HOW TO BECOME A PUBLISHED POET
New poets always seem to give off a bit of a glow, and it often takes a year for them to settle down into the writing process and begin to get their legs under them. And anyone who has ever picked up a pen and dreamed of becoming a published poet has also dreamed of becoming the next T.S. Eliot, Maya Angelou, Robert Frost or Emily dickinson. We may never reach the heights they have reached in the literature world, but our dreams of becoming published poets can be turned into reality, and it is much easier than one would think.
Hopefully this article will help you realize your dreams of becoming a published author. It does take work, submitting your poems to the many small presses across the country or the world, and long waits for replies, but there is enough information presented here to help you realize your dream.
TOOLS OF THE TRADE
There are certain tools you have to have available to you in order to write good creative poetry on a regular basis. Below is a list of some of the tools you should have handy;
a good dictionary
a rhyming dictionary
a bad spellers dictionary
one or more thesaurus
a recent copy of THE POET'S MARKET
You also should have several boks of poetry on hand by authors of whose work you personally enjoy reading. I would also recommend you get to know the poetry section of your local library very well. The more you study and read other people's work, the more you are likely to think like a poet. One of the keys to learning how to write poetry is learning how to think like a poet, so read, read, read.
Now many of the tools listed above are available for free right on your computer, however, I am old school and like working from actual books. Below are a few links you may find useful in your quest to write poetry;
FREE ONLINE RHYMING DICTIONARY
A thesaurus is a key tool in writing poetry. It helps you replace one word with another word which can have more impact on your verse or poem. Say I wrote a poem with the word enjoy in it, but I feel the word could be made stronger, I turn to my thesaurus. I look up enjoy, and it gives me a bunch of other words I could use in place of enjoy, such as savor, relish, revel, as well as many others. Learning the art of replacing a weaker word with a much stronger word can mean the difference between a good poem and a great poem.
Why do I recomend a copy of THE POETS MARKET. For several reason, this is a tool no poet should be without. It lists all the markets around the world where you can submit your poetry to. In many cases, it gives the writers guidelines for those publications. It lists how much money, if any, each publication pays for your work. It lists all the major poetry contests taking place that given year. It lists many of the publishing houses where you can self-publish your own book of poetry, or even submit your poetry to be considered for a book. It gives examples from just about every poetry magazine out there, examples of the kinds of poetry that magazine is looking for. One of the keys to getting published is knowing what a certain magazine is looking for, and a copy of the poets market helps in doing that.
POETRY MAGAZINES;
I try to keep up with the latest news in poetry and you should too. You can do this online since the internet offers so many different peotry sites, but I like the feel of an actual magazine in my hands. There are many different publications out there, but here are a few; Abalone Moon, American Poetry Review, Barrow Street, Cortland Review, Drunken Boat, Haggard and Halloo, Jubilat, Mudlark, My Favorite Bullet, Poems Niederngasse, Poetry, Poetry Bay, Poetry Canada, Poet's Haven, Pompom, Rattle, Slope, Transcendental Friend, Vallum and Valparaiso Poetry Review.
Not only will you find excellent poetry of our current times in the publications, in many you will find reviews and interviews, poetry contest listings, art and essays, the latest news on where to submit your poetry and who's looking to publish what, as well as the upcoming names and rising stars in todays literature.
SETTING THE MOOD FOR WRITING
On this point, every writer is unique and different. Find the part of the house where you not only feel comfortable, but where you feel creative. For me, its at a small table in the far corner of the room. I prefer low light, sometimes even candle light. Some writers can't write without music playing. I had to have absolute silence when I first began writing, now, I can write either way, once I get into that writing zone, everything else is pretty much shut out. Always have at least two pens and pencils and a notebook by where you will write. Its all about setting the mood, and nothing breaks the mood quicker then having to get up and go searching for something to write with. Time of day is also key. What time of day or night are you feeling the most creative? For me, I can't even begin to write until midnight or beyond - that is the window that I am most creative in. For you, it may be morning or noon time, but it is important to know the time of day your most creative in, and then spend some time every day writing ot thinking about writing during that time. Make it a habit to set that time aside each day.
Just as it is important to know where in your house you feel the most creative, so is it important to know where you are the most creative at writing outside your house. For me, I have a few key spots I go to where i feel very relaxed and very creative. One is on a mountain side, I back pack all my writing tools so far up the side of the mountain, and spend hours writing, playing a guitar, just relaxing. I have found, unlike in the house, I am most creative in the evening outside. Another favorite writing spot is bear brook picnic area. Get to know and seek out those places where you feel the most creative.
(always keep a pen and small notebook handy)
KNOW WHO'S WHO IN POET CIRCLES.
It helps to have some understanding of the great poets of the past, and who is who in todays poet market. Names such as Langston Hughes, Maya Angelou, Shel Silverstein, Pablo Neruda, E. E. Cummings, Robert Frost, Edgar Allan Poe, Emily Dickinson, Ezra Pound, Stephen Crane, Walt Whitman are pretty common names in poetry.
