Poetry

Seven Simple Ways to Sell Your Poetry

October 4, 2011 By kmthroug Leave a Comment

If you have a passion for writing poetry, you may have been told there isn’t a large market for this type of creative work. While it may be difficult to sell your poetry through conventional channels, you’ll discover a variety of ways to make money from poetry if you think out of the box. Here are a few ideas for selling your poetry writing talents that you may not have considered:

Create custom poetry for special occasions

Why not start a service offering custom poetry for special occasions? There are lots of people who would love to give a loved one a special one-of-kind poem written just for them. You could set up a website offering this service as well as advertise locally. Occasions for which people may want a customized poem include birthdays, weddings, graduations, births, deaths, holidays, among others. Why not co-market your custom poetry writing service with a wedding planner? You could offer a referral bonus for each customer she refers to you.

Create poetic sayings and sell them on t-shirts.

To sell your poetry in this manner, you don’t need to manufacture the goods. You can upload your poems and clever sayings to http://www.cafepress.com. Café Press will place your sayings on a variety of items including t-shirts and mugs as customers place orders. In turn, you will receive a commission on each sale. Those commissions can really add up.

Sell self published poetry books through local retail outlets in your area.

Why not write a book of funny, get well poems to sell in your local hospital gift shop? Could you write poetry for other potential niche outlets? How about a book of nature poetry to be marketed in local gardening and nature stores? Think in terms of poetry you could sell to particular niche markets.

Sell your poetry through independent book stores.

If you have a smaller independent book store in your area, offer to do a free poetry reading on site. Bring along your self published poetry book to be purchased after the reading.

Sell poetry about your local area.

Why not sell publish poetry about your hometown and various landmarks in your area? To make your poetry even more marketable, combine your poem with an appropriate photo of local scenes. Your poetry book could be marketed through a variety of local gift stores and independent book stores in your area.

Consider the greeting card market.

If you can write poems and sayings that are appropriate for greeting cards, you’ll find a receptive market for your talents. Do a Google search for “sell greeting card verse” and you’ll find a variety of resources that will help you get started in this potentially lucrative area.

Frame your poetry.

This is another excellent market for your poetry writing skills. Compose a poem and arrange it on your computer with a beautiful font. Print it out on high quality card stock and frame it. Framed poetry tends to be an excellent seller at local craft shows and festivals.

This is only a few of the many ways you can successfully sell your poetry. If you want to successfully make money from your poetry, it pays to think of less conventional outlets and niche markets. Give some of these ideas a try.

Written by Kristie.Leong.M.D

Russell Simmons Presents Def Poetry returns to HBO for a sixth season, now airing every Friday at midnight.

Filed Under: Poetry Tagged With: Poetry, Sell, Seven, Simple, Ways

Reading Your Poetry Before An Audience

October 4, 2011 By kmthroug Leave a Comment

Writing is a solitary work, so how do we know if our poetry is high quality,, passable or mediocre? Our family members and close friends will not tell the truth for fear of hurting our feelings. There is another way to rate your poetic endeavors – a public reading.

One poet often schedules a reading of his/her own poetry, or possibly a group of poets who meet regularly may set up a reading for a social club or church group. They can also be scheduled at libraries or school districts. Another placee to consider is a local bookstore. When a single poet performs at a reading, it is recommended they read work that is closely related in some way. This can be by subject, form or mood. If you schedule a reading of your poetry, or with a group of poets, you need to publicize the event in local newspapers, through fliers posted where allowed and by the spoken word.

The Poetry Slam is another type of reading event. In his book, “Poet’s Guide – How to [Publish and Perform Your Work,” Michael Bugeja says a slam is a ‘literary version of The Gong Show.’ In this type of reading, the audience wants to hear poems that excite or move them emotionally. It depends on the listeners, who may applaud or put you down. Poems about current issues in the news such as war, violence and politics often are rated highly at slams. Interaction of poet and audience is the greatest benefit of performance poetry. Most major cities hold poetry slams on weekends or special nights, which are widely publicized.

