There are two types of poets in the world. The first are those that will take the time to develop their poems, submit them to different areas, and work on every word. Then, there are poets who will write a poem, stick it in their dresser, only to find it five years later and reminisce about the reasoning behind writing the poem.
In one way or another, everyone is like both poets. However, it is up to you to decide, which poet are you going to be?
If you are going to be the kind that believes in your poetry and knows that there is a place out there for your words to be heard, you have to begin to find the proper places for your poetry. One of the easiest places to go in order to let others read your enlightened words is through poetry contests. There are a variety of free poetry contests you can join in order to let others see what you have to say.
Many poets will cringe at the idea of entering a free poetry contest in order to let others read their poetry. However, most poets who become successful know that this is one of the places to start at. It leads to more commitment to your work, better submissions, and a continuous pattern of producing and publishing your poetry.
If you don't know where to start with free poetry contests, it is as simple as sitting down for thirty minutes one day and searching for free poetry contests. shel silverstein poems You can find them in magazines, Internet portals, and even through other poets.
One thing that you might want to keep in mind with the free poetry contests is where you decide to submit them. Often times, poets will concentrate on the popular and well known poetry contests. A favourite of every poet is entering a poetry contest for free that offers cash in return. Beyond this; however, you want to find something that is going to reflect your poem properly. Even though it is a contest, it still is your name on the top.
One way to approach poetry contests is to find ones that are a particular genre, style or even are limited to age groups. Most who run contests know that poets are everywhere, and are always competing to get published. Because this is a factor, they have limited contests to age groups, styles and even poem genres. For instance, if you have a piece that is inspiration based, don't waste your time sending it to a nature magazine. Find a free Christian poetry contest instead.
If you are a poet that likes the push of the envelope, you can go even further. Why not join contests that you know you can win? It is important to find contests that are off the beaten path and that aren't as popular. You will have a better chance of building your acceptance portfolio for contests.
It is up to you to get the poems out of your dresser and to get your word heard. Beginning with free poetry contests is an easy way to succeed. If you ever feel hesitation, just stop and ask yourself; what kind of poet am I?
By Bob Burnham Owner of BurnMac Services and Author of 'How To Make A Million Dollars in Your Home Service Business'.