Main fundraiser photo

Help Me Publish a Book of my Poetry!

Donation protected
Hi Friends,

If you're reading this, chances are that you've come across my poetry at some point in the past. Poetry is one of my favorite forms of writing and it holds very particular and special place in my heart. I've been writing poetry since I was 6, and the frequency and focus have varied widely over the years, but there has been a common thread in style and a desire to reflect on the wisdom and beauty of small, everyday things.

The other thing that has always been true about my poetry is that it is the one type of writing I've done almost entirely for myself. I've shared it with others of course, but I've never pursued it professionally, rarely entered poetry contests, and have actually avoided learned too much about the technical aspects of the art form. I've never felt any pressure for my poetry to be perfect or even good, which has allowed me a freedom and joy in it that I don't always have with my other writing.

That is why, when friends have urged me to publish my poetry in the past, I've resisted. That and a fear that going through such a process would confirm that I'm not, in fact, a technically good or publishable poet. However, after hearing the suggestion enough times, the idea of having a book of my poetry did begin to interest me. I've looked into self-publishing a few times, but was daunted by the cost and the stress of doing the editorial and formatting processes on my own.

I had decided recently that I would hire someone to do that work for me, and in the process of searching for that, I found my way to Tehom Center Publishing. They are an indie publisher and nonprofit run by Dr. Angela Yarber, a queer clergy woman and artist. Tehom specifically seeks to uplift women and nonbinary people, with an emphasis on those who are queer and/or BIPOC. Through Angela, I learned that they have a writers cohort program that offers coaching on all aspects of the writing, publishing, and marketing process alongside other awesome writers. And they offer participation in this cohort alongside a publishing contract!

Tehom has expressed excitement to have my poetry book among their collection and I'm thrilled for the chance to learn from and with a group of writers and have the support of a publishing company as I make this poetry book happen. It costs Tehom $1700 per participant to run their cohort. They aim to partner with their authors' communities (in particular, presbyterians, churches, and judicatories) to fund the program cost so that authors don't have to pay. Because I'm not working in parish ministry, I don't have the benefit of a continuing ed budget or other pastoral streams of support. So instead, I'm asking y'all, my community, if you are willing and able to support me in this dream by helping me cover the $1700 cost of the program.

I've never crowdfunded for myself before and I feel a little weird about it to be honest - especially since this isn't a true need. However, I'm determined to make this happen, including using my own savings, and since many of you have pushed for this over the years I thought I could at least ask if you'd like to help make it happen in this way. As an added element, Tehom lost everything in the hurricane a couple of months ago and is working to rebuild. I'm grateful to be a part of that process with them.

If you have any questions, feel free to ask me! You can also read more at tehomcenter.org. And if you think you or someone you know might also be a good fit for Tehom Publishing, let me know! Thank you all for supporting me and my poetry and pushing me toward this dream.


Donate

Donations 

  • Pamela Griffin
    • $25
    • 29 d
  • Erin Counihan
    • $20
    • 1 mo
  • Stuart Mallard
    • $50
    • 2 mos
  • Molly Naugher
    • $50
    • 2 mos
  • Andrea McKellar
    • $25
    • 2 mos
Donate

Organizer

Layton Williams
Organizer
Charleston, SC

Your easy, powerful, and trusted home for help

  • Easy

    Donate quickly and easily

  • Powerful

    Send help right to the people and causes you care about

  • Trusted

    Your donation is protected by the GoFundMe Giving Guarantee