The ‘open-mike’ reading is often scheduled at universities in conjunction with the English departments. In this kind of atmosphere, there might be another function or event, with the open-mike poetry reading slated as a part of the whiole. Poets bring their best work, step up to the mike, introduce themselves and proceed to read their poetry. This is a good opportunity to get frank critiques from professors and other poets.

A local poetry chapter where I was a member while living in another town, often read for groups such as those in assisted-living facilities, classes at elementary and high schools and other clubs and organizations. We once read at an event at our local Adult Center, entitled, ‘A Romantic Evening.’ This was strictly an entertaining event, where we read love poems. It was an enjoyable evening for the poets, along with some singers and musicians. An accomplished pianist played softly, a beautiful rendition of clair de’lune as I read. She also played for others as appropriate.

Now we will discuss preparing for the poetry-reading performance. Spoken poetry was poetry for a long period of time – more so than the written version we know today. In the contemporary world, performing poetry now means: (a) slam poetry integrated with improvisation and possibly music as a performing art, and (b) the reading of poetry aloud in classsroom, workshop or other facilities and events. The two forms of poetry reading are not extremely different, and the performance is the main governing feature. Actually, they are theater, where the artist interacts directly with the audience. Both require an outgoing personality and other communicative skills. Practice is essential, but more than clarity and pleasant delivery are required. The poetry must fit the audience and possibly the theme, be it seasonal, a holiday or of local significance. If one is preparing to read his/her works in public, the essential message is practice, practice, practice.

Some Recommendations

Learn the basics of the actor’s trade: relaxation, breath control, articulation, voice projection and modulation. Projection of one’s voice is of utmost importance. Look up as much as possible, and smile or show the emotion derived from the poem. Do this as a precise daily practice, not as a chore left to the night before.
Rehearse the performance so thoroughly that the actual reading seems natural.
Entertain. Be genuinely friendly to the audience. Address them directly. Get their attention. Play to their reactions.
Memorize the pieces sufficiently so only an odd glance at the script is necessary. This will help keep your focus on the audience and help you make eye contact.
Leave nothing to chance. Check lectern, microphone, space on the stage, how you make your entrance, place your script, etc.
Know your place on the evening’s roster of readers, and arrange your pieces accordingly. You will be more at ease.

Sources:

Personal Experience

Written by Jeanette Oestermyer
Love writing on three websites.

Find More Poetry Articles

Filed Under: Poetry Tagged With: Audience, Before, Poetry, Reading

April 24 2010 National Poetry Month

October 4, 2011 By kmthroug Leave a Comment

Moon hangs in the winter sky. Breath crystallizes and falls. I can still see branches of wood like stick fingers Through the clear ice. It is so cold the the trees weep and The roof cries tears of ice. More..

Like the swallows returning to Capistrano So too do my Spring allergies return to me again Each year, like annoying friends who think you miss them. As the sap rises and the flowers bloom I sneeze and my nose runs. As the breezes blow gentle and warm, My allergies begin to swarm. Like fattening food or sex with an intern, Ho… More..

It is Spring And the whole world is petal wonderful. Bright petals Pink as flesh Thick as snow Sharp and fringed at the edges And pink to the point of madness An old man in an arbor growing hope Andcherriesandapples. She was tiny and running and Dark to the point of Africa And she pointed to the tree with a pudgy finger And … More..

On the Occasion of the 31st Suicide Somewhere past the 57th floor he must of realized that he’d made a mistake. It was not like a single petal Of a Haiku Flower of Youth. It was a like a stone Reaching terminal velocity. The scream pulled from his lungs As his body finally realized That his mind was bat crap crazy And he sto… More..

