Pearlie Harris

An Outspoken Anthology Poetry Book By An Outspoken Poetry Club of Riverwood High School In Atlanta, GA

Over the past couple of months, several potential writers have asked me some interesting questions. The questions include:

• How many pages is a book of fiction?
• How many pages is a book of poetry?
• What are the steps of writing a biography?

In this posting, I  briefly answer these questions.

How many pages is a book of fiction?

Generally, a book of fiction is not measured by page quantity. It is usually measured by word quantity due to well-structured plots, sub plots, and character development. I’ve viewed different sources and most of them suggest your fiction contain at least 40,000 words. If you are an intermediate writer, I suggest purchasing “Writing (is an unnatural act)” by James C. Raymond. I found several copies on eBay. If you are a novice, Clayton State University, Emory University, and Kennesaw State University offer writing classes to the public.

How many pages is a book of poetry?

This is a tricky question because each poem length varies. If a poet normally writes short poems, a 5.5” x 8.5” book of 30 poems could consist of less than 30 pages. As a reader, I like to feel as if the product is worth the price. As owner of PBP, I want satisfied customers.  PBP poetry books consist of at least 60 poems, which created books of 80 pages or more. An epic is one poem which could be a 300 page poetry book.

What are the steps of writing a biography?

As with any book, researching the subject of the biography is important. Using information which is public record, an author could write an unauthorized biography. I would strongly suggest seeking legal counsel before pursing the project. If an individual can contact the subject of the biography, it is still necessary to sign legal contracts protecting the author and publisher. Nonfiction books are a minimum of 20,000 words and require citations.

If the biography is published by a traditional publisher, the author could receive anywhere from six percent to 12 percent (6% to 12%) of the sale price from the paperback or hardcover copies of the book. The royalties may or may not decrease depending on other factors. It is important to review the contract carefully. Some very successful and well known authors receive a larger royalty percentage. E-book royalties are higher, sometimes 50% or more. If an author chooses to self-publish, the royalty percentages are based on the fee the company charges for printing the book. Setup fees are usually paid up-front. CreateSpace.com, Lulu.com, and Kindle Publish are a few companies that welcome self-publishers.

How or if the subject is compensated is between the subject and the author. The subject can receive a flat fee or the author can share the royalties with the author. The fee or the split is determined by the author and the subject.

Copyright turkletom

Poetry is more than a way for me to express my emotions and thoughts. It is a challenging game. Writing poetry allows me to learn the English language in-depth, which includes the manipulation of words and phrases.

Prose style poetry, limericks, ballads, and rap are all different styles that I plan to master. Prose style poetry is often narrative and non-rhyming poetry. Limericks rhyme and are funny. Ballads express deep love for something or someone. Rap is a rhyming style of poetry set to music. Sometimes it is riddled with tons of clichés. Some rap songs use clichés sparingly and find other clever ways to familiarize the audience with the subject. Regardless of the use of language within the body of a poem, the rhyme scheme is based on the style of poem. Poems that do not rhyme rely on meter and rhythm to keep the audience’s attention. Which styles of poetry to you like?

Prose style poetry uses a lot of words and arrangements which evoke certain sights and sounds, but the stanza structure is more of a loose paragraph. These poems do not necessarily rhyme. Limericks are generally short, and the rhyme scheme resembles a/a/b/b/a. Ballads and rap both have lines that rhyme, but their rhyme schemes generally depend on the poem or rap.

What is a rhyme scheme?
“A rhyme scheme is usually the pattern of end rhymes in a stanza, with each rhyme encoded by a letter of the alphabet…”

Rhymes are generally known by the repetition of syllables. These syllables can rhyme within a line or at the end of two or more lines. If the syllables rhyme within a line, it is considered an internal rhyme. Rhymes are considered perfect or pure rhymes if the syllables and sounds are exactly the same. If the syllables are the same but the sounds are slightly different, it is an imperfect rhyme. Perfect, imperfect, slant rhymes, and dissonant rhymes are often used in rap. The artist might pronounce the word in the proper manner or purposely mispronounce the word to make the slant or dissonant rhyme sound like an imperfect or perfect rhyme. Masculine and Feminine rhymes depend on the syllable which the rhyme falls. Do you ever analyze the rhyme schemes of your poetry?

Unless I’ve decided to write a particular style of poetry, I generally write what I feel on the paper. Once I have all of my thoughts jotted down, I reorganize them by meter, speed, tone, imagery, and rhyme. I will discuss each of these items in later posts.

What’s the rhyme scheme of your favorite poem?