Serious poets want to improve their level of writing, but how do you go about that? These steps will help:
Read a lot of poetry.
Focus on the works of classical and contemporary poets, especially Pulitzer or Nobel prize-winning collections.
Study poetry forms and techniques.
Revise
Use your good senses.
Identify your strong suit.
Then do something different! If imagery fills your poems, fine-tune your poetic ear toward musicality. (You’ll hear this best by reading each poem and revision aloud.) If you’re inclined to write rhythmic poems with end-line rhymes, break into free verse - and vice versa. If your poems take up a full page, practice writing haiku. Long poems often have more than one focal point, which means you might have two or more poems in one
Study poetry journals and anthologies to increase your publishing options.
Look on the Internet for samples of poetry journals to discover ones you relate to and enjoy. If you like their work, they’ll be more apt to like yours. Study individual websites to become familiar with the favorite themes, style, tone, length, poetic forms, and other preferences of the publications you favor.
Get professional feedback from a poet and/or poetry instructor.
For a poetry book or chapbook you intend to self-publish, visit the Contacts & Critiques page of my website for fees and mailing information.
Meet, Mary Harwell Sayler
An active poet, writer, and ecumenical Christian, Mary Harwell Sayler is also a lifelong lover of Christ, the Bible, and the church in all of its parts.
Mary has placed over 2,500 poems, articles, devotionals, children's stories as well as 35 traditionally and indie published books in all genres.
In 2012
Hiraeth Press published her first full-length book of poetry, Living in the Nature Poem, which reconnects us with God, nature, and ourselves.
In 2014
Kelsay Books released Outside Eden, a book of Bible-based poems, and then a book of nature poems for children, Beach Songs & Wood Chimes.
In 2017
Cladach Publishing released PRAISE! - Mary's book of contemporary psalms, laments, and prayer-poems. That same year her nonfiction book, What the Bible Says About Love and her poetry book, Lost in Faith, came out on Amazon. In addition, Mary has self-published Kindle e-books for poets and writers: the Poetry Dictionary For Children and For Fun; the Christian Poet's Guide to Writing Poetry, and the Christian Writers' Guide.