The deadline to submit manuscripts for The Poet's Haven Author Series has been extended by 48 hours. While we've received a number of amazing submissions, we still want more! (MORE! MORE!) (Yes, I've been listening to music from The Rocky Horror Show.) You now have until midnight Monday night / Tuesday morning to e-mail your submissions. That's Eastern US time for those of you not in my local vicinity. The window closes at that time and won't reopen for another year or year-and-a-half. STOP PROCRASTINATING!!!
The submission call and guidelines can be found here:
http://poetshavenblog.blogspot.com/2012/02/call-for-submissions-poets-haven-author.html
March 17, 2012
March 6, 2012
Primary Voting in Ohio...
I've never before taken issue with the electronic voting machines Ohio has adopted. Sure, there's the potential for hacking and voter fraud, but the Board of Elections takes steps to prevent that. They've created a mess in some neighboring counties when fraud was discovered, but the fact was that the fraud WAS discovered. I've never had a problem with electronic voting. Until today.
So it turns out that these electronic, touch-screen voting machines do not allow you to cast a write-in vote for a presidential candidate not on your state's ballot. The ability to cast a write-in vote is kinda important in this country. Past presidents have used write-in campaigns to win primaries. See the Wikipedia page for a list of notable write-in campaigns and victories.
I've not exactly been quiet about how disappointed I've been with President Obama. Rather than taking office and kicking ass, making the changes we elected him to make and leading this country far, far back to the left (which would actually put us back in the center, after everything shifted so far past conservative during the Bush Jr. years), he's been all about compromise. The big highlight his people keep pointing to is, "Oh, we passed health-care reform!" No, you didn't. You passed a bill that could've been written by Karl Rove, it was so tailored to the desires of the major insurance companies. You passed a health-care bill that failed to create the single-payer option that over 70% of the people in this country want. Every issue, Obama has said, "We'll meet you half-way." When the Rethuglicans reply "no," he then says, "Okay, how about we come half-way again?" "No." And so it goes until what finally passes is so skewed to the right that it doesn't do anything that it was intended to do. (And then the Rethuglicans continue to bitch and moan about how awful the "liberal" bill is.) But I digress.
Obama isn't going to lose the Democratic primary in any state. That's a given. But it would send a loud and clear message that we're not happy with what he's done thus-far if, say, 8 to 10% of the Democratic primary ballots voted for another candidate. Personally, I've become a fan of a guy named Vermin Supreme. Vermin Supreme is campaigning on a call for mandatory teeth-brushing laws, free ponies for everyone to reduce our dependence on fossil fuels, and plans to utilize zombies and turbines to produce electricity. He admits his campaign is not "reality based" and is aggressively trying to win second place. Right now, that's who I want to vote for.
After sliding my card into the Diebold voting machine, I discover that Obama is the only name listed on the ballot for president. Then I find that there is no method of casting a write-in vote. I ask the poll workers how one goes about casting a write-in vote. They do not know. They quickly get on the phone with someone at the county Board of Elections who tells them to have me cast a provisional ballot. Okay. The provisional ballot form is set up to be read by a computer and also does not provide any space to cast a write-in ballot. This is a problem.
In the end, I wrote Vermin Supreme's name in the space beside Obama's and did not color in the oval bubble. Whether this get counted, I do not know. Honestly, I doubt it will get counted. Of everything else on the ballot, only one position had more than one person running. If my votes do not get counted, it won't affect any results. But that is not the point. Every vote should be counted, and the machines need to be equipped with a method of writing in a candidate who is not on the ballot. I think this is going to be one of my hot-button topics for the next four years.
So it turns out that these electronic, touch-screen voting machines do not allow you to cast a write-in vote for a presidential candidate not on your state's ballot. The ability to cast a write-in vote is kinda important in this country. Past presidents have used write-in campaigns to win primaries. See the Wikipedia page for a list of notable write-in campaigns and victories.
I've not exactly been quiet about how disappointed I've been with President Obama. Rather than taking office and kicking ass, making the changes we elected him to make and leading this country far, far back to the left (which would actually put us back in the center, after everything shifted so far past conservative during the Bush Jr. years), he's been all about compromise. The big highlight his people keep pointing to is, "Oh, we passed health-care reform!" No, you didn't. You passed a bill that could've been written by Karl Rove, it was so tailored to the desires of the major insurance companies. You passed a health-care bill that failed to create the single-payer option that over 70% of the people in this country want. Every issue, Obama has said, "We'll meet you half-way." When the Rethuglicans reply "no," he then says, "Okay, how about we come half-way again?" "No." And so it goes until what finally passes is so skewed to the right that it doesn't do anything that it was intended to do. (And then the Rethuglicans continue to bitch and moan about how awful the "liberal" bill is.) But I digress.
