Tag: National Poetry Month

Kelly Speaks, Uncategorized

Poetry Styles Explained

April is National Poetry Month. In honor of this, I encourage everyone to try their hand at writing poetry this month, even if you usually shy away from this genre. To help you get started, here is an overview of some of the popular poetry styles.

Ballad

A typical ballad is a plot-driven song with one or more characters and a dramatic ending. This form uses the show, don’t tell approach to writing. Examples include Ballad of the Goodly Fere by Ezra Pound and  The Rime of the Ancient Mariner by Samuel Taylor Coleridge.

Blues Poem

This is one of the most popular forms of American poetry. It stems from the African American oral tradition. It often discusses difficult topics. Examples include Riverbank Blues by Sterling A. Brown and The Weary Blues by Langston Hughes.

Epic

An epic is a long, often book-length, narrative in verse form that retells the heroic journey of a single person, or group of persons. One of the most famous examples of an epic is The Odyssey by Homer.

Haiku

A traditional Japanese haiku is a three-line poem with seventeen syllables, written in a 5/7/5 syllable count. Haikus often focus on images from nature.

Limerick

This form is popular among children’s authors. Limericks are often comical, and they consist of five lines that adhere to a strict rhyme scheme. These poems are easy to memorize. Nursery rhymes are often considered limericks.

Sonnet

The sonnet is a fourteen-line poem written in iambic pentameter. It adheres to one of several rhyme schemes. Two well-known sonnet forms are the Petrachan and the Shakespearean.

To learn more about poetry styles, visit Poets.org. It is an excellent resource for all poets.

I’d love to know, what is your favorite style of poetry?

ABOUT KELLY SCHUKNECHT: Kelly Schuknecht is the Vice President of Outskirts Press. In addition to her contributions to the Outskirts Press blog at blog.outskirtspress.com, Kelly and a group of talented marketing experts offer book marketing services, support, and products to not only published Outskirts Press authors, but to all authors and professionals who are interested in marketing their books and/or careers. Learn more about Kelly on her blog at http://kellyschuknecht.com.
Book Marketing, Kelly Speaks

5 Ways to Promote Your Book in April

Today’s post is by book marketing industry expert, Kelly Schuknecht.

Book marketing is an ongoing effort.  Here are five ways to promote your book in April:

  1. April is National Poetry Month.  If you have published a book of poetry, this is an excellent opportunity to take advantage of National Poetry Month events.  Visit Poetry.org to find a full list of Poetry Month events.
  2. April 2nd is International Children’s Book Day.  If you are a Children’s book author, call your local library and elementary school(s).  Volunteer to read your book during storytime.
  3. Speaking of libraries, National Library Week is April 10-16.  Contact your local library, offer to donate a free copy of your book.
  4. The London Book Fair takes place April 11-13.  If you have not already made arrangements for your book to be represented this year, consider this opportunity for next year.
  5. April 22nd is Earth Day. If your book is about environment issues (or even if it’s not), contact your local schools and environmental agencies and ask about Earth Day events you can get involved with.  Even if you are not directly promoting your book, you will be doing something to help the environment and networking with individuals who have similar interests.

DISCUSSION: How are you planning to promote YOUR book this month?

ABOUT KELLY SCHUKNECHT:
Kelly Schuknecht works as the Director of Author Support for Outskirts Press.  In addition to her contributions to the Outskirts Press blog at blog.outskirtspress.com, Kelly and a group of talented marketing experts offer book marketing services, support, and products to not only published Outskirts Press authors, but to all authors and professionals who are interested in marketing their books and/or careers. Learn more about Kelly on her blog at http://kellyschuknecht.com.