In 1853, having collected pieces he had written, he walked to and from London and secured the publication of a volume of poetry by subscription. The book, Poems (1854), received favourable reviews but made no money. For a short time subsequently he held a post in the Glasgow Athenæum, but returned to peddling. He printed in Glasgow a second book, City Songs (1855), dedicated to George Howard, 7th Earl of Carlisle, but, although it was well received by critics, he received little encouragement either from his patron or from the public.