Obama isn't going to lose the Democratic primary in any state. That's a given. But it would send a loud and clear message that we're not happy with what he's done thus-far if, say, 8 to 10% of the Democratic primary ballots voted for another candidate. Personally, I've become a fan of a guy named Vermin Supreme. Vermin Supreme is campaigning on a call for mandatory teeth-brushing laws, free ponies for everyone to reduce our dependence on fossil fuels, and plans to utilize zombies and turbines to produce electricity. He admits his campaign is not "reality based" and is aggressively trying to win second place. Right now, that's who I want to vote for.
After sliding my card into the Diebold voting machine, I discover that Obama is the only name listed on the ballot for president. Then I find that there is no method of casting a write-in vote. I ask the poll workers how one goes about casting a write-in vote. They do not know. They quickly get on the phone with someone at the county Board of Elections who tells them to have me cast a provisional ballot. Okay. The provisional ballot form is set up to be read by a computer and also does not provide any space to cast a write-in ballot. This is a problem.
In the end, I wrote Vermin Supreme's name in the space beside Obama's and did not color in the oval bubble. Whether this get counted, I do not know. Honestly, I doubt it will get counted. Of everything else on the ballot, only one position had more than one person running. If my votes do not get counted, it won't affect any results. But that is not the point. Every vote should be counted, and the machines need to be equipped with a method of writing in a candidate who is not on the ballot. I think this is going to be one of my hot-button topics for the next four years.
March 4, 2012
CD Review: "A Light in the Distance" by Meganne Stepka
The work found on "A Light in the Distance" is astonishing. That some of these tracks were composed live, "freestyle," is mind-blowing. Nothing sounds unprepared.
My one criticism of Glass Audrey's "Little Waves" was that too much electronic filtering had been added to Meganne's voice. When asking me to review this new album, Meganne told me she was curious what I'd think, since this was a completely low-tech recording, just her and a video camera. As a "sound-guy," someone who handles audio equipment for live events and has handled the sound board for bands and demo recording, I may be a bit too picky about where the happy-medium is for sound quality. Meganne's camera has captured the purity of her voice and performance, but also allows too much background noise into the mix. During the first track, "Unlearn," I find myself imagining how I'd set up for the recording, where I would've adjusted the sound board levels before running the audio to the camera's mic input. But that's what sound-guys do. By the time "A Magical Place" is playing, I've finished adjusting my stereo's EQ and simply immerse myself in the music.
Recommended listening method: Either on a stereo with a good EQ mixer or on an iPod with the EQ set to "Rock," sitting in a comfortable recliner in a dark room with no distractions.
February 29, 2012
CALL FOR SUBMISSIONS: The Poet's Haven Author Series
One space has opened up in this year's chapbook publishing schedule, and it is also time to start filling 2013's release schedule. The Poet's Haven hereby announces an OPEN CALL FOR SUBMISSIONS!
The e-mail address to submit manuscripts to is listed below. Way below. You gotta read the guidelines first. Yes. READ THE GUIDELINES. When we had the open call last year, 75% of the manuscripts submitted did NOT fit the guidelines. READ THE GUIDELINES OR YOUR SUBMISSION WILL BE REJECTED!
A manuscript submission should be in either Word (DOC or DOCX) or plain TXT format. It should be presented in a normal, size 12 font, such as Arial or Times New Roman. It should be 30 to 36 pages in length. I repeat, submitted manuscripts should be 30 to 36 pages. ALTERNATE FORMATS: Have an idea for a different type of publication? The manuscript length can be changed if the publication format changes. For example, a CD with a 20 page chapbook or a 20-24 page chapbook containing full-color artwork throughout.
Content: WE PUBLISH MORE THAN JUST POETRY! We're interested in publishing artwork, photography, novellas, music, and more!
Who we're looking for: The Poet's Haven takes pride in being open to both newcomers and seasoned pros. For legal reasons, chapbook authors must be at least 18 years of age or have a parent or guardian involved in the process from submission to publication. Outside of that, we're open to everyone.
Payment: Authors receive 20% of all printed copies. That breaks down like this: If the first print run is 100 copies, 20 of them go to the author. If the first print run sells out and a second print run of 50 copies is produced, the author will receive 10 of them. If the author wants/needs to acquire additional copies, he or she can do so at a 40% discount.
Print window: Books are kept in print for 12 months. After the print window has ended, it will be made available as an e-book. Details for e-book editions are being reworked. (Hey, as impersonal as I may find tablet e-book devices to be, they're proving to be a very strong marketplace for small press publications.)
Okay, you got all that?
