Is it really possible to live from poetry? Or is it simply impossible to take advantage of the rhythm of your heart and soul?
Poetry is one of the most popular genres of creative writing. A writer is usually 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 types of professional and unskilled writers, poetry remains by far the least profitable tool for earning income through trade publications, as many would assume. Poetry has been claimed by many to have very low commercial value and appeal, yet thousands of passionately written and wonderful poems are manipulated by internet scammers and plagiarists as they are often posted on public blogs and writing communities but not commercial. The authors were not credited for their creative work, unknown to the public and, of course, most of the time unpaid. The reality is that poets and their writings could not only protect themselves, but should also benefit from their creativity like any other artist. There are ways and channels to safely publish a poet’s works with legitimate credit and recognition, as well as profit.
Below is a list of tips to help you earn a living from poetry:
1) Be consistent when writing. If you want your writings to feed you, they must suffice not only in quality but also in quantity.
2) Improve your skills. Read a lot, stay on top of current issues and trends, learn the art of professionals and be a true poet!
3) Join online and offline poetry communities Share your work with the same minds, get reviews, and improve! Some of them will also know the channels to take advantage of the writing of poems or even publish them collectively.
4) Be enrolled in a poet group or association. It usually publishes works of its members in the form of anthologies.
5) Submit your poems to magazines, newspapers, both online and offline. They can be selective, but they pay good money with honorific credits. If your first poem does well, the second one would be easily accepted, but if it didn’t the first time, try and try again!
6) Watch out for contests and enter, but stay away from tempting contest scams.
7) Do some research for publishers who publish poetry in various forms, such as greeting cards and bookmarks. Poems shouldn’t just be placed in books or magazines; They are also excellent accessories for souvenirs.
8) If you have enough savings to publish your own poems, why not invest in an anthology? Get involved with poets communities / associations first, let others know about your work, get help and recognition from their publishers, and start publishing your masterpiece. Some might even voluntarily write a preface or introduction to add some flavor to it.
9) Venture into other genres of writing. Learn how to write ad copy to get started. 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 is only fair that they be credited and rewarded for their hard work, especially if it was intended to send a message of love, kindness, and peace to the world. There is no point putting beautiful and meaningful words on paper without giving other minds a chance to think and benefit from them. And the great thing about publishing your work through a paid professional publication is that you will also learn the popular trends in the genre and how things are done. Sharing and marketing are some of the means that will sharpen your views and skills in life. Not only will you then 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 the content and the cover art.
Be proud of your writing. Write well and live on it!
