How Vocal Helped Me Publish My Breakout Poetry Collection

As an author and poet, publishing my first collection, My Ku: Haiku and Variations, is a significant milestone in my career. This collection of haikus and variations showcases my passion for poetry and it only seemed right to give credit where it's due.

In my dedication, I address my family, but it's not just my spouse and child I'm talking to. The Vocal family and platform, from the encouragement to the contests, played a pivotal role in bringing this project to fruition. With that said, let's dive into the details of how Vocal helped me create My Ku.

First Publication: Milestone Achieved!

My Ku is a culmination of my love for poetry, particularly the haiku form, but it's more than that. Through these prompts and with everyday inspiration in my own life, I want to reach out and touch every reader through one poem.

Whether that touch is a tickle of your funny bone, a tug on your heartstrings, or the warm embrace of nostalgia, I wanted to make people hear, see, taste, smell, and feel my words. This book is a reflection of my journey as a writer and a poet, as a woman and a wife, as a mother and a daughter, and, most of all, as a human being. I'm excited to share it with the world.

The Integral Role of Vocal Contests in "My Ku's" Publication

Vocal contests played an integral role in my ability to publish My Ku: Haiku and Variation. While I had a fair number of haiku already written and I did round out the collection with a few brand-new 'ku, the bulk of the poetry in My Ku is a direct result of the recent haiku challenges here.

Blue Haiku

By far the largest and widest in thematic variety, a whopping 60 poems in My Ku were inspired by the simplest of prompts: Write a haiku about something blue.

High-Ku

Next in volume and a far cry away, I included 10 poems inspired by a mountain, heights, and other related themes that were penned for the High-Ku challenge.

Time-Capsule Haiku

For the Time-Capsule Haiku challenge, I kept things a bit more literal. These 7 poems were inspired by time and how our perception of it can change.

Quadru-Haiku

Finally, the Quadru-Haiku challenge inspired 6 poems—four individual elemental haiku and two four-stanza variations inspired by the four elements and the four seasons.

These challenges, along with others, have pushed me to explore new themes, expand my creativity, and improve my writing. Participating in these contests was an exciting and educational experience, and I'm grateful for the platform Vocal provided.

Deviations from the Norm

While My Ku is primarily a collection of traditional haikus, I did deviate from the standard form in some instances. For example, Houses of Heaven is itself a thematic collection of thirteen individual haiku. I also made a deliberate decision to focus on style over syllables in a couple of pieces, a stance that Vocal supports. Personally, I enjoy turning styles inside out to see what makes them tick, and I won't apologize for that.

Like subversions? Wedding of the Damned and Nonsonnet are two of my other poems that break the mold.

Thank You, Vocal

I want to express my gratitude to Vocal for providing a community for writers to showcase their talent and creativity. Without Vocal's haiku writing challenges, My Ku may never have come to fruition. I encourage all aspiring writers to participate in Vocal's contests and take advantage of the opportunities the platform provides.