Tag: national poetry month 2013

National Poetry Month has come to an end, but that doesn’t mean you should stop writing and improving your poetry. Success as a self publishing poet is all about consistency, committment, and personal development. To help you become the best poet you can be, here are tips for improving your writing as well as self publishing your work.

Read. Read. Read.

Any time you want to improve your skills and become more successful, reading can help. Read poetry. Read books and articles about writing and publishing poetry. Read information about self publishing. Read anything that inspires you to write and become the best poet you can be, but don’t limit yourself to poetry and industry books. Read fiction, nonfiction, magazines, newspapers, blogs, advertisements, etc. Read everything and anything you can get a hold of. You never know what will inspire you.

Stay Committed

If you want to be successful, you need to commit yourself to your craft. Make time to write every day. Look for ways to continue to learn and grow. Figure out what motivates you and include those motivations in your daily life. Share your goals with others so they can help you accountable. Never give up on dreams.

Be Consistent

Whether you are writing, editing, or marketing, be consistent. Work on your poetry every day. Set a schedule for when you will write, edit, or market your work. Set goals for yourself, and make a plan to achieve them. Successful writers don’t write sporadically; they work on their craft in some way every single day.

I’d love to know, why do you write 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.

In honor of National Poetry Month, I’ll be sharing tips and news for poets this month. Today, I’m going to address the topic of contemporary poetry versus classic poetry.  A recent study called Poetry in America by the Poetry Foundation revealed some interesting information on this topic. Here are the highlights.

• Fifty-five percent of current and former poetry readers first read classic poetry.

• More than half of all current poetry users read or listen to contemporary poetry.

• About one-third of current poetry users restrict their involvement to contemporary poetry.

•  About one-quarter read or listen to both contemporary poetry and the classics.

• Over a third of current poetry users define the type of poetry that they read as “something else.” They asked respondents to specify what they meant by “something else.” There were four categories that repeatedly came up in the pool of “other” responses: personal, friend’s or relatives’ poetry; modern poetry; children’s poetry; and inspirational poetry.

You may be wondering why this information is important. As a self publishing poet, it is essential that you understand who your readers are and how to reach them. This will help you publish work that is appealing to your audience and to market your books effectively.

I’d love to know, how often do you read poetry and what types of poetry do you read?

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.

In honor of National Poetry Month, I’ll be sharing tips and news for poets this month. Today, I’m going to address the common question, “Do people still read poetry?” A recent study called Poetry in America by the Poetry Foundation revealed some interesting information on this topic. Here is what you need to know.

People who love to read often read poetry.

Poetry users tend to be more omnivorous in their consumption of reading materials than are non-poetry readers. Poetry readers do not read poetry to the exclusion of other types of literary and non-literary materials. Instead, poetry is but one of many genres that they choose to read.

Young readers are a great audience to target.

Most people begin their relationship with poetry early in their lives, usually around the time they are teenagers. Young readers could be lifetime fans. Even children who are reading picture books enjoy poetry, especially if it rhymes.

Get involved with your local schools.

Current poetry users were significantly more likely to have studied poetry at every grade level than were nonusers. Overall, 82 percent of poetry users studied poetry in school compared to 73 percent of non-users. You can help expose young readers to poetry by hosting readings at schools or talking to them about your career as a poet.

Even people who don’t normally read poetry enjoy it when they come across it.

Non-poetry readers do read or listen to poetry when they come across it in unexpected places. Non-poetry books and magazines reach many people who might not otherwise read poetry. More than half of the people who said that they have never read poetry, also said that they read it at least some of the time when they come across it in non-poetry books and magazines. If you get creative, you can reach a larger audience.

As a self publishing poet, it is essential that you understand who your readers are and how to reach them. There are plenty of people who are open to reading great poetry, and you can ensure that feature generations continue to enjoy this genre by reaching out to young readers.

I’d love to know, how often do you read poetry and what types of poetry do you read?

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.