Gather your material. If your poems are handwritten, type them up and format them the way you want them to look in your book. Print everything out. Each poem should be on a separate page.
Read over each poem very carefully to check for typos and spelling errors and make any last-minute edits.
Decide on the order of your poems. If you have a large amount of material, consider breaking the poems up into sections, like chapters of a novel. Start and end with two of your strongest pieces, while also creating a flow and a build throughout the book.
Create a title for your book. Repeating one of the individual poem's titles is common, or you could come up with a title that highlights the common themes in your work.
Register your finished product with the U.S. Copyright Office. While your work is automatically copyrighted as soon as you create it, it never hurts to take the extra step to officially protect it. In the rare event that there is a lawsuit regarding your work, the official documentation will be useful.
Submitting your work to a professional publishing company is the traditional route to publishing your work. Research poetry publishers through resources such as Writer's Market and the Poetry Society of America and make a list of those that seem most likely to publish your style of work.
Follow the publisher's individual guidelines to the letter when preparing your submissions. Pay attention to every detail. Many publishers will not accept submissions that do not conform to their rules.
Submit your work to as many publishers as you possibly can to increases your chances of getting accepted.
Wait patiently for a response. Many poetry publishers have a very small reading staff and a huge amount of material to get through. Do not contact them about the status of your submission, unless encouraged to do so.
Because poetry publishing is a difficult field to break into, many poets decide to publish their work themselves, an increasingly popular and accepted option, which allows the author to have complete control over the manuscript and a bigger share in its sales profits. Choose one of many online self-publishing companies available, such as Amazon's CreateSpace and Lulu.com.
Choose a format for your book. Keep in mind that unlike getting your book professionally published, you will be paying out-of-pocket for this service, so if money is an issue, consider paperback instead of hardback, as well as other lower-cost options.
Prepare your manuscript according to the company's directions and upload it.
Decide on a price for your book. Be realistic. See what other poets charge for their books, and research other book prices.
Promote your work. Remember, as a self-publisher, you don't have a marketing company working on your behalf, so getting your work known is up to you. Bring copies of your book to poetry readings and literary festivals. Send your book to journals that review poetry. Use Twitter, Facebook, and blogs to publicize your book as widely as you can.