Send your manuscript to:
books[at]PoetsHaven.com
DEADLINE: Get your manuscript in before midnight on Saturday, March 17. Really. The submission address will automatically be deactivated at that time. PROCRASTINATION IS NOT YOUR FRIEND! GET YOUR MANUSCRIPT IN TODAY!
The e-mail address to submit manuscripts to is listed below. Way below. You gotta read the guidelines first. Yes. READ THE GUIDELINES. When we had the open call last year, 75% of the manuscripts submitted did NOT fit the guidelines. READ THE GUIDELINES OR YOUR SUBMISSION WILL BE REJECTED!
A manuscript submission should be in either Word (DOC or DOCX) or plain TXT format. It should be presented in a normal, size 12 font, such as Arial or Times New Roman. It should be 30 to 36 pages in length. I repeat, submitted manuscripts should be 30 to 36 pages. ALTERNATE FORMATS: Have an idea for a different type of publication? The manuscript length can be changed if the publication format changes. For example, a CD with a 20 page chapbook or a 20-24 page chapbook containing full-color artwork throughout.
Content: WE PUBLISH MORE THAN JUST POETRY! We're interested in publishing artwork, photography, novellas, music, and more!
Who we're looking for: The Poet's Haven takes pride in being open to both newcomers and seasoned pros. For legal reasons, chapbook authors must be at least 18 years of age or have a parent or guardian involved in the process from submission to publication. Outside of that, we're open to everyone.
Payment: Authors receive 20% of all printed copies. That breaks down like this: If the first print run is 100 copies, 20 of them go to the author. If the first print run sells out and a second print run of 50 copies is produced, the author will receive 10 of them. If the author wants/needs to acquire additional copies, he or she can do so at a 40% discount.
Print window: Books are kept in print for 12 months. After the print window has ended, it will be made available as an e-book. Details for e-book editions are being reworked. (Hey, as impersonal as I may find tablet e-book devices to be, they're proving to be a very strong marketplace for small press publications.)
Okay, you got all that?
Send your manuscript to:
books[at]PoetsHaven.com
DEADLINE: Get your manuscript in before midnight on Saturday, March 17. Really. The submission address will automatically be deactivated at that time. PROCRASTINATION IS NOT YOUR FRIEND! GET YOUR MANUSCRIPT IN TODAY!
February 25, 2012
Become a Poet's Haven Affiliate!
As I mentioned in my last post here, The Poet's Haven has a new, full-fledged online store up and running, and we want YOU to help us sell books! The Poet's Haven Boutique offers an affiliate program, where you can earn a 5% commission for sending sales our way. This program is open to just about anyone. Commission payments will be sent via PayPal when your balance is over $5.00. You can link to any product offered in the store, and we have an assortment of banners available in different sizes.
Also, we want more product to sell! :-) If you have self-published your own book or CD and would like us to carry it in our online store, contact me. We are accepting product on a 60/40 consignment basis. When one of your items is sold, you will receive 60% of the sale price and The Poet's Haven keeps the other 40%. You will set the sale price of your product. If your book has a printed cover price on it (which it should) you may not go over that price.
Check out the new store at:
http://boutique.PoetsHaven.com
:-D
Also, we want more product to sell! :-) If you have self-published your own book or CD and would like us to carry it in our online store, contact me. We are accepting product on a 60/40 consignment basis. When one of your items is sold, you will receive 60% of the sale price and The Poet's Haven keeps the other 40%. You will set the sale price of your product. If your book has a printed cover price on it (which it should) you may not go over that price.
Check out the new store at:
http://boutique.PoetsHaven.com
:-D
February 23, 2012
The Poet's Haven Boutique - Now Open!
At long last, Poet's Haven has an online store that works just like I want! :-)
We're offering not only Poet's Haven chapbooks, but titles from other presses and independent publications as well. (Items I've obtained to resell.) At some point in the not-too-distant future, I will begin taking in items to sell on consignment. (I'm still working out a plan for inventory storage right now.)
Oh, and this new poetry boutique also offers... (wait for it...) an AFFILIATE PROGRAM! I want your help to sell more books, and you can earn a 5% commission for doing so! You can join the program now and begin posting links on your sites, blogs, and/or social media. The next item I'm working on is adding some banner images that you can use when posting links, those should be ready in a matter of days. :-)
February 12, 2012
dollar dollar bill y'all...
The real world's been biting me in the ass for a while now. As much as I prefer to focus entirely on promoting the arts, right now I've gotta focus on the bottom line, my bank balance. I've been good about breaking even on the poetry side of things (sell X number of books to cover the entire print-run, etc.), but have neglected to include personal expenses in what needs covered. I've never worried about car repairs, gasoline and travel costs, hotels when staying out of town for poetry events, etc. etc. etc. Now, those costs have piled up to the point that they're preventing me from doing things I want to do. So my focus for now has to be on SELLING more books and SELLING some advertising. Time to finally get a full-fledged online store up and running. Time to start operating like a BUSINESS rather than a starving artist.
