Poetry For Money: How To Be A Profitable Poet In The Internet Age
Rhythms. Rhymes.
They sound good to the ears,
especially when done in passion and style.
Take your little dose of poetry as you click on the link,
of this article of mine.
Okay, that introductory poem is lame. I know, I know. What’s not lame however, is that you can cash in on your poetic skills by submitting and pitching it online.
Truth be told, there is only very little demand for poetry these days. Compared to novelists and technical writers, poets seem to be only rewarded by the elation that they can get by expressing their thoughts and emotions through well-crafted phrases and sentences.
What you’ll learn here:
- The best kinds of poems for the internet age
- The realities of being a poet today
- How to pitch your poems successfully to clients
- 30 sites that pay for poem submissions
But is there money to be gained by writing poems? If you visit any bookstore, poetry books are certainly sold there. If you scour through the ever-expanding avenues of the Internet, poetic articles are also thriving. This means that although poetry is not as in-demand as other forms of writing, there is still a demand for it, which means you can still obtain considerable income if you just know where to dig.
Thankfully, you don’t need to do that much digging, as I already did the digging for you. Below is a list of some sites where you can submit your poems.
But before you start scribbling and writing due to your intense itch of earning some fast cash, you have to ponder on these very important points:
What are the best kinds of poems for the internet audience?
Internet people are by default modernists, so you have to put great emphasis on the kinds of poems they find most attracted to read and consume. By conducting some reconnaissance in many poetry sites in cyberspace, we would easily detect that the following kinds of poems are the most appealing these days:
Those that utilize slang terms – Gone are the days when poetry is only crafted with classic English and overly formal semantics. Today, people are more drawn into poetic lines that are laced with catchy, modern terms that are attributed to the latest trends and technological advancements.
Those that include humor – Who says poetry should not include comedy?… only those who are too conservative and are not willing to explore literary diversification. To be successful as a poet in these modern times, you have to highly consider putting some lines in your poems that can make people smile or better yet, burst out in laughter.
Those that people can easily sing to (or rap to!) – In case you haven’t noticed, all song lyrics are by default, poems written with the intention of blending into melody and harmony. To make your poetry highly attractive, do your best to push your readers into singing or rapping along with your lines.
Those that are illustrative and highly graphical – Today, attractive web content are those that contain ample graphics that can enhance user experience. The same rule applies to poetry as well as any literary piece for that matter. To make your poems highly salable, take time to embed some catchy high-resolution media into them.
Those that poke into human emotion – This rule is not only about internet poetry, but for poetry in all categories as well. Regardless of whether you’re writing for online platforms, or seeking popularity in poetry for print mediums, you have to take this advice into heart… only then can you be truly successful as a poet.
The realities of being a poet for the internet age
As mentioned above, the demand for poetry compared to other forms of literature is quite low. Therefore, you need to contemplate the following:
Poems have low talent fees – This is one of the saddest realities of being a poet. Since overly long poems would be boring for most people, poems are meant to be short. And because of their low word counts, the payment is not that high too, when compared to other forms of writing.
Poetry demands are often seasonal – Poetic lines are mostly meant to be printed on greeting cards, and small publications that are consumed by people during certain periods of a given year. Because of this, poems are not always in demand by publishing companies.
Many of your poems will just be ignored – To be a successful poet, you need to write and write a lot. But here’s one painful truth: most of your pieces will just be ignored by publishing companies, as well as plain readers. It could be due to the fact that seasons change and with it, are the mood swings of people who read your poetry.
Poems are among the most-stolen content – This is another painful reality. But due to their short and ‘easily accessible’ nature, poems are often ripped-off and stolen by plagiarists that flock to the publishing world. Add it up with the prevalence of digital publishing, it’s easier than ever to steal your hard-worked rhymes.
But should these deter you from being an online poet? It shouldn’t! True poets are by nature, not too concerned about the monetary rewards that their writing can give. It’s about passion, expression, and freedom. You shouldn’t worry too much about not earning that much, or having your work stolen or copied by others, right?
Tips on successfully pitching your poems to publishers
There are so many companies on the internet that accept poems. But honestly, submitting your writings to them would be a “sometimes hit, sometimes miss” kind of undertaking. To have a huge advantage over your competitors, I advise you to do the following:
Build a strong poet portfolio
Start a poetry blog, or publish a set of poems in an affordable ebook – both are very viable options. There are lots of online tools and free downloadable software that can help you in achieving it in a truly professional style.
