Walt Whitman's Successful Marketing of Himself: Great Egos Think Alike

Walt Whitman was a poet known for his rather flamboyant ways and was for sure a poet of the people. He is a poet of democracy and equal rights and claims over and over again that all people are connected. The very first lines of Leaves of Grass assert this. "I celebrate myself and sing myself. For every atom belonging to me as good as belongs to you." Because of Whitman's understanding of people and so many elements of promotion, Leaves of Grass did well.

Walt Whitman was an expert at marketing himself in ways that most other people were completely not aware of at the time. Whitman knew how to sell and market himself and his book through a variety of ways. He published many versions changing each one to change the appeal. He published unsigned reviews that he wrote himself. He sent books to important people and used their words in promotion. He maintained much creative control in the publishing itself, playing with elements to aid in promotion. He understood the concept of creating an image. All of these things helped him market himself.

His book of poems called Leaves of Grass was first published in 1855. He continued to revise, add, regroup, and delete from this book until he died. When he died, Leaves of Grass was published in its 9^th edition. When the book was first published, it was a brief 12 pages, and by the time Whitman died, it was over 400 pages. Whitman viewed each version as one totally separate and unto itself, which was part of the idea of "selling himself." "He developed the typography, appended annexes, reworded lines, and changed punctuation, making each edition unique" (loc.gov). In other words, he continued to publish the same book over and over from 1855 until 1892.