Tag: national poetry month 2013

Kelly Speaks

Who Reads Poetry?

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, “Does anyone still read poetry?” A recent study called Poetry in America by the Poetry Foundation revealed some interesting information on this topic. Here are the highlights.

  • Readers in general, and poetry readers in particular, tend to be women and adults with higher levels of education.

  • While some people may imagine that poetry readers are quiet and perhaps loners by nature, we find that they are a vibrant, active and sociable group.

  • Parents and teachers are most often cited as people who were influential during people’s early experiences with poetry.

  • Slightly less than one-third of current users read contemporary poetry exclusively and an additional 23 percent read both classic and contemporary poetry.

  • Non-users do read or listen to poetry when they come across it in unexpected places.
  • People share poetry with one another.
  • Libraries, books clubs and the Internet are among the untapped resources for sharing poetry.

  • Regardless of whether people still read or listen to poetry, many of them can recall the names of poets, titles of poems, and can recite lines of 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.
Jodee Speaks

What Makes a Great Poem

April is National Poetry Month, so it is a great time to break out your notebook and start writing poems. But what makes a great poem? While poetry is often about personal interpretation and preference, here are a few general guidelines.

  • Use language correctly. Poetry needs to be well written, even though there is room for ambiguity. If you are going to break the rules, make sure you are doing so intentionally.
  • Make it valueable to the reader. People connect with poetry for a number of reasons. For instance, the poem might illustrate emotions that are difficult to express or reveal a reality.
  • Offer hope. Poetry is a powerful medium for overcoming difficulties in life, and great poetry can offer hope to the reader.
  • Be sincere. Great poetry is written from the heart. It is not forced. It is genuine.

I’d love to know, how you define great poetry?

ABOUT JODEE THAYER: With over 20 years of experience in sales and management, Jodee Thayer works as the Manager of Author Services for Outskirts Press. The Author Services Department is composed of knowledgeable customer service reps and publishing consultants; together, they all focus on educating authors on the self-publishing process in order to help them publish the book of their dreams. Whether you are a professional looking to take your career to the next level with platform-driven non-fiction or a novelist seeking fame, fortune, and/or personal fulfillment, Jodee Thayer can put you on the right path.