More modern poets include such names as Anna Akhmatova, Elizabeth Bishop, Yehuda Amichai, Charles Baudelaire, Constantin P. Cafavy, T.S. Eliot, Seamus Heaney, Zbigniew Herbert, Vladimir Mayakovsky, Rainier Maria Rilke, Wallace Stevens, jan zwicky, Colleen C Smi, Kim Addonizio are just some of the names you will hear and read about in poet circles and you can learn a lot simply by visiting the local library or doing a online Google or Yahoo search for their names and reading some of their works.
Reading great works like The Waste Land by T.S. Eliot, or A Miracle For Breakfast by Elizabeth Bishop, or Memory of Sun Ebbs From The Heart by Anna Akhmatova can only serve to stimulate one's mind, and knowing those great works that come out of the past can only help pave the way for the great works that are yet to be.
WRITING EXERCISES
There are a few writing exercises that I have gotten into the habit of doing which I have found to be very useful. One is reading a thesaurus. I will scan up and down the pages, find words that I think I might use down the road, write that word in a note book, then next to the word, write in any other words that I like the sounds of that the thesaurus lists. It may seem boring, but remember, poetry is an art of using words, and the words we use are much like the colors of paint an artist uses. The more colors we have available, the better picture we paint with our poetry.
Another exercise is reading poetry of other poets. Have a notebook handy as you do so. Whenever you come upon one or two words that have you going WOW, write them down in your note book. Word combinations like birdsong winds, temporary walls, upon silent wing's, where shadows dance, flowers of the heart, and so on. Think of these word combinations as fire starters. You read through them when your in your writing zone, and things begin to happen. Images form in your mind, lost or buried thoughts surface, and a peom is born.
Another simple exercise is to simply read from the pages of one of your favorite writers, doesn't even have to be poetry, to help set your writing mood. Five to ten minutes of reading work by someone else can really be helpful in getting your writing mind into gear.
WRITING THE POEM
I can not tell you how to write a poem, I can only tell you how I do it. For each person, the process will be different. Once i get set up in my creative spot, regardless if its inside or out, I begin by going through one or more of the exercises I have listed above. Then I set there and think over what I read, while paying attention to what thoughts I am having. Within a very short time, I get into a writers zone, where I am almost in a daydreaming state. Before I know it, I am writing. for me, this is a normal thing, to be actively writing while in a dream like state. I am somewhat aware of what I am writing, yet when I am done and I reread what I have written, if it often as though I am reading the piece for the very first time. Sometimes there is a title on the piece, but often times there isn't, I add a title later on. And usually, the poem or poems that come out of a writing session like this need very little if any editing.
I have talked to a few poets who go through this same experience when writing as I do, but most of the poets I have talked to say the process is mush more involved and they have to put work into each line they write. The important thing is to write. Never fall into that false trap called writers block. Does it exist, yes. But I call it a false trap, because too many writers use it as an excuse simply not to write. It is up to you to take control of the situation. Change where your seated. Change the lighting. If you still can't write, then read. In the end, you still may spent that time not writing a single word, but at least you will not have given up.
One more important key is to hook your lines. Don't write in complete sentences, have your sentences end in a way that the reader will want to go down to the next line, and the next, and so on. Learning the art of when and where to hook your lines will greatly improve your chances later on of getting published. You want to lure the reader, as well as the editor, line by line from the beginning of the peom to the end.
Here is an example of how hooking words, from my poem THE RECITAL.
She is at the business
of rehearing
The reader has to wonder, she is at what business, of rehearing, of rehearing what? Hooking your lines is an art that is only learned through practice and reaing other peoples poetry to study how they hook their lines.
EDITING YOUR WORK
Time to go over your poem piece by piece. Look for bad spelling. Look for a word or two that are repeated too often. Is the title as strong as it could be? Are there any weak words that a thesaurus could make stronger? Once you have edited the work, read it several timers to yourself. Now read it several times out loud. Does the poem have an even flow to it? Does one or more words jump out at you that need more attention? If not, hand the poem to a family member or friend and have them read it and ask their opinion on it. Also having someone read it aloud back to you will give you a good sense of how well the words flow together.
NOW TO BECOME A PUBLISHED POET
This is where that copy of THE POETS MARKET comes into play. Magazines are rated 1 through 5. Each also lists their writers guidelines. Follow the guidelines, failing to do so will end in a rejection slip, regardless of how good your work is. Here are the standard guidelines for most poetry magazines;
24 linbes or less with shorter poems have a better chance of being published
one poem per page, double spaced between lines
your name and address in upper left hand corner of each page
including a SASE (self addressed stamped envelope) is a must
4 to 6 poems per submission
Carefully read through the guidelines of the publicatiuon you will be submitting to, and follow them. Also write a brief cover letter addressing the editor by name, it will be listed in your copy of THE POETS MARKET. List some of the places you have been published in. If you haven't been published as yet, let them know how much you look forward to appearing in their fine magazine, and thank them for taking th time out to look over your work.
When I was actively submitting my work, I would have 6 to 7 submissions in the mail at any one time, to 6 or 7 different publications. Each submission contained a set of different poems. expect to get rejection slips, its part of the business. If your just starting out, read those publications listed in your POETS MARKET and find the one's that state they are willing to work with new writers. Now get writing and have fun.
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