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Poetry Publishing Workshops

Welcome friend! If you are here it means you came to find out more information about James P. Wagner and Nick Hale's Poetry Publishing talks and workshops. Take a look at photos from past gigs, testimonials, and information about the types of events offered! 
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About James P. Wagner and Nick Hale

James and Nick are the co-founders of Local Gems Press, a publishing company specializing in poetry anthologies and collections which started back in 2010. Since then, they each have over a dozen anthology editing credits to their names and Local Gems has published over 100 titles to date. As such, they have a lot of experience working with poets to get their poems published, both in magazines and anthologies, as well as putting together their own books of poems. 

During poetry workshops that they would run they would find that some of the most frequent questions that would come up would not be about writing poetry, but about how to publish poetry that was already written. Seeing that the demand was there for the subject, James and Nick decided to start offering seminars, talks and events specifically dedicated for poets of all ages to learn how to publish their work. 

Panels, Talks and Workshops



​There are several different types of events that James and Nick offer for poets to take advantage of. Take a look below to see which types of events they hold and if they might be right for your venue. 
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Submitting Your Poetry

Many poets write a lot and submit their work for publication little. Some submit a lot but have little luck in terms of acceptance. The publishes of Local Gems Press offer a look from behind the scenes as to what catches their eye and what does not. They also can give advice on the various ways a poet can seek our and achieve publication for individual poems. This event can be held either as a panel or a workshop. 

The Poetry Chapbook

Some poets have  been writing poems for a while. Maybe they’ve thought of putting them as a book, or a chapbook. How do you do it? What steps should you take? What defines a poetry chapbook and what are the best ways to put one together? This workshop goes over all of it. 

Publishing Your Poetry Book

So you have a chapbook of poetry, fully assembled, fully ready. How do you get it published? How do you reach out to publishers? Is self-publishing a good option? Are there local presses in your area? Do publishers need a cover letter, sample poems, etc? What about submission format? We go over all of this in depth in this discussion. 

Note: All of these topics can be done individually or combined at the request of the venue. 

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Event Testimonials

"The Local Gems Press program held at our library hosted by James P. Wagner was spectacular. The attendance was great, and the audience which ranged from our local high school students to our seniors loved the material. James is a fun and interactive host who keeps the audience engaged. Will definitely seek him out again in the future."

~ Tony Iovino, Community Outreach Director, Oceanside Library, Oceanside, NY.
 
"There has been nothing better than seeing our students publish their poems...and this was made possible by Local Gems Press and the program they ran at our library." 

~ Linda Trott Dickman, Librarian, Norwood Avenue, NY. 
 
"I've been going to poetry writing workshops for years, but this was the real-world, real-knowledge and how-to experience I had been looking for for awhile. Now I am a published poet." 

~ Phil Reinstein, Program Attendee

"I learned so much at the Poetry Chapbook workshop, it really helped me organize my thoughts, and my book!"
 
~ Margarette Wahl, Program Attendee


Recent Appearances

Recent Workshops Lead:

Otakon 2018, Washington DC, August, 2018​
Kent County Library, Dover DE, April, 2018
Milford Public Library,  Milford CT, April, 2018 
Hagaman Memorial Library,  East Haven, CT,  April, 2018
Troy Public Library, Troy, NY, April, 2018
Cecil Con, North East, MD, April, 2018
​Bards Against Hunger, Huntington, NY,  November, 2017
Barnes and Noble East Northport, NY, October, 2017
NoVA Bards Poetry Festival, Centreville, VA, October, 2017
National Beat Poetry Festival, Torrington, CT, September, 2017
Otakon, Japanese Convention, Washington DC, August, 2017
Schoharie Library, Schoharie, NY, April, 2017
Theater 294, Farmingdale, NY, Feb, 2017
Oceanside Library, Oceanside, NY, Jan,  2017
Onyx Theater, Oakdale, NY, Oct, 2016

  
Recent Panels:
Cecil Con, North East, MD
Oceanside Library, Oceanside, NY

Otakon, 2017, Washington DC
Briarcliffe College, Patchogue, NY
Dowling College, Oakdale, NY
Suffolk County Community College, Brentwood, NY
Bellmore Library, Bellmore, NY


Contact/Booking Queries

Want to have a similar event at your venue? Don't hesitate to contact us! Enter your query on the right, or send an email directly to 

localgemspoetrypress@gmail.com 

Attention to Maddie McGiveny. 

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