I'd be invisible

Sometimes I feel uncertain about whether or not I'm under-promoting or over-promoting poetry. My own poetry, my press's poetry, other press's poetry, etc...

Some poets seem to let their press's take precedence over their own poetry, whereas I promote my own poetry just as much, maybe even more than my press's poetry - in part because I feel like when I'm promoting my own poetry that was published by a particular press, then I'm also promoting that press - and in part because when I publish someone else's poetry through my press, I hope that they will help promote it too, since it's their poetry.

If you don't share it, then how will people know it exists?

I don't understand poets who seem entirely uncomfortable promoting their own poetry at all or who seem to think it's inappropriate to self-promote.

Yes, if all you do is promote your own poetry and never say or do anything else about anybody else's, then that's some sort of an issue, in my opinion.

But overall, I think promoting and sharing poetry (your own poetry and other's poetry) is a good thing.

Aren't you excited about your own poetry, and other's poetry too? I know I am.

I actually tend to be a very self-deprecating person overall - and poetry and art are sometimes the only areas that I feel positively about in regards to me.

I share my poetry because poetry is a big part of how I express myself and I'm excited when it is chosen to be published by a literary magazine that excites me.

Should I write my poetry, have it chosen for publication, and then just shut the fuck up about it, let it mindlessly float away, and pretend that it doesn't really exist?

I like to share what I feel strongly and passionately about - I like to share how I express myself - I like to share what I create - and for me, poetry is a significant and large part of that.

If I didn't create poetry, I'd be invisible. I'd barely exist.

Or at least I'd feel invisible and nonexistent.