Do you write poetries as a hobby? Are you interested in cultivating this skill while getting paid for it?
A lot of people write great poems but unfortunately don’t have the skills to sell this unique skill that they naturally possess. They wait in vain for someone to recognize their talent. Every poet knows that this never works out. No publisher is out there looking for great poets to hire for huge money. This is because writing poetry is an art form and is not yet fully commercialized.
You will be glad to know that there are some ingenious ways in which you can sell your skill and make a ton of money. Here are a few ways to make money as a poet.
1. Find buyers on Etsy
If you can afford to be more creative, buy some cups, plain T-shirts, pens, etc and print short poems/slogans on them. There is a huge market on Etsy for this kind of a thing. Sellers demand anything from $10 to $50 for a piece of artwork.
I came across a seller(laureldenise) on Etsy who makes bracelets with short poems written on them. Accessories like bracelets, postcards, wallpapers, paintings(with poetry on them), etc would appeal to the female audience.
The best thing about selling on Etsy is that it has millions of shoppers looking at all kinds of unusual things. Hence, this is the only platform where artwork like poems, paintings, sculptures can be sold for a decent amount.
2. Start a poetry-based blog
To get your poetry-based blog started, you can create an account on a free blogging platform like Medium, Blogger, or WordPress. To reach a huge number of readers, Medium and Tumblr are great. And to has complete control over the platform, WordPress is a go-to option.
The next step is to post consistent content that your audience would like to read. Search engines reward websites who post new content on a daily weekly basis.
When it comes to monetization, every blogging platform has its way of calculating the earnings. For instance, Medium pays their contributors based on how members engage with their stories. Every clap you receive from a reader accounts for a portion of readers $5 monthly subscription fee.
3. Attend open-mic poetry gigs in your city
Open-mic poetry gigs are last on my list of ways to make money as a poet as it requires you(a poet) to be extroverted and sociable. For an introvert, standing in front of a crowd can seem like a nightmare.
Open-mic poetry gigs are held in hipster cafes, bars, malls, etc. Some establishments pay the poet to perform in front of a crowd. Find the nearest open-mic poetry gig near your place on WriteOutLoud.
Summary
Making money is a skill anyone can learn. No matter how good your poetry writing is, if you don’t understand how finances work, you will always fail to monetize your skill. So, making money as a poet will require you to wear a lot of different hats.