't require agents.  You can also self-publish your poetry.  Many poets do this very successfully, selling more copies at live poetry readings than they do through more traditional bookselling channels.

There are agents who represent poets, but you may need to search for them.  Poetry collections do not tend to sell huge numbers of copies or generate large advances so an agent representing poetry works for less money, making representing poets less attractive.  If you publish a book of poetry yourself or with a small press, and it's successful, you are far more likely to be able to get an agent than if you are pitching your very first book.

That said, poetry is growing in popularity and some agents are beginning to take notice of this.  Novels in verse are also becoming more prevalent and there are some agents actively looking for more of this type of book.  So things might be slowly changing.

If you have plans to write something else, a novel or a memoir or even a non-fiction book, then you need an agent.  And if you pick the right one, they might choose to also represent your poetry.  But they also might not.  As I mentioned above, most poetry doesn't sell enough to be worth an agent's efforts so unless you have other work that might be of higher value, or you are the Poet Laureate, finding an agent for your poetry will be challenging.

So keep publishing in journals and look around at what other avenues are available to you. Self publishing is a very viable option, especially if you are a poet who does a lot of live readings.  People like to buy books from the person they just saw on stage.  I know the majority of poetry on my bookshelves comes from having bought them directly from the poet.

I hope that is helpful.  Best of luck with your poetry!

X O'Abby