A lot of poets, including myself, use secret weapons in their poems. These are better than tips and secrets; they're like super powerful, but largely unseen, strategies to really make a poem sing.

You can do it, too, but you won't have a lot of luck getting other poets to tell you their super secret weapons. You'll see the results when you read their work, count their readers, and find their poems being published, winning contest, awards and so forth.

In today's post I'm going to give you two really powerful secret weapons that many successful poets use, but pretty much don't broadcast. 

Here we go.

Poetry Secret Weapon #1:  Find a first-reader that honestly responds. It can be anyone. It doesn't have to be another writer. It doesn't have to be the same person every time; in fact it's better if it's not. Just find any person that you can bounce your first draft off of and really listen to their reaction. Don't assume you're right. If they offer an edit, or a line, or even a new title seriously consider their input. 

Poetry Secret Weapon #2:  Find an editor. Get someone to fine-tune your poems. It's virtually impossible to do it yourself. You can spend months trying to spot tiny flaws and imperfections, or you can find someone who's willing to look over your poems and see all the things you're bound to miss.  Again, it doesn't have to be the same person each time, but do yourself a favor and find one or more people willing to serve as extra eyes before you release your work to the world.

Don't use the same person as your first-reader and editor. if possible, get more than one of each.

These two tools are basically what takes place in a poetry workshop or writer's group. For many of us, this isn't an option for whatever reason, but we should still find ways to get feedback, editing, and polishing for our work.

As it happens, I offer services form interested poets. Consider getting feedback, or a quick polish (or both) through one of the buttons below.

Or simply send an inquiry to pitchblackpoet@yahoo.com

I've also posted a lot of poetry tips, ideas, and exclusive access to my own poems over at my Patreon page. There's also unique pictures and  access to my flash-fiction and occult writings. Please help me out by supporting me at Patreon!!! 

​ Thanks so much!! 
​@BlackstonDan

I'd like to thank everyone who submitted to the First Flashes poetry anthology. It's been a great experience reading your poems and responding to them. From the outset, the plan was to choose only a very small number of poems and poets to showcase in the anthology. This, of course, means that more poems had to be rejected than accepted.

If your poem was rejected, this doesn't say a whole lot about your creative capability or your poetic skills. It just means your particular poem didn't meet my current needs for this particular project.

I urge you to keep an eye on this blog, on my Facebook page, and my Twitter page to stay in the loop for soon-to-be-launched projects and future submission calls.

Just by submitting you've gained my interest and earned a well-deserved nod of admiration for your spirit and enthusiasm. I wish all the best in your future creative endeavors and look forward to sharing the published anthology with you all very soon!!!​  

If you're looking for an edge in submitting to publications or contests, consider getting feedback, or a quick polish (or both) through one of the buttons below.

Or simply send an inquiry to pitchblackpoet@yahoo.com

I've also posted a lot of poetry tips, ideas, and exclusive access to my own poems over at my Patreon page. There's also unique pictures and  access to my flash-fiction and occult writings. Please help me out by supporting me at Patreon!!! 

​ Thanks so much!! 
​@BlackstonDan

There are a lot of reasons to write and share poetry other than publishing in a  journal or posting on social media. The power of a personal poem is tremendous.

If you've ever received one, you'll know exactly what I mean. And if you've struggled to write and send one to someone special, I may have a solution for you, so keep reading.

Meanwhile, here's three reasons to send a personal poems to someone:

1) Apology. There's simply no more effective way to issue an apology than via a carefully crafted poem. If you're skilled enough you can even inject the apology with humor. If you stop and think about it, the best apologies, even when they're not literally poems, are couched in poetic language and sentiment. A poem-apology is something that shows you went the extra mile to make amends.

2) Seduction. A love-poem written from one human being to another with creativity, passion, and sincerity is one of the most powerful of all forms of expression. Yes, words can make a person fall in love with another person. They can also help both people acknowledge and explore their love.

3) Celebration. If you really want to memorialize someone, something, or somewhere  a poem is the best way. Poems are even better than monuments because they can't be torn down. 

For the most part, we focus on poems as public events and that's a great thing to do, but poetry has a more intimate side and it's nice to keep out hearts and minds invested in this mode.

If you'd like some feedback on your poems, or want some help editing or polishing a personal poem, I can help you. I've completed recent orders for:

* Marriage proposal.
* Spousal apology.
* Contest entries.
* Spoken word poetry.  

