Frequently Asked Questions

More than likely I’d be happy to read at your online event via zoom or local in person event here in the San Francisco Bay Area. I am vaxxed and boosted.

• Any readings outside of the Bay Area which cannot be attended virtually must reimburse travel and accommodation costs.
• If you’d like me to read longer than 5-10 minutes at in person events for accessibility reasons, the venue or hosting organization must provide a podium or music stand and a mic stand and PA system.

• Duration of performance (for example, just one poem on a theme or how many minutes)
• If there is a specific theme to the event, let me know, so that I can cater my set to it.
• The time and date of the event
• The address of the venue or how to access the online event

I am unwilling and unable to move furniture, plan events, or bring food. I am a writer and performer, not a chef, event planner, nor interior designer.

While I often donate my labor for causes as a poet, I am unwilling to pay to perform. Ideally, poets should be paid rather than profited from. If these are mandatory requirements for your event then please look elsewhere, or don’t be offended when I say no.

I am not available for free consulting, free advice, or free editing work. All the advice I could give you is already on the Vallejo Poetry Society website. For every favor you ask of me, realize there are at least ten other people asking something from me.

I will occasionally make an exception for morning readings, but I have to factor in sleep and self-care, as well as travel time, so I prefer events that occur in the afternoon or evenings.

Please also check the readings page to make sure I don’t already have an event listed on my schedule that may conflict. I will sometimes do two readings in a day, but I need a few hours of time to rest and eat in between. You’re more likely to get a yes if I don’t already have an event scheduled.

Please read the booking page and then contact me to work out the details.

Please email me to arrange a time to meet in person or via zoom, or you can simply email me your interview questions. I do not like talking on the phone, and I prefer written communication. Please view the press kit page as well.

A list of news articles can be found on this page.

You can find some for sale locally at Alibi Bookshop in Vallejo, Bookshop Benicia, and Revolution Books Berkeley. I have limited stock. Here is a list of retailers that have free ebooks.

For a complete list of vendors please visit this page.

I have compiled a list of online publications on this page. I have been published several online newspapers, journals, and websites.

Many of my books are available for free as ebooks on every service except Amazon. I do appreciate reviews. I will not send you a free paperback.

I have compiled a list of in print poetry anthologies sorted by theme on this page. When available they include links to Amazon, Barnes & Noble, and publishers. You can access these links by clicking on the anthology title. The majority of these poetry anthologies did not compensate me for my contribution. However, I receive a small percentage if you purchase through the Amazon links on that page.

I am a performer, a writer, and an occasional judge of performance and writing. If it falls in those three areas, drop me an email. However, I am not in the business of editing books for other writers unless I am paid a substantial amount for my labor. I am not interested in event planning nor catering for events. I do not have time to offer consulting nor give free advice beyond what I have already publicly shared. Please visit vallejopoetrysociety.org for some useful links about publishing and area open mics.

I will consider it. If not I can forward it to the Vallejo Poetry Society membership. Please send me an email. I am more likely to submit if you at least provide a gratis copy of the anthology or magazine.

I do not have the budget to buy your services. Please do not send me unsolicited emails offering SEO, web design or book promotion. I am not interested. If you continue to do so your email address will be marked as spam. Thank you.

The most I can do is perform a poem for a cause at your event. I have a limited budget and physical limitations, so I am unable to donate or volunteer in other capacities for your campaign or cause at this time. I also do not endorse candidates for office.

I can write an occasional poem based on a theme, perform a feature set of poetry at your event, serve as a judge of performance or writing, or host an in person poetry open mic.

While I have taught self-publishing and writing poetry for causes in the past, I am not trained as a teacher, so I am not in the habit of giving workshops. It requires a lot of effort on my part, and my schedule is already quite full. You may wish to inquire elsewhere.

If it is a short poetry book and you would like me to write an official blurb, please reach out, and I will let you know yes or no. If I say no it is due to a lack of time.

I am no longer active on Goodreads because a user hiding under a pseudonym decided it was appropriate to contact and admonish me about a petition I signed. I was one of hundreds of signatures from the publishing community. This made me feel unsafe as they had to take extra steps and google my name. I would never go so far as to contact a total stranger about their signature on a petition even if I disagreed with them. You can still add my books as they are listed in the database, but I am not actively participating on the site.

Feel free to follow me on the following social media websites. Please note that I do not answer DMs.

• https://www.facebook.com/PoetDLLang
• http://www.instagram.com/poetryebook
• https://www.tiktok.com/@poetryebook
• https://www.youtube.com/@poetryebook
• https://soundcloud.com/poetryebook
• https://groups.google.com/g/vallejopoetrysociety
• https://x.com/poetryebook

I prefer to be contacted via email for the purposes of arranging featured performances, interviews, or poetry submissions,

I do not check my voicemails and my phone service will not allow me to disable it. I clear out texts on a regular basis to save space. I dislike talking on the phone, so please do not demand that I call you.

I do not check DMs on social media since it confines the message to the size of a postage stamp.

Please do not try to sell me something.

Due to prior instances of harassment, spam, and unwanted attention my policy is to not answer DMs on social media platforms. If you have a legitimate offer for a performance or publishing opportunity, please send me an email.

Also I have carpal tunnel syndrome and tendonitis, so I have to limit my typing and do not like to engage in chat.

If we need to have a conversation, I prefer to do so in person. Since I am unable to disable messenger, your message is likely to go unread. Since I use a lot of automation on my social media pages, I am not necessarily online when a post goes through.