Author: Jordan Hanson
Major: Literary Studies, Creative Writing
Approved: Fall 2019
Status: Completed
All writers ask themselves when to publish, what to publish, how to publish, and with who. They also hope that their writing will be successful. As a writer myself, I want to explore the many facets of the publishing process and the current market for poetry. Since I will be studying in London in the spring of 2020, I will start with a brief history of publication there. I will then research more closely the
multiple complicated paths one can take when looking to publish poetry in the current market, ideally through a combination of interviews and literature. I want to discover the ins and outs of the process, from choosing a publishing option to putting together a manuscript to what is currently successful on the market. When I return to Roanoke in the fall, I will be reading the poetry by the authors I have researched, in a variety of traditional and modern forms that are being published today. My own poetry currently reflects a mix of contemporary and traditional styles, much of it connected by themes of love, nature, and the celestial. I will continue writing and finalizing my final collection of poetic
works with these aspects in mind, while writing in response to the poetry that I am reading. I will l use my research to put together a short manuscript of poetry, and assess of the best way to publish my
personal work. I will present the entirety of my findings in a website or eBook for other hopeful poets, and read some of my finished works at campus readings.