If you're looking for an edge in submitting to publications or contests, consider getting feedback, or a quick polish (or both) through one of the buttons below.

Or simply send an inquiry to pitchblackpoet@yahoo.com

I've also posted a lot of poetry tips, ideas, and exclusive access to my own poems over at my Patreon page. There's also unique pictures and  access to my flash-fiction and occult writings. Please help me out by supporting me at Patreon!!! 

​ Thanks so much!! 
​@BlackstonDan

In my last post I mentioned some reasons why I think it's still a good idea for poets to submit poems for publication. In this post, I'm going to list three big perils of publishing. Of course, there are more than three!  But these will get us started.

1) Long response times. It's worse for poetry than in any other sector. I know because I submit (or have submitted) everything from flash fiction to novels. Go back and read that first sentence again. Underline it. Bold it. I can't overstate this. I've waited years to hear from journals. It's not unusual to wait six to eight months just to get a form letter. In fact, this is what happens most of the time for most people who submit.

2) Rejections.  No  matter how talented you are, or how thorough, expect to get far more rejections than acceptances. Also, don't try to read anything into your rejections. We all get the same notices. If an editor specifically requests you to send again, that means something, but if it's a generic "feel free to try again" that's not the same thing. You can increase your chances by sending your best, most fully polished poems, and targeting them to the right places.

3)  Ambivalence. It can be tough to  fight your way through long response times, grueling competition, and long lead times before publication only to find out no-one really cares that your poem's in a journal. How many people do you know who've even read a single poetry journal in their lives? You may find that even your closest friends and family just can't work up much excitement for your triumph. It's not like you won a sports trophy or got a bunch of money.

With these perils in mind, it's still definitely worth your time and energy to submit your poems. I'll get back to talking about why in a future post. 

And remember: the best way to avoid rejection is to send your best, fully polished work to journals you want to publish in with a simple, short cover letter (or email).

If you'd like some feedback on your poems, or want to get an edge in submitting to publications or contests, consider getting feedback, or a quick polish (or both) through one of the buttons below.

Or simply send an inquiry to pitchblackpoet@yahoo.com

I've also posted a lot of poetry tips, ideas, and exclusive access to my own poems over at my Patreon page. There's also unique pictures and  access to my flash-fiction and occult writings. Please help me out by supporting me at Patreon!!! 

​ Thanks so much!! 
​@BlackstonDan

Somebody asked me the other day if I thought there was really any point to trying to get your poems published. This is a good question, particularly nowadays when you can just upload anything you want to social media. 

I think there's a point to trying to publish your poems. In fact, several points. Here's some of them:

• Published poems will be seen by people outside of your social media bubble.
• Published poems are edited. Many poems that are posted up online have grammatical errors, punctuation errors, and other issues that make them look a bit sloppy.  It's essential to get more than one set of eyes on a  poem before you release it to the public.
• Published poems go out to a subscriber base that wants poetry.
• Published poems appear alongside other notable works and poets.
• Published poems pass through an intense process of competition. This process can be very good for a working poet who wants to hone their craft and get better.
• Published poems are eligible for awards like the Pushcart Prize and the Best of the Net awards.
• Published poems are sometimes paid for. That's right, you can make money for writing poetry. 
• Published poems are sometimes still put out in print journals. It's is a great feeling to hold a paper journal in your hands that contains your poetry and bio.

There are other reasons, but this should do for now. My advice is: submit your poems for publication! But be prepared for long response times and and unavoidable rejections. 

The best way to avoid rejection is to send your best, fully polished work to journals you want to publish in with a simple, short cover letter (or email).

If you'd like some feedback on your poems, or want to get an edge in submitting to publications or contests, consider getting feedback, or a quick polish (or both) through one of the buttons below.

Or simply send an inquiry to pitchblackpoet@yahoo.com

I've also posted a lot of poetry tips, ideas, and exclusive access to my own poems over at my Patreon page. There's also unique pictures and  access to my flash-fiction and occult writings. Please help me out by supporting me at Patreon!!! 

​ Thanks so much!!

Your poems need to do more than survive out there in the harsh harsh world. You're not writing them just to get them done. You're making art and aiming to touch people deeply, possibly forever, with your work.

Unfortunately many poets shoot themselves in the foot. They walk way out into the wilderness of publication and social media without taking along so much as a bottled water. And you need much more than that to simply survive, let alone become an influencer, a true artist of words.

Here's three simple things you can do to prepare a survival kit for every poem:

​Get the rest of the tip by clicking the button below!!!!

