8 Websites That Will Pay You to Write Poetry
Monetize your poetry writing skills by pitching to these websites.
Poetry is an art form that has been with us for thousands of years. The earliest poetry ever recorded is believed to have been sung or recited as a way to remember history, genealogy, and laws.
Many of the poems that survived the ancient world have a religious context to them, whether it be a prayer, a song of praise, or just stories.
According to History, The Epic of Gilgamesh is largely considered the oldest known poem ever written. This is an epic poem from ancient Mesopotamia, written circa 2000 BCE, that is actually thought to be one of the oldest works of literature.
The epic follows the life and journeys of Gilgamesh, King of Uruk, on his quest for adventure and, more importantly, the secret to eternal life.
You wouldn’t want to read this poem to your kids though, it‘s not exactly appropriate for all ages.
While I’m not exactly a poet, I do enjoy expressing my thoughts and heart in the form of art.
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I have written an article similar to this that includes the different genres of writing that you can be paid for but I realized I haven’t included poetry. If you want to check out the article, here it is:
Without further ado,
Here are 8 websites that will pay you to write poems:
- TheSunMagazine.org
The Sun is a reader-supported ad-free magazine. They’ve been described in many ways: celebratory, fierce, unflinching, thoughtful, truthful, dark, darkly funny, tender.
If you’re interested, write them a letter!
2. ArcPoetry.ca
It’s a Canadian poetry magazine that finds brave new voices. They feature poetry that is woozy, cunning, shearing, and wild-like prose that offers new perspectives on the verse you thought you knew.
Click here for their submission guidelines.
3. ThreePennyReview.com
I’ve read that they can pay up to $200 per poem. They consider submissions in only two ways: through the mail and via their online submissions system, so it’s strictly no e-mails.
Here are their submission guidelines.
4. ChickenSoup.com
Chicken Soup for the Soul, the world’s favorite and most recognized storyteller, publishes the famous Chicken Soup for the Soul book series.
They also welcome your stories and poems, written in English, from all over the world. They are always looking for new talent, so don’t be shy!
Click here to review their submission guidelines.
5. NewMyths.com
If you’re into the more edgy stuff, New Myth is the website for you. Just take a peek at their website and you’ll see what I’m talking about. They are a quarterly e-magazine by a community of writers, poets, and artists.
Here’s the submission link if you’re interested.
6. SliceMagazine.org
SLICE, a New York-based literary nonprofit, was founded in 2007 by book editors Maria Gagliano and Celia Johnson. It is a magazine, published in full-colored print and online, that celebrates the spark of a conversation.
In each issue, they publish stories, essays, and poetry. They are looking for writers who show great promise, but who have little recognition yet so if you think that fits you, go give them a try!
Here’s the link for submission and guidelines.
7. OrionMagazine.org
The first issue of the Orion Nature Quarterly was published in June 1982. Orion magazine invites readers into a community of caring for the planet; they have one of the best advocacies that I’ve read when researching this.
Through writing and art that explore the connection between nature and culture, they try to inspire new thinking about how humanity might live on Earth justly, sustainably, and joyously.
Click here to view their submission guidelines.
8. Rattle.com
Feeling that poetry lost its way in the 20th century, to the point that mainstream readers have forgotten how moving language alone can be, their main mission is to promote the practice of poetry.
Every poem they’ve published has or will appear on Rattle.com as part of their daily blog, which features a poem every day, or, occasionally, relevant prose. Many of the poems include an audio clip of the poet reading their work.
Here’s how to submit your poems.
Different writers have different reasons why they write poetry — some for the love, some for art, and some because they’re hurting.
One of the reasons why I love reading poetry is because it feels like I’m experiencing the world through other people’s eyes.
Poetry has been with us for thousands of years and no doubt will remain with us for many more.
To quote N.H. Kleinbaum from Dead Poets Society,
“We don’t read and write poetry because it’s cute. We read and write poetry because we are members of the human race. And the human race is filled with passion. And medicine, law, business, and engineering, these are noble pursuits and necessary to sustain life. But poetry, beauty, romance, love, these are what we stay alive for..”
Hey! If you’re looking for a platform to start your writing journey on and get paid for it, Medium is one of the best places to start. Sign up here to get unlimited access to stories on Medium.
Signing up using my link gives me a small commission, and as a freelance writer, it’s always appreciated.
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