I am a poet When a series of deadly earthquakes struck around the planet, I was frustrated until I could think of a poem to write about it: And the world shook And the earth rang like a bell And the pealing bell took its toll In cities camped ‘round the ring of fire. Like a terrier with a rat in its mouth, Or a killer … More..

There are orgasms—the little death There is “mordita”—the little bite Or asthma—the little breath Or a love spat—the little fight. There is insomnia—too little sleep And that binding—the little feet There is string theory—a little deep And right wing radio—a little … More..

Blank Page Beckoned, As though by a naughty lover. Called, As though by Saints for evening vespers. Forced, As though Shanghaied by blood thirsty pirates reeking of rum. Removing my clothes and striding boldly on to the stage, As though slipping into a steamy shower with a foggy mirror. Being naked with out being rude, Being… More..

The smooth, cool caress of burnished aluminum? No, the right words could never come from such a sterile place. Tumbled out of some place black and humid. Ripped out of the heart of something warm. Sucking on the black asphalt an errant whitewall drives its owner over the line of death and madness. Sometimes the right words d… More..

When memories in the shape of leaves fell from the tree tops, they were tinged with remembered fire. It was pleasant at first. So many trees. So many leaves. So many memories. So much fire. You could look about and see cool autumnal fires glowing in green lawns. But at the first frost, the trees grew naked, and the fire leav… More..

He had a speech impediment that caused him to slur some of his words. Such slurring might seem cute when it’s Johnny Depp playing pirate but it is not so lovely when you think you might be talking to a drunk, homeless man. The only reason I listened to him at all, the first time was that my car was in the shop for a week and… More..

A poem in my pocket I dropped my carefully shuffled 3×5 index cards to the floor, And wondered if my poetic musings weren’t better off that way. Now randomized by some errant hand. I picked up a card and remembered that when I was in a lobby for a job interview I saw…”leaves ascended like ragged butterflies dyin… More..

In the Silence between the Thunders, the world is Rain. All natures applauds and there is a great roar as the crowd is brought to its feet. And the approbation gets so hard, and high that the roof is hard pressed to ward it off. But at long last, clapping becomes dripping. A shower becomes a drizzle. And the rivers, as thoug… More..

I wrote a mirror full of lies, and used it for my soul’s disguise. I hid from toothy predators and even ruthless creditors. I smote a mirror full of lies and broke apart my soul’s disguise. And when at last the pain relented, my breath returned, my passion vented. I made myself a man again. I was a piss poor mannequin. More..

“It’s the only true miracle in the history of the world,” my brother said in offhandedly. Just this once, he knew what he was talking about. It was a miracle. Everyone said so. Every amputee on Earth had, over night grown new, usable limbs. Most people agreed that it was a miracle and most people were preparing for the Messi… More..

“But what was the big deal about building a church?” She asked. It was then that I knew that certain concepts were likely to be lost in translation. She was from North Korea. I was born in Mobile, Alabama. I had recommended “Lilies of the Field” starring Sidney Poitier as a good movie. It never occurred to me that anyone wou… More..

You are soft, and so we slowly press your face down into the paper, pressing until you relent and bleed a little on the page. You are smooth and so after we begin drawing your blood the flow is even and we glide across the page on your essence. But I digress, that was a pen, a nib, the least feather of a plumed serpent. A pe… More..

When I was young I traveled the land and did high tech contract work. The jobs paid well and I did not have to be particularly careful about credit or expenditures. In each place I would set up shop in an inexpensive apartment and buy cheap furniture. When it was time to leave to go to a new city and get a new job I would gi… More..

Chasing a Cyber Rainbow down a Rabbit Whole

Seven Simple Ways to Sell Your Poetry

Reading Your Poetry Before An Audience

April 24 2010 National Poetry Month

Search

Recent Posts

Categories

Seven Simple Ways to Sell Your Poetry

Reading Your Poetry Before An Audience

April 24 2010 National Poetry Month

Search

Recent Posts

Categories

Tags