Member-only story
How to Be a Famous Poet in Five Steps
So, you want to be a famous poet with money falling from the sky? Read on, dear writer.
- WRITE
The top tip to being a famous poet — WRITE. There is nothing more important to being a poet than actually writing poetry (well, maybe reading poetry).
2. READ
Don’t worry about other people’s “voices” watering down your unique voice. That’s not how it works. When you read other people’s poetry and learn their techniques, then your voice has the ability to become distilled through these learned techniques. It’s how you can surprise yourself and learn what you’re actually capable of.
3. Join poetry communities
The lone poet just isn’t as fun as the poet who’s part of a group of poets. There are many poetry communities spread across the U.S. If you really love poetry, then these are your people. These are the people who will read your work (whose work you will read), who will offer tips, and book suggestions. They might also become some of the loveliest friends you have. Poetry communities are a gift. Know their value. You will discover what poetry can DO within writing communities. And like the Grinch who sang with the Who’s of Whoville, your heart will grow larger and larger (if you let it).
2. Be YOUnique
Is that too corny of a phrase/spelling to write? Maybe but I’m gonna stick with it. If you look at some of the most attention-lauded poets, you will find that they are generally unapologetically themselves (this is not saying to be a bleephole so please don’t take that this way. No one wants to hang with a bleephole). Who I’m talking about is really… Rupi Kaur. Rupi Kaur is a marketing GENIUS. Yes, all caps. I don’t care what you think about her writing. Rupi Kaur is a gateway poet for a lot of people, and for that she does the poetry community a great service. Who is Rupi Kaur? Rupi Kaur has spread her poetry on Instagram. She is the quintessential Instapoet. She pairs her brief poems with her own doodles. Some have criticized her for lack of craft, but as I said I think she’s a genius — she mass markets her poems with doodles and has a pretty fashionable existence with her Instagram posts. She may not be the Walt Whitman of her generation, but as I said — she’s a gateway poet. Her…
