Here Is How To Become A Professional Poet

 So You Want To Be A Professional Poet? Here's How...

If you want to be a poet, there are plenty of people who will tell you that it’s easy to make money doing so; unfortunately, this could not be further from the truth. To reach your goal of becoming a professional poet, you will need passion and talent, as well as a solid work ethic and some smart marketing skills. Here are some tips to help you on the road to achieving your dream of becoming an actual poet – not just someone who writes poetry in their spare time or while they should be doing something else!

Get published

Getting published is the first step to becoming a professional poet. It also helps if you're talented and can write well, but getting published will help you gain recognition as an author. Try publishing in small literary journals or through creative writing contests until you get your foot in the door with bigger publications. Write what interests you: One of the best ways to become a successful poet is by writing about what interests you. If nothing excites you, it will show in your work! Make time for writing: Becoming a professional writer takes time and effort, so be patient and be prepared for some rejections before being accepted for publication.

Network with other poets

One of the best ways to become a professional poet is to develop a strong network of other poets. By engaging with your peers and mentors, you can get feedback on your work as well as connect with publishers, editors, agents, and other people in the industry. Join organizations such as PEN International or The Poetry Society of America for opportunities to not only network with poets but also hear readings by some of today's most accomplished poets.

Put on readings

If you want to be a professional poet, the best way to get started is by putting on readings. This will allow you to share your work in front of a live audience and see how they react. It also allows you to see what other poets do and pick up tips from them. You can go about this two ways: ask for permission to put on reading at someone else’s event or ask for permission to put on one at your own event. Whatever route you choose, remember that if any fees are associated with holding the event, be sure that all proceeds go back into the community and support local artists!

Promote your book(s) on social media

I just published my first poetry book! The title is The Way I See It is available on Amazon. This week, I'm going to promote my book on social media. Tomorrow, I will post a review of the book on Facebook. On Wednesday, I will share an excerpt from the book on Twitter. Thursday and Friday, I will promote the book by sharing a photo of the cover with people who follow me on Instagram. Sunday, I will upload a video of me reading one of my favorite poems from the book to YouTube. I hope this strategy helps sell more copies of the book! In conclusion, if you want to be a professional poet then promotion is essential. Don't be afraid to advertise your work on social media platforms such as Facebook, Twitter, or YouTube.

Host speaking engagements

Hosting a speaking engagement will help you build your reputation and your brand. As a poet, you can speak about the power of words, creativity, and inspiration. In this way, the audience will walk away with a better understanding of who you are as an artist. They'll also get to know your work and what makes it so important to them. When hosting a presentation for school students, ask them to write their poems in response to something that happened in class or what they learned about on a field trip. Afterward, have each student read their poem aloud and give constructive feedback to all the other students. 

To promote your book signing events, make sure you include a list of books available at your event, some short biography about yourself, where you'll be signing copies of your books (i.e., bookstore), and which day(s) you'll be attending. Having these details laid out helps potential customers know when to show up for your event--and guarantees there will be more people present! It also reduces the chance of someone else coming to your event by mistake. If you're struggling with social media etiquette, check out our blog post What is Social Media Etiquette?

Become an editor

If you have a passion for words, editing might be a good way to merge your love of writing with your desire to make a living. Try to get an internship at a magazine or newspaper and offer your skills as an editor. Or ask if there are any volunteer opportunities available. Volunteering can give you insight into the world of publishing while also allowing you to try out what it would be like to edit on a professional level before committing to that career path. It's also a great opportunity to network with people in the industry so they'll know who you are when they come across your work. 

As far as internships go, even if it doesn't lead to an editorial position right away, you'll still gain valuable experience by working closely with editors and writers who have more experience than you do. The skills learned through an internship will help prepare you for life in the publishing industry.

Publish chapbooks, books, and more books

Publishing your own chapbooks, books, and more books is a great way to get started. The benefit of publishing your own work is that you don't need anyone else to believe in you. However, it can be challenging to make enough money on your own. So, if you want to be a professional poet, think about getting an MFA or teaching English abroad while also self-publishing as much as possible. Also, write! Write for fun! It's hard to do this job without having some sense of enjoyment from the process, so find time each day to just write what feels good. It doesn't matter if you're writing prose, poetry, or even something totally different like screenplays--just enjoy yourself!