How to Get Paid to Write Poetry: 11+ Places to Submit Your Poems for Money

Poems

Poetry requires a wordsmith with lots of diction, imagination and emotion. It’s a complex bit of writing that can be learned or naturally developed.

Poets have had a very difficult time reaching their audience. Making any kind of income from the art form seems impossible.

It is difficult to make money writing poetry however some writers have found ingenious ways to turn their passion into profit. So what are the opportunities available open to poets who wish to earn a decent income.

Trying to get your collection of poems published is a nightmare because the writing style is not in high demand. There are a few ways writers can make money writing poems some of which shall be explained bellow.

How to Make Money from Poems

 Publish a Book

The first and most obvious strategy to launch your poems is to publish a book. How to publish the book is the first obstacle.

 Literary agents wouldn’t accept poetry while main stream publishers prefer established poets, fiction writers and academic work.

 Publishing your anthology with trade publishers is a waste of your time and effort. This is because trade publishers wouldn’t accept your script. Don’t despair because you have four other publishing platforms for your poems.

Subsidy Publishers

You can publish your poems with a subsidy publisher because nine out of ten they would accept your work. This is because you are compelled to put up money to support your dream.

Subsidy publishing requires the author to part with a certain percentage of the cost of the first few publications.

The initial amount invested by the authors run as high as 40% of the initial publication. With subsequent publications the author’s investment reduces exponentially until no payment is needed.

Subsidy publishing is an expensive venture however a top subsidy publisher will actively participate in the success of your book. Your book might become a success and achieve mainstream recognition and endorsement.

Self Publishing

Under self publishing you have two options either publishing your work offline or online. Publishing offline is easy if you know how to go about it.

Apparently I have worked in a publishing house for several years. To self publish offline you need to go through the developmental stages or hire a professional printer for guidance.

The few stages to publishing your book offline involves typesetting the poems and arranged into book format. Then the printer makes the plates, prints the pages and includes a bounded cover.

You can determine the number of books to be printed according to your financial investment.
How to Self Publish  Your Poems on Kindle Direct Publishing

Use Online Resources

 Publishing your poems online is even easier than publishing it offline. You even have a wider audience that cut across the globe.

Publishing online is easy, first sign up with a top website like Amazon kindle, smashword.com or Lulu.com

Upload your manuscript and offer it as an eBook to potential buyers. Usually these platforms have virtual stores around the world where people purchase your poetry.

 To sell hardcover or soft cover bound books use Amazons Create Space a print on demand service. Many online publishing websites have print on demand service to convert the book into print.

 You can use this simple method to publish hundreds of your publication. You can purchase the printed format online and sell them offline to bookstores.

Submit Poems for Money

There are very limited options for poets when it comes to submitting poems for money. Over the years very little investment or capital is allocated to such endeavors but luckily there are a few good prospects.

By Raysonho @ Open Grid Scheduler / Grid Engine (Own work) [CC0], via Wikimedia Commons

Start a Greeting Card Business

Poetry is a specialized field and very few people have the gift for words. If you know how to write short poems and heartfelt messages you can consider writing greeting cards.

Greeting cards are in high demand from wedding cards, birthdays, valentine celebrations, anniversaries and holidays. Many poets have found greeting card business very lucrative.

 They write for customers directly or make special occasion cards for sale. A writer could make samples and offer them to Banks, Financial houses, companies, and schools.

A writer could partner with an artist to create specialized cards. The artist designs the cards and you write the words.

Greeting card business is very lucrative and a good way for poets to earn income. Alternately write for greeting card companies such as Blue Mountain Arts or American Greetings.

Contribute Poems to Article Directories

You can earn commission through advertisement placed on a blog. The products advertised should be relevant to the subject of your poem.

Some revenue sharing websites allow poems on their websites. They monetize your content through third party affiliate marketing.

The amount of money you earn from such posting is at best passive income. Some organize in house poetry competitions that have monetary value, prizes or gift card rewards.

Become a Freelancer

Do you know that you can offer your services on freelance membership sites to clients? Take on assignments for a fee and earn immediate gratification. Try selling your poems on websites such as Fiverr.

By sprd.net AG (Own work) [CC BY-SA 3.0  via Wikimedia Commons

Sell Branded Items

Inscribe your words on T-shirts, jackets and cloths. You can make a lot of money customizing items such as mugs, plates, glassware, and various household items.

11 Ways to make money writing poems

1 Start a Greeting Card Business

2 Contribute to article directories

3 Self publish

4 Author an eBook

5 Submit poems to competitions

6 Start a creative venture

7 Submit your poems to literary magazines

8 Sell Branded Items

9 Become a Freelancer

10 Publish print on demand books

11 Build your own Poetry Blog

12 Publish a book with Trade Publishers

13 Teach poetry writing

Submit your Poems to Literary magazines

A list of such magazines includes Orion Magazine, Ploughshares, Rattle, Boulevard Magazine and VQR Online. Others are Three Penny Review, Chicken Soup for the Soul and Grain Literary Magazine.

Conclusion

To make money writing poems isn’t easy however some people have found ways to earn income doing what they love. Why not start a poetry blog and monetize it through products and advert placement, contextual advertisement or text ads.

Enter top competitions or self publish your work. Try submitting your poems to magazines and literary journals.

You can teach poetry or create amazing greeting cards. To earn income with poems think outside the box and be very creative.