You had some juicy and tender questions this week. Like do you even make any money doing this? (Don’t worry, it’s allowed! I asked.)
Last week on my Instagram stories, I polled for all your controversial, too-personal questions about writing, posting work online, and poetry in general. Here are my boldest answers to your boldest questions.
How did you get started sharing your work online and what have you learned?
If I could go back five years before I hit post on my first poem on Instagram, this is what I would tell myself.
You’re going to become delusional (in the best way!). Your hair is going to sing every time someone comments on your writing. Try to have a cup of tea before you post that poem about sex. You’ll need it. (Maybe chamomile…that feels right?) The first time someone comments something mean, you’ll cry in between sets at the gym. Right there on the assisted pull-up machine. The soft seat will hug you.
When someone asks for a print of a poem, they mean it and aren’t just being nice. It will benefit you way more to learn how to write great poetry than how to market effectively. Don’t waste your money or energy attempting to seduce the algorithm. It has an avoidant attachment issue and will run from you if you get too close. The poetry table is not a table but a coastline—it will never get full. There is room for you here.
Do you make any money doing this?
I do. The first bit of money I ever made from poetry was a $30 cheque in the mail from Contemporary Verse 2 many years ago. It was the first time I had ever been paid for my art. I framed the cheque after cashing it. I bought a purple moleskin journal with the money.
Shortly after that, I opened my print shop, and in the summer of 2022, I self-published Peeling Oranges. I was earning enough to buy myself a latte instead of a drip coffee every day, which is to say, I was levitating on cloud nine.
To some folks, this feels good and is a goal worth pursuing. It was for me. Being paid for my writing has motivated me to continue writing poems worth digging into. It hasn’t made it feel like a chore or a job. I know many artists have different experiences, but this is truthfully mine.
I quit my cushy corporate accounting job at the beginning of this year to pursue a full-time poetry career and took a pay cut. I had the luxury of being able to take this big, risky jump because of a few things. I don’t have a mortgage or children. I live with my fiance Corey, and our cost of living is quite low compared to other GTA cities. I recognize how someone in different circumstances may not have the same flexibility to take creative risks.
My fiance Corey is also a creative entrepreneur, and I’ve learned a lot from him about how growth happens in creative entrepreneurship. He’s taught me many skills, like how to navigate uncertainty surrounding financials. I owe a lot of my creative bravery to his scaffolding. Even after going to business school, I didn’t have the necessary skills to navigate this journey on my own. Working for yourself as a creative person is not something we are taught, nor is there an easy blueprint for it. All this to say, even though it’s wonderful, it’s a whole new career. I’m still stumbling along, learning something new every day.
And was it worth it? In every lifetime. In every waking and sleeping moment of my days. Yes.
Should I monetize my Substack? When is the right time to start monetizing?
I don’t know the answer to that. My Substack is currently free to subscribe to. I’m fairly new to Substack and haven’t quite got in the groove yet. In the future, I will probably include some paid aspects; however, right now, I want to focus my energy on my community, Gather.
Generally speaking, though, I think the right time to start monetizing anything can be whenever you feel like it. But the right time to focus on it might be when you have the desire and capacity to offer value that is needed and wanted by your readership.
How does one acquire an agent in the poetry field? I heard it’s super rare.
I have no controversial advice other than to have a great manuscript and query letter and then to do the scary thing and query agents. I queried my agent Carly Watters via email and was offered representation. But I had listened to Carly’s podcast, The Shit AboutThat No One Tells You About Writing, for years, and we had connected and bumped into each other periodically via the Internet.
Creating connections is important. If you’re not ready to query your project yet, start following and supporting the agents on your wishlist. Take their courses and listen to their podcasts. You will learn SO much.
Has posting poetry online impacted your writing negatively?
No, the opposite is true. Posting consistently means I’m writing consistently. The more I write, the prouder I am of my poems. However, I don’t write with the expectation that I’m going to post every one of my poems. In fact, more than 75% of my poems are kept for lit mags or my future book(s). To post consistently, I often repost well-loved poems, and I would highly encourage writers to do the same. This helps to keep my writing practice sustainable.
I’ve also found an incredibly supportive community online that champions my writing. Nothing happens in isolation, and I’m truly grateful for every opportunity that has come my way because I decided to post my work online.
I’ve also found some of my favourite poets online, which is a miracle in itself.
Xo
Maria
If you have any other questions, pop them in the comments below! <3
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Great post! Thanks for sharing
An insightful piece. Thank you for answering so comprehensively and without keeping to yourself, Maria.