What Our Authors Are Saying—

Deep gratitude to Shawn Aveningo-Sanders and The Poetry Box for publishing this collection. Attentive to details, brilliant designer, enthusiastic, kind, and gracious, Shawn is editor every poet dreams of working with.

The Poetry Box published my chapbook, Now Is What Matters. This was my first experience with publishing my work, and they made the process easy to understand and were exceptional good to work with. On top of all that, Shawn and Robert are really nice folks.

I worked with The Poetry Box to publish two chapbooks, The Widow at the Piano and Blue Chip Stamp Guitar. Each time, it was a wonderful experience. Shawn Aveningo Sanders made me feel special every step of the way. Robert Sanders’ covers are gorgeous. I was included in every decision, and these little books are works of art. I will keep coming back and I encourage my fellow poets to do the same.”

It has been a pleasure working with Shawn and Robert at The Poetry Box. I am very happy with the way my chapbook, Disconnects and Other Broken Threads, turned out. I appreciate their guidance and responsiveness to my questions throughout the entire process. I highly recommend The Poetry Box.

Publishing a book is fulfilling and exciting. It can also be complicated, overwhelming and frustrating. The difference lies in the competence of the publisher and her commitment to assisting authors through the process at every step.

Shawn and The Poetry Box stand as an example of unparalleled proficiency in the publishing field. Not only does she know every aspect of the business end, but she is also an accomplished cover designer who uses her skills without fanfare. From the initial connection to the final product, Shawn serves as guide and cheerleader, doing everything possible to shepherd authors with intelligence, patience and grace. I am exceptionally grateful.

Not only was the cover design that Shawn created for my book exceptionally attractive, but once it was released, I found my whole book was formatted beautifully.  Also, the publishing process and schedule ran like clockwork.  I highly recommend The Poetry Box.

Publishing my first poetry chapbook with Shawn Aveningo-Sanders at The Poetry Box has been such a positive and affirming experience! Shawn made the process so smooth and easy. She found the beautiful cover image, offered some precise and artful edits, and provided helpful reading and marketing tips and material that I’ll use from now on. I am so pleased with the book! Thank you, Shawn!

The Poetry Box (specifically the phenomenal team of Shawn and Robert) want your poetry vision to be manifest. They are artists themselves and understand how every creation is a tender thing that needs nourishing, as well as tough love. That would be enough for a publisher, but The Poetry Box goes beyond just nurturing to being a force of professionalism, support, and knowledge about poetry and the best way to get your work in the hands of as many readers as possible. Being a somewhat scattered, messy creative I didn’t realize how much I needed Shawn’s consistent contact by email and phone to keep me on the right track, so that I could get my work into the world with grace and confidence. Robert, as a designer and artist, was an avid listener and rendered my cover vision quickly and deftly. I can’t rave enough about how this team has created community, love and beauty—one book at a time. Anyone publishing with them will be in excellent hands.

When The Poetry Box accepted my chapbook, Break-Up Hair, I was pleased, but now that the book is out, I am thrilled with the finished product. The professional layout and stunning cover design make it an absolutely beautiful little book that is sure to catch the eye of poetry lovers.

I would highly recommend The Poetry Box and its cooperative publishing model. Shawn’s clear and timely communication before and after publication made it a pleasure to work with her. She even scheduled my first online reading.

From first contact to final publication, it was a pleasant journey.  The evolution of my chapbook, from initial submittal through final editing, cover design and ultimately publication and promotion, was timely and hassle-free.  If I ever publish again, I would assuredly go to The Poetry Box.

As an author who has published several books in the past, I found working with The Poetry Box to be a uniquely gratifying experience. The careful editing, beautiful cover, prompt response to questions, and excellent advice on publicity and marketing, were invaluable. Shawn and Robert Sanders are a wonderful editorial and design team who really care about and care for their authors and readers, as well as the integrity of publishing.

Trusting The Poetry Box with my manuscript was such a good decision. Thank you, Shawn and Robert, for the lovely way you work with and for poets to make our books something we can be proud to share. Your professionalism and support throughout the publication process and your responsiveness to even the smallest concerns were so gratifying.

This was so enjoyable. Thank you, Shawn Aveningo Sanders for loving our poetry and making a home for it with you at The Poetry Box!

Thank you so much Shawn. It's been a wonderful experience. It was really nice to work with you. What you've done with the Poetry Box is a beautiful thing and I'm very grateful to be a part of it.

My book arrived yesterday. It is absolutely beautiful. You do such a beautiful job on your publications. Thank you.

I feel fortunate that my first full-length poetry collection was adopted for publication by The Poetry Box Select—it felt more like an adoption than an “acceptance”! Shawn Aveningo Sanders is an editor in the classic style: she appreciates her writers’ voices and ideas, while offering guidance and creative suggestions—drawn from her experience—to help your book reach its fullest potential.  I was especially pleased with how Shawn generously persisted in making my cover proposal work, and with our collaboration on perfecting a title. Moreover, The Poetry Box is not only responsive, but also professional and efficient. A contract arrived promptly; timelines were adhered to; changes I made at the proof stage were incorporated without objection. They offer sound advice on what authors need to do to market their books while doing their part to share it with the world. The final product is a book that I believe anyone would be proud of: well-crafted and attractive.  I recommend The Poetry Box wholeheartedly.

