MAKE POETRY PAY

The poet Robert Graves once claimed, ‘There’s no money in poetry, but then there’s no poetry in money.’

Generating an income from our writing can be challenging, but for poets, it can be even more so. However, that’s not to say poetry can’t play a profitable part in your writing business. It can, if you take the right approach.

This means getting involved with poetry-based activities, such as undertaking readings, doing school visits, running workshops and teaching, besides any poetry you may write.

One such poet is Chrissie Gittins, a National Poetry Day ambassador, who writes poetry for both adults and children. Her latest adult collection, Sharp Hills was published by Indigo Dreams last year. For her, poetry provides a variety of income streams, not just from the published poetry itself, but through the events that her published poetry gives her access to.

‘My income tends to come from poetry-related activities,’ she explains. ‘So from readings at poetry venues, school