January 30, 2012
February's First Friday Poetry features EVA XANTHOPOULOS!
Arts in Stark and The Poet's Haven present Canton's First Friday Poetry Spectacular! February 3rd will feature the poetry of Eva Xanthopoulos!
Eva Xanthopoulos is the founder of Poehemian Poetry and the co-founder of True Colors Press. Her work has been published in se...veral anthologies and she is the author of three books; "The Artistic Muse," "Water Walker," and "The Poehemian Series." Poetry, music, and art are her muses and her life would lack color without them. She writes to inspire others -- it's safe to say that it's her life's purpose. Her official website can be found at www.theartisticmuse.com.
NEW LOCATION NEW LOCATION!!!!!! The Poetry Spectacular will now take place at CABLE HALL in the Canton Cultural Center for the Arts!!! (That's the same place as the Canton Museum of Art. We're by the Pegasus sculpture.)
This show includes an open-mic and poetry slam. First place in the slam wins $50. Second place wins $30. Third place wins $20. Prize money provided by Arts in Stark.
This is an ALL-AGES/UNMODERATED event, meaning that everyone is welcome to attend and participate, but parents should be aware that there are no restrictions on language and some performances may contain adult language and content.
We will be broadcasting this event on USTREAM! (Don't worry, poets, the open-mic will not be recorded. You can still feel free to try out rough drafts during the first portion of the event.)
http://www.ustream.tv/channel/canton-s-first-friday-poetry-spectacular
January 19, 2012
Shows!
Based on the number of text messages and now phone calls I've gotten the past week, I feel that I may need to emphasize something: There is NO Saturday Night With The Poet's Haven event this month. Saturday Night With The Poet's Haven shows are now bimonthly, held every even-numbered month exclusively at Phoenix Coffee in South Euclid. The next Saturday Night show will be on February 18th. A feature announcement will be made soon.
I will be using the months that we do not have a Saturday Night show to do other types of events. Poet's Haven will be going to art festivals and staging other types of unique events, working on exposing modern poetry to the wider masses.
While I was planning something cool for this month, the series of automotive catastrophes I've dealt with recently have caused me some financial distress. As a result, I put the plans on hold for another time, when I have the financial resources (read that as "gas money") necessary to successfully pull off the larger event I was aiming for. As it is, with limited travel options, I've managed to get a significant amount of work done on the new podcast series (and even some work on material for the "Saturday Night" podcasts, too). More on that in the near future. (NOTHING is getting posted until at least five episodes are complete.)
Fortunately, there's another big event happening this month that I can direct your attention to! Stardust Poetry at Karma Cafe starts off this coming Tuesday, January 24th! Stardust Poetry will be a monthly open-mic event, held on the fourth Tuesday each month. It is semi-unmoderated, meaning adult language will be okay as long as no young children come in. (We will also do our best to warn any parents that bring kids with them.) Karma Cafe is located at 4339 Dressler Road NW, Canton, OH 44718 (behind Rooster's, the former Arabica location). Skylark will be emceeing this show. :-) See you there!
I will be using the months that we do not have a Saturday Night show to do other types of events. Poet's Haven will be going to art festivals and staging other types of unique events, working on exposing modern poetry to the wider masses.
While I was planning something cool for this month, the series of automotive catastrophes I've dealt with recently have caused me some financial distress. As a result, I put the plans on hold for another time, when I have the financial resources (read that as "gas money") necessary to successfully pull off the larger event I was aiming for. As it is, with limited travel options, I've managed to get a significant amount of work done on the new podcast series (and even some work on material for the "Saturday Night" podcasts, too). More on that in the near future. (NOTHING is getting posted until at least five episodes are complete.)
Fortunately, there's another big event happening this month that I can direct your attention to! Stardust Poetry at Karma Cafe starts off this coming Tuesday, January 24th! Stardust Poetry will be a monthly open-mic event, held on the fourth Tuesday each month. It is semi-unmoderated, meaning adult language will be okay as long as no young children come in. (We will also do our best to warn any parents that bring kids with them.) Karma Cafe is located at 4339 Dressler Road NW, Canton, OH 44718 (behind Rooster's, the former Arabica location). Skylark will be emceeing this show. :-) See you there!
January 6, 2012
TONIGHT! First Friday Poetry Spectacular!!!
Canton's First Friday Poetry Spectacular returns tonight in a new location! The slam will be taking place at Cable Recital Hall in the Canton Cultural Center for the Arts! (That's the same place as the Canton Museum of Art, if you didn't know.) (1001 N. Market Ave. Canton, OH 44702) See you there!
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