Other things to make you appealing for publishers

12. Other things to make you appealing for publishers

~ Chapbooks (cat 7)- if you produce a chapbook and tell a potential publisher that you've been able to sell a significant amount, this information is appealing to them because it means you feel comfortable selling your work in public.

~ Many publishers want to know if you have a platform other than the regular poetry audience. For example, there is a doctor/poet who goes to medical conferences about writing or art therapy and is able to sell her work at those places

~ If there is something that makes you uniquely publishable because you are eligible for grants (race, ethnicity, gender, sexual orientation), that is something that should be included in your cover letter. Publishers are looking for grants to publish your book, and there are many more grants out there for various types of minorities.

~ If you are affiliated with a university, that should also be mentioned because if your work is published, that reflects well on them. As a result, they may be willing to partially fund your book.