Monday, September 10, 2007

Where's your favorite posting place for creative work?

Just curious. I started out on blogger and have been keeping an off and on blog here for around 2-3 years. I like it, but my webmeter shows a lot more people read than leave comments so I don't know who's been here.

I've had a website since around 2001, though it's gone through a number of mutations. I keep all of my poems on it, but many are hidden away into archive pages that only I can access. The website acts as both a place to show my poems and to file everything in a place not on my computer or my external hard drive. A friend had an electrical fire and his hard copies of everything were destroyed. His computer was damaged but a tech managed to retrieve most of his work. He's published extensively, so can replace those but since he dates back to Bukowski, Creely, Norse (and published/knew) them, many of his publications are no longer available. The only problem with a website is that you REALLY don't know who's reading you and you have no interaction with them.

I started a blog on MySpace when poets started moving there. I like the bulletin system there, a way of getting messages to people you know. I like the more extensive feedback, but it takes too much time so I've backed off from there. I also don't leave poems posted there long. The other thing I like about MySpace is that I've met a lot of good poets and editors. Several publications and a chapbook have come from my contacts there.

Recently a poet editor/pusblisher moved her group blog to Facebook. You can't edit anything you post there. A definite drawback. The print is small. Someone is forever sending you a zombie invitation or a question invitation and that's getting overwelming, too. I started an Art For Fun group there and keep an eye on it and RSS feed my posts from blogger there, so it's low maintenance.

I'm thinking I should go back to writing my poems on bathroom walls. Lots easier:-)

Pris

13 comments:

Pat Paulk said...

Pris, right now blogger works fine for me. If I ever get back to submitting and publishing, I'll probably stop the blog. Back in the late 60's early 70's bathroom walls were great!!!

Lyle Daggett said...

Hi, Pris,

The only place online I've posted poems was in a group blog, though I stopped when the blog host moved the group blog to Facebook. I have some poems in a couple of online magazines, but I haven't posted any online myself anywhere else.

In Minneapolis years back there was a coffee house near where I live, Cafe Wyrd, that featured a journal book that people could write in -- when one of the books filled up, they started a new one.

I hand copied a couple of my poems into the cafe journal books, and it may ultimately have helped me get to do a reading at another local coffeehouse, which was hosted by someone who had seen my poems and recognized my name from the cafe journal.

From time to time over the years I've printed copies of one or another of my poems and handed them out as leaflets, at poetry festivals, etc.

I've enjoyed doing all of the above. This maybe gets a little bit away from what you're asking, but anyway there's what answer I have.

Pris said...

Hi Lyle
Being housebound, I don't have outside options for sharing my poems. That's my big bind. If I could do more of that, I would. I obviously can and do publish, but inbetween I do enjoy sharing poems. I'm going to be doing less of it for a while until I see how many journal editors adopt this policy of 'anywhere online is published'.

Hmmmm...maybe my spare bathroom wall this time??:-)

Joyce Ellen Davis said...

Yeah, well....There's a new place called Writers Island. You might check that out. I posted one there this morning --not only for poetry, but other stuff as well.

It's better than bathroom walls!

Jim K. said...

2 things would be nice:

1) A critique group that does
NOT have public-viewable
content (so search engines
don't index it like most all
po forums). Private view
plus approval-membership
seals the vault. This is
the way for a secure group.

2) When you DO decide to have
public visibility, a place
with high connection and
nice things of visitors.
(showcasing, previously-pubbed,
samples, anouncements)

1) Should be vastly more common,
but lack of understanding
is too common.

2) Should be co-op activity

Ponder...ponder

Sandi McBride said...

Hi Pris, I found your website through the Progressive Journal site. I started out looking at the pictures and stayed to read your comments, then moved on over to your blogsite and read some more. It's a lovely site which I intend to put on my site as a favorite...my hubby is from West Palm Beach, so everyone wonders why we ended up in Jefferson...it's cause I followed him all over the world for 20 years and when it was time to come home, I needed it to be my home...your work is lovely.

Sandi McBride said...

Hi Pris, so glad to see you and oh my yes, do we ever have the scuppnongs and muscadines here. My Great Aunt Florence used to make Scuppernong pie and taught us all how to make Scuppernong preserves...You need to make another trip home, we'll load you down with goodies! So glad you enjoyed my site and hope you won't be a stranger.

Annie Wicking said...

Please don't leave us!

I've had invites to FaceBook, but I love it here on Blogger too much.

I hope you are keep well and are busy writing more of you wonderful poems to post on here.

Best wishes
Annie

Anonymous said...

Hi Pris
I was only thinking about this very subject the other day. There are so many places to post now it's quite mind-boggling.
I've always liked the idea of a personal website and although I don't really maintain mine, it's there.
My blog is more of an online journal. What's going on in my life rather than a poetry posting place.
I think it all depends on how much time and energy we have really.
I have to lean towards blogger though, because that's where Richie and me met...sigh.

Pris said...

I've answered a couple of you on your own blog and Ellen, yes, the blog does seem like your home now.

Unknown said...

I get tired myself.

Thank you,
a poet editor/pusblisher

Pris said...

Yes, it does get to be overwelming.

Unique Designs from Zazzle said...

bathroom walls -- heh heh
I have to admit; I've seen some pretty interesting reads on the bathroom walls -- but those are usually in hip joints that encourage people to write on walls. Not the garbage you seen in most public places