Is it really possible to live from poetry? Or is it simply impossible to tap into the rhythm of your heart and soul?
Poetry is one of the most popular genres in creative writing. A writer is often a poet, as the natural ability to express feelings and thoughts in poetic notes flows within every soul that communicates and believes in writing. Although popular and widely used by all manner of professional and untrained writers, poetry remains by far the least profitable tool for earning income through commercial publishing, as many would assume. Many claimed that poetry has very low commercial value and appeal, but thousands of wonderful and passionately written poems are manipulated by Internet scammers and plagiarists as they are often placed on public but non-commercial blogs and writing communities. The authors were not credited for their creative works, they became unknown to the public and, of course, most of the time they were not paid. The reality is that poets and their writing could not only protect themselves, but should also benefit from their creativity just like any other artist. There are ways and channels to safely publish a poet’s works with legitimate credits and acknowledgments, as well as profit.
Below is a list that provides tips to help make a living from poetry:
1) Be consistent in writing. If you want your writing to feed you, it must be sufficient not only in quality but also in quantity.
2) Improve your skills. Read a lot, stay on top of current topics and trends, learn the art of professionals and be a true poet!
3) Join communities of poets online and offline. Share your work with the same minds, receive criticism and improve! Some of them will also know the channels to profit from the writing of poems or even publish them collectively.
4) Be registered in a group or association of poets. It usually publishes members’ works in the form of anthologies.
5) Submit your poems to magazines, newspapers, both online and offline. They can be choosy but they pay good money with fee credits. If your first poem works well, the second one will be accepted easily, but if it didn’t work the first time, try and try again!
6) Beware of contests and enter, but stay away from tempting contest scams.
7) Do some research for publishers who publish poetry in many forms, such as greeting cards and bookmarks. Poems don’t just need to be placed in books or magazines; They also make good souvenir accessories.
8) If you have enough savings to publish your own poems, why not invest in an anthology? Get involved first with poet communities/associations, make your work known to others, get help and recognition from your publishers and start publishing your masterpiece. Some might even willingly write you a preface or introduction to add some flavor.
9) Dabble in other literary genres. Learn writing to start. Develop new skills and expand your avenues.
10) The least you can do is earn some money and recognition by submitting your poems to sites like Helium and Associated Content.
Some poets feel bad about selling their art, but it’s fair enough to be recognized and rewarded for your own hard work, especially if you intended to send a message of love, kindness, and peace to the world. There is no point in putting beautiful and meaningful words on paper without giving other minds a chance to think and benefit from them. And the great thing about getting your work published through a professional publication from that country is that you’ll also learn the popular trends in the genre and how things are done. Sharing and trading are some of the means that will sharpen your views and skills in life. Not only will you be able to write good poems, but you will also be able to learn how to make your own anthology with your own twist on content and cover art.
Take pride in your writing. Write well and live from it!