➤ How do I start a Poetry Blog & earn money?

How to start a poetry blog in 10 steps

Below is a table of contents to help you navigate this guide. If you need someone to help you set up your first blog quickly and easily, check out step 5.

Starting a poetry blog allows you to represent yourself as a blogger, allowing you to attract the ideal audience that will appreciate your work.

Whether you want to discuss your favorite poet, share your own work, or sell a few paperback books, a blog allows you to do it all.

1. Decide the purpose of your poetry blog

The first step in creating a successful poetry blog is deciding on its purpose or direction. There are lots of different paths you can take, depending on your goals and desires.

To start thinking about the direction of your new blog, ask yourself questions like these:

What are the main topics you want to cover on your blog?

Do you want to include interviews, guest articles, etc.

What about modern and classical poetry?

What is the general aesthetic or the tone you want to give to your blog?

Thinking about these things will help you grasp the essence of what you want your new poetry blog to be.

Take time to think, write, and come up with ideas that will allow you to reach this goal. Then, think through each of the questions so that you can conceptualize your blog and give it a solid foundation.

Below are some ideas that will allow you to position your blog.

Scroll through the list to get inspired about where you want your new poetry blog to go.

Poetry recommendations : If you have a thorough knowledge of must-read poetry books, you can use your blog as a platform to share that knowledge with an audience of other poetry lovers.
Poetry reviews : While poetry criticism can be a controversial subject, it can also be an interesting poetry blog. If you like to write poetry reviews, you can choose to make it the main theme of your blog.
Writing poetry : As you'll find out below, it's possible to make money selling your poems. You can follow in the footsteps of poets like Rupi Kaur, who has 2.7 million Instagram followers and has sold over a million books and tickets for her famous speaking tours.
Criticism of poetry : If you excel at understanding the meaning of poems, analyzing them, and offering suggestions from the reader's perspective, your blog can focus on criticizing poetry.

By visualizing what you want your poetry blog to be, you'll be able to make the smartest choice to ensure the long-term success of your blog.

2. Choose your poetry niche

Your next step when writing a poetry blog is choosing your poetry niche. There are many different types of poems, formats, and forms that you can focus on with your poetry blog, and these include:

Ballad : It's a poem that tells short stories. Ballads are generally sung.
Free verse : This type of poem has a poetic technique/form where the poet does not follow rhyme conventions. Free verse should not be confused with white verse.
White worms : It's a poem that doesn't rhyme. It is generally written in iambic pentameter, but it can also follow another meter.
Haiku : This is a three-line poem with five syllables in the first and last lines and seven syllables in the middle.
Limerick : At its core, a limerick is a 5-line poem that follows a strict meter with a rhyme pattern AABBA.
Lyric poem : A lyric poem expresses the feelings or thoughts of the author and leaves the reader with a unique and imaginative impression. Ballads, odes, and sonnets fall into this category.
Narrative poem : This poem describes the sequence of events in a story.
Acrostiche : This relatively new form of poetry uses letters from top to bottom to spell a word.

You can choose from these types of poems and more to get started in the genre. There is no single niche for poetry, so feel free to experiment and find what works for you.

If you're still not sure which niche is right for you, take the time to study some of these famous poets for inspiration.

You can also visit a few poetry blogs to get an idea of the different niches and categories available.

Here is a list of 100 Best Online Poetry Blogs currently.

When you visit PoemShape, for example, you find that this is a poetry blog created by a New England poet whose niche this is:

“Write poetry, fables, haiku, and reviews.”

Once you've decided on your niche, you can take the next step and start writing your poetry blog.

Don't worry if you're not 100% sure about your niche, as you can always change or expand it later. Just do your best and take the next step.

3. Choose your blogging platform

Now that you know what direction you want to take your poetry blog, it's time to choose your blogging platform.

Your poetry blog needs a home on the Internet. That's what your blog platform is. There are free and paid blogging platforms, with their own pros and cons.

And while you can “rent” a house for your blog using some free blogging platforms like Blogger, Wix, and Squarespace, it's always best to “build” your own home using a self-hosted blogging platform.

The reason is that free blogging options often come with a host of disadvantages, including:

Poor customization capabilities
An unprofessional look
Limited capabilities
Low monetization potential
Lack of control over your site

Plus, they can delete your account without warning, which means you would lose all of the content on your site.

