From Bushel to Book: On Building a Poetry Manuscript

[CommanderAnya]

Professional poets will offer advice on creating a strong manuscript for book publication. Panelists will address a range of topics including poem ordering, titles, sections, epigraphs, and revision. We will also discuss the submission process, including the art of finding the right fit between press and poet, and how to make your manuscript stand out among the several hundred collections presses receive each year.

Tana Jean Welch is the author of the poetry collections In Parachutes Descending (University of Pittsburgh Press, 2024) and Latest Volcano (Marsh Hawk Press, 2016). Her poetry has appeared in The New York Times, and in journals including The Southern Review, The Gettysburg Review, Beloit Poetry Journal, Prairie Schooner, and The Colorado Review. Born and raised in Fresno, California, she currently lives in Tallahassee where she is Associate Professor of Medical Humanities at the Florida State University College of Medicine.

At least two more published poets will appear on the panel.