If you're not getting the kind of response you'd hoped for with your poems, or you want an edge in submitting to publications or contests, consider getting a quick polish through the button below or simply send an inquiry to pitchblackpoet@yahoo.com

I've also posted a lot of poetry tips, ideas, and exclusive access to my own poems over at my Patreon page. There's also unique pictures and  access to my flash-fiction and occult writings.

Think of the farthest place you've ever been...

Now try to express that place in a  single sentence or image. Think of who might be there right now, think of who might be there later. What's the essence of this farthest place?

​Get the rest of the tip by clicking the button below!!!!

If you're not getting the kind of response you'd hoped for with your poems, or you want an edge in submitting to publications or contests, consider getting a quick polish through the button below or simply send an inquiry to pitchblackpoet@yahoo.com

I've also posted a lot of poetry tips, ideas, and exclusive access to my own poems over at my Patreon page. There's also unique pictures and  access to my flash-fiction and occult writings.

Poets nowadays have a new objective: stop the scroll. 

It's not as easy as you might think. If you're using sexy pictures, crazy gifs, or exploding anythings to get attention for your poems, I've got news for you: it's not your poems people are looking at!

Here's what you'll hear if people are truly reading your poems:

•  I can't believe you wrote this!
•  This is incredible!
•  How did you think of this??
• Why aren't you famous?

You'll also get a lot of shares, not just likes. You'll know in your bones when you've really touched people. You'll also know when you haven't.

But here's the real problem: you might be capable of getting people's attention with your poems, but you've yet to master the art of stopping the scroll. This art is slightly different than the art of writing poetry. 

It's based on simple elements, but these elements are really hard to see and smooth out in your own poems because you're too close to them. Just like you often need another person's opinion about your outfit, hair, or overall look, it can really help to get outside insight into your poetry.

If you're not getting the kind of response you'd hoped for with your poems, or you want an edge in submitting to publications or contests, consider getting a quick polish through the button below or simply send an inquiry to pitchblackpoet@yahoo.com

I've also posted a lot of poetry tips, ideas, and exclusive access to my own poems over at my Patreon page. There's also unique pictures and  access to my flash-fiction and occult writings.

Whether you're planning to submit your poems for publication, share them on social media, self-publish them, or enter them in a contest, you need to make sure you've taken care of three basic elements:

1) Grammar. A poem with even a single grammar mistake looks weak. People expect a lot from poems. One of the things they expect is that the poetry has a solid grip on basic grammar and spelling. If your poems even have minor mistakes in punctuation or spelling, the content and meaning  of your poem may be wasted.

2) Attention Grabbing Title. You only have about 6 to 8 seconds to grab the reader's attention and keep it. Everything starts with your poem's title. Most unpublished poems I've read could use a title tweak. 

3) Strong verbs. If you use dull action words in your poem, you'll bore the reader. On the other hand, if you're inventive, they'll keep reading to the last line.

These are three of the most critical elements of your poems, but they're far from the only elements. There are dozens of other ways to polish your poems and make them stand out from the crowd. 

If you'd like some help with making sure your poems are on point before your post, publish, or submit them, use my Poem Polisher service. I can help you with fast, expert service!

I've been averaging a less than 24 hour turnaround time for polishes. Your order includes a full polish for your poem plus a full work order detailing exactly what was done with your poem and evaluating specific areas. You'll also receive a personalized tip with every polish!! 

Send an inquiry to pitchblackpoet@yahoo.com 

OR use one of the buttons below!

​You can also support me over at Patreon and get a lot of poetry tips and personal services....

Quick update on the poetry tips part of this blog. Starting right away, the tips are going to move over to my Patreon page. I'm also going to offer a book of tips for everyone very soon!  But you won't see as many poetry tips here on the blog.

So if you want to keep getting pointers and tips, please consider supporting me over at Patreon. Depending on your level of support, you'll get:

* Patron-only Poetry Tips (minimum 2 per month)
* Exclusive Posts on Poetry and Magick
* Poetry Critique, Edit, or Polish (3 poems per month)
* A  Signed Hand-Written Poem
* Full Poetry Mentorship
* Magick Mentorships
​* Exclusive photos.

Plus all Patrons get Private community access and Patron recognition and credits.

I've been saving my best poetry tips, so don't miss out. If you're a Patron you'll see tricks and techniques no-one else will know about. Imagine what that might do for your poetry.

Click my picture above or the button  below. Thank you so much for your support!!!