As you can see, using free blogging platforms may seem appealing at first glance, but it comes with numerous disadvantages that will prevent you from achieving real success with your blog.

However, if you choose a self-hosted blogging platform like WordPress, you'll be able to create a website that you can effectively develop and monetize. Here are some of the main benefits of using WordPress:

Advantages of self-hosting WordPress over free blogging alternatives

WordPress is free and easy for anyone to download and use.
Simple to set up and ideal for beginners with no coding experience.
Tons of free and paid plugins to extend the functionality of the site
Affordable themes to easily customize your website
WordPress integrates with countless other applications and services.
Flexibility in monetizing your poetry blog
Significant support from a large community of developers and users.

If you're still not convinced, take a look at some of these recent WordPress stats:

WordPress powers over 60% of all sites built on CMS.
The number of WordPress websites is growing by 4% every year.
WordPress sites receive at least 400 million visitors per month.
660 WordPress websites are created every day
WordPress offers a choice of more than 50,000 plugins.

4. Decide on your domain name

1. Buy a.com domain name : There are tons of different extensions you can choose from for your poetry blog, but it's always a good idea to stick with the extension .com. There are many reasons for this, the main one being that “.com” is the basis of the Internet and is therefore easier for most people to remember.

2. Choose a broad name : Don't be too specific with the name of your poetry blog, as it will be difficult for you to develop and expand in the future. For example, a name like “The Poetry Hub” is better than “Limericks For Life.” But make sure you choose a name that is unique and memorable.

3. Keep the name short and pleasant : Short domain names are easier for people to remember. Try to avoid using words that are too numerous, long, complex, or difficult to spell.

Ideally, your domain name should be less than 3 or 4 words long. For example, a term such as”Partagetonbeaupoemeenligne.com“is too long and will be difficult for your audience to type in their browser.

4. Use alliteration : Alliteration refers to two or more words that start with the same letter or sound. For example, you could name your poetry blog “Photo Poetry,” “The Poetry Pro,” or something like that.

5. Be creative : If you find that the name you want for your poetry blog is already taken, you can try to get a similar name by getting creative with synonyms. Synonyms are words that have the same or similar meaning. So if you wanted a name like Poetry Hub, you could go with Poetry Web or Poetry Net.

6. Add additional words : If all else fails, you can try adding words like”the“”club“or”Hub“in your name. For example, “Online poetry” could become”Club of poetry online”. It's a great way to make sure you can still get the name you wanted for your new blog.

7. Think of a concept : One of the best things to help you come up with unique ideas for your new poetry blog is to think about the concept of your blog and what brand it could carry. Think about how it could be more extensive in the future and where it could go. This will help you develop some ideas for the name you could give your blog.

8. Use name generation tools : If you're still having trouble finding the right name for your new blog, try a great tool like Instant Domain Search and Lean Domain Search. They will help you develop lots of different ideas for naming your poetry blog.

9. Don't buy an expensive domain name : When you're just starting out, it can be tempting to buy an expensive domain name if the one you want is already taken. But instead of wasting money on an expensive domain name, buy a standard name instead and use the money to create content and start your new business. When your business starts generating revenue, you can buy whatever name you want.

10. Don't get stuck at this stage : You'd be surprised how many people never get past this stage. Choosing a name for your blog should be a fairly quick decision. Resolve to spend only a few hours completing the steps outlined above to help you choose the right name, then move on to the next step.

Examples of popular poetry blog names (and why they make sense)

The new verse: This poetry blog name is simple, short, and easy to remember, thanks to its clever pun.
Eat this poem: This poet combines her love of two things: poetry and food, to create a unique name.
Poetry pages: This poet used alliteration to develop a great name for her blog.
Ritter's Rhyme and Reason: Like the example above, this poetry blog name also uses alliteration to make it more memorable.

Here are ten poetry blog name ideas for even more inspiration:

Social Ballad
Green poetry
The shared pen
Poetry online
All the poems
Smart poetry
New Line Poetry
Poetry team
Super Poetry
Simple verses

5. Buy your accommodation

Now that you've chosen a name for your blog, you need to register your domain name and get hosting for your blog.

Hosting is simply the space on the Internet where your video game blog will live.

Blog hosting providers are companies