Whenever you apply for publishing companies, you can then include a link that lets them view your well-polished poems in those writings of yours.
Make a poetry audiobook
What’s better than publishing poems that people can read? Answer: publishing poems that can read themselves so that people can just listen. Yes, this is absolutely the best way to market your poetic skills.
Read your poems and record them using your phone, or with a microphone attached to your computer. It will make your poetry 10 times more attractive!
Write personalized poems for specific clients
This means that you have to consider writing some poetic lines that speak directly about a certain person, or a certain business entity. For instance, if your client’s name is John, you have to write some lines or stanzas that start with the letters “J”, “O”, “H”… and so on.
Make sure that those letters are bold, and the last words for each line do rhyme with the others. That is, of course, a no-brainer for poets like you.
If you have already done those steps, then congratulations! You are already ten steps ahead of your competitors. If you don’t have time to perform them and just want to directly try to get your poems published, you may just opt to click on the following links and start submitting your poems.
30 Sites That Pay For Poem Submissions
50 Haikus – Though they only accept one submission each time, you may submit up to 5 poems each month. They give token payments to accepted writers which are currently at $1.50. For submissions marked as “Editor’s Choice,” they pay $10.
Agni Online – They encourage submissions from published and unpublished writers anywhere. Writers can submit up to 5 poems. They only accept submissions between September and May of the following year. Submissions outside of that will be returned. They pay $20 per page of accepted poems, or up to a maximum of $150.
Alaska QuarterlyReview – This is a literary journal that focuses on contemporary literary art, and accepts poem submissions within that category. Poets may submit poems in traditional and experimental styles. Light verses are not acceptable on the site. You may submit up to 6 poems at a time. Payment is $10 to $50.
Arc Poetry – Publishing contemporary poetry for more than 40 years already, they invite poets in all stages of their careers to submit their pieces. They accept multiple submissions as long as they don’t exceed 3 poems or 360 lines. They pay $50 per page. Payment is given along with one free copy of the issue in which the poem is printed.
Arts and Letters – The company is searching for writings that don’t try too hard to grab attention, but ones that guide readers toward the human voice and its perpetual struggle into language. They are open to both formal and experimental writings including poetry. They are also open to writings that defy classification. They pay $10 per accepted poem.
Black Warrior Review – In choosing materials to publish, they look for truths, but they also look for half-truths, lies, and anything that invokes emotions. They even claim to love contradictions in their publications. They accept up to 5 submissions as long as they don’t exceed 10 pages. Payment range is from $100 to $220.
Boulevard Magazine – Their publication strives to publish only the finest in fiction, poetry, and non-fiction. Though they frequently publish writers with established credentials, they are also very interested in less-experienced or unpublished writers as long as they have great potential. Payment could range from $25 to $250.
Crazyhorse – They claim to seek poems that exhibit how content works symbiotically with form or those that showcase poetry in an artistic context. In other words, they want pieces that demonstrate rhetorical and formal intelligence. They are pleased to accept multiple submissions from authors regardless of their level of writing experience. Payment is around $20 per page which could reach a maximum $200.
Cricket Media – Handling 4 literary magazines aimed at children, they promote a diverse literary culture by opening writing opportunities to writers who belong to the “marginalized” groups: people of color, people with disabilities, and even people from the LGBTQ. Payment is priced at $3 per line.
Epoch Magazine – It is a publication that’s edited by the English department of The Creative Writing Program of the Cornell University of the US. Although they evaluate submissions throughout the year, they don’t read submissions given from September 15 to March 15 of the following year. They pay $50 for each poem.
Goblin Fruit – They seek poems that focus on mythic, surreal, fantasy, and folkloric themes, or those that approach themes in a fantastical way. They encourage writers to use the traditional format of writing poems. They pay $15 on publication for original, unpublished poems, and $5 for solicited reprints.
Grain Magazine – They look for individual poems, sequences, or poetic suites up to a maximum of 6 pages. The kind of writing that they hope to get from their contributors are those that engage, surprise, and challenging writing and art. They have a submission window which is from 15th of September to 15th of March of the following year. Chosen writers are paid from $50 per page to a maximum of $250.
Hopscotch – Accessible via the web portal funforkidz.com, it is a publication that targets young girls from ages 6 – 13 years old. As such, poetry submissions should deal with timeless topics such as pets, nature, hobbies, science, and games. They pay $10 per poem.