To say that working with Shawn Aveningo Sanders and “The Poetry Box” was a pleasure would be a profound understatement. As the author of The Dichotomy Between Light and Dark (2019) and  Songs of an Indomitable Spirit (2020), both published by The Poetry Box, I must say that my experience in working with Shawn has exceeded my wildest expectations. From the beginning, Shawn was a consummate professional who more than delivered on every promise. From editing, designing, even down to marketing, The Poetry Box has done a fabulous job. Never once did my creativity throughout the process feel stifled. Shawn collaborated with me over the project, up to and including the review and final approval of the artwork for the cover of my chapbook. What was most amazing, and pleasantly surprising, was Shawn’s decision to release my chapbook just days ahead of schedule. I was over the moon! I truly felt valued and appreciated as an artist and contributor to The Poetry Box.

“The Poetry Box is the publisher of my latest full poetry collection Epicurean Ecstasy: More Poems About Food, Drink, Herbs & Spices. Publishers Shawn and Robert are tremendous to work with, and have made all the difference in the delivery of my new book to the market!”

“One of the most professional and creative publishing houses on the West Coast! Shawn and Robert produce eye-popping books of the highest quality.”

“I am so impressed with the way Shawn and Robert put together my chapbook, In These Voices. I couldn’t have asked for a more professional, caring, and thorough publishers.  The lines of communications between Shawn and myself were open on a continuous basis. She was easily accessible and listened to what I wanted and responded right away.  Shawn did a wonderful job marketing my book, and I read at many bookstores and other places. She and Robert even attended several of my readings. I would highly recommend Shawn and Robert (The Poetry Box) as publishers.”

Amid the chaos of the modern publishing industry, it’s comforting to work with a publisher that does business the old-fashioned way: with meticulous care and consummate professionalism. But that doesn’t mean that The Poetry Box^® isn’t on the leading edge of design, production and marketing capabilities. They are! And, perhaps most remarkable, is the unalloyed enthusiasm Shawn and her staff bring to each book-to-be.

“It was a real pleasure to work with Shawn and The Poetry Box - extremely professional, efficient, and open from beginning to end, offering excellent advice and support which was very much appreciated. Thank you”.

I had the pleasure of working with Shawn during the production of She Holds the Face of the World, the 10^th anniversary anthology for VoiceCatcher: a journal of women’s voices and visions. Shawn is both creative and analytical, two traits that — trust me! — you want in your publisher. This means she’s detailed, organized and able to navigate the logistics of schedules, budgets and print runs. But, she’s also a highly talented designer — from cover to cover, the anthology sings because of her excellent eye. Our book is something that everyone is incredibly proud of and that’s in no small part due to Shawn beautiful and thorough work.

At The Poetry Box, publishing is an art form. Shawn and Robert were patient and supportive, handling myriad details as well as first-book jitters. They were imaginative and thorough, making sure every element of the design and the text rang true. They understood my vision and created a beautiful book that exceeded my expectations. I wouldn’t trust my books to anyone else!

After working with [the] Poetry Box, I realized the decision to work with Shawn and Robert was one of the best I’ve ever made. Shawn was a joy to work with. I depended on her good advice; she was always there when I needed her and took care of all those pesky details. Shawn and Robert are both talented artists committed to helping others bring their work to life on the printed page.  (Read full testimonial here)

"The Poetry Box made publishing easy.  I submitted a Word document and some images, and they returned a professional-looking book in less time than I expected.  Both the cover and the interior layout are beautiful. Shawn also set up an account for me on Amazon’s CreateSpace so that I could manage my royalties. I highly recommend their services."

Robert designed a book cover perfectly to my image of the farm, incorporating photos taken by my husband, Darrell Salk. Shawn's editing and suggestions on some of the poetry helped improved the overall publication.  We worked collaboratively and seamlessly to create exactly the book I hoped for. I'm very grateful for the work of The Poetry Box.

Working with Shawn and Robert on my second collection, The Way a Woman Knows, was an author’s dream. From the initial explanations of how The Poetry Box works to publish  high-quality books, to involving me in choices of cover-design, to the on-time delivery of an exquisite book I am proud to have my name on: the experience was professional, instructive, and fun. I’d definitely recommend Shawn, Robert, and The Poetry Box to any author who’s ready to turn a manuscript into a book they want to share with the world.

Thank you, Shawn and Robert for the exhilarating celebration of love at the reading yesterday! What a joy to hear so many different voices. You inspire us all with these gatherings!

This group of friends, poets and wine enthusiasts have all been blessed because you were willing to open the door for all of us to walk thru. As a result, we were able to share something truly beautiful - and were blessed beyond measure. Thank you for creating & hosting the Verse on the Vine poetry readings in our wine shop!