Iowa Review – They own a rich environment for literary collaboration to create a worldwide conversation among those who read and write literary forms like fiction, nonfiction, and poetry – anything that belongs to contemporary literature. They only accept submissions from September to November for each year. They pay $1.50 per line for poems which are around $40 at minimum.
Leading Edge – Accepting simultaneous submissions, they look for poems that have strong sci-fi or fantasy themes. They also require that such poems must also reflect literary value, good taste, and popular appeal. They pay from $5 – $20 for each poem.
New Myths – Focusing on sci-fi and fantasy, they accept up to 5 poems each time. It is important to note that they only accept submissions from June 1 to July 31 and from January 1 to February 28. They pay 1.5 cents per word with a minimum payment of $30 for all submissions.
News Letters – Before submitting, writers are encouraged to read their previously published materials so they can have ideas on what to write about. They don’t require submissions to fit into a certain category as what they are only for is “good writing.” Poetry submissions must not exceed 6 pieces at a time. Published writers are paid $12 and are given up to $40 of discount in buying their publications.
Poetry Foundation – They accept poetry written in the English language as well as translations of poetry into English. They have a visual category of their submissions in which poems are in picture formats like JPEG and PNG. Writers can submit up to 4 poems. A minimum pay of $10 can be gained per line of your poem.
Rattle – They are looking for poems that move readers, that can make them laugh or cry, or teach them something new. Their publication revolves around diversity, that’s why it’s important to compose poems that stand out or those that spell uniqueness. For their print publication, they pay $200 per poem. For online contributors, they pay $100.
Ruminate Magazine – They establish their publication as a sign that points toward hospitality, welcome, and care for a writer’s creations. They only accept poetry submissions from July 1 to January 15th of the following year. Payment is usually $15 per poem.
Slice – With their aim which is to bridge the gap between emerging and established authors by offering a space where both are published side-by-side, they welcome any writer with a fresh voice and a compelling story to share. Poets may submit up to 5 poems of which they will be paid $100 each.
Strange Horizons – They want poems from unconventional writers that can write about diverse perspectives and backgrounds. They also prefer ones that are modern and those that explore the possible and impossible, the difference between dreams and reality, and the significance of past and future. Regardless of length and complexity, payment is $50.
The Baltimore Review – The mission of this publication is to showcase itself as a literary hub of diverse writing and promote the work of prominent writers as well as the newly emerging ones. As a writing community, it has writers and contributors from around the world. Payment is $40 per poem.
The Capilano Review – Having been around for more than 40 years, they have been supporting a vibrant community of readers, writers, and artists interested in writing and art experimentation. They accept simultaneous submissions with the request that they are informed if your poems are accepted and submitted in other publications. Contributors are paid $50 per published page to a maximum of $200.
The Southern Review – Poems from any theme or category is accepted here. They accept multiple submissions from each writer, as long as details are clearly indicated, and not more than 5 poems. They pay $25 for each accepted piece.
The Sun Magazine – Preferring submissions from poets of color, they don’t give guidelines to the poems that they look for. They claim that they will only know it when they see it. They discourage simultaneous submissions. Payment is from $100 – $250 per poem.
Three Penny Review – Here, you are required to submit up to 5 poems only. They have a non-reading period that falls from July to December. Submissions during this period are not catered. They pay $100 per poem.
US Kids Mags – Driven by the knowledge that kids who read for pleasure do overwhelmingly better in life, they publish reading materials for young readers not exceeding 12 years old. For poetry, their target audience is 6 years old and below. Payment is $25 or higher.
Virginia Quarterly Review – They are known to have a history of publishing award-winning authors, but they also look for emerging writers and give support to them. They don’t accept works published in other publications. For poetry, they accept up to 4 submissions although they also accept poem suites of up to 5 pieces. Pay is $200 per single poem but could reach up to $1000 for poem suites.
Willow Springs – Receiving up to 4,000 submissions a year, they accept poems of various styles and categories. While they accept submitted pieces whole year-round, they only accept poetry between September and May of the following year. They pay $20 per published poem.
Is this list not enough? Here are 70-plus links that you can try. (Some items are already here though.)
Place your hands on the keyboard now, or you may just grab that pen and piece of paper. Let the rhymes flow, submit your poems online to make a profit, and experience the stream of income to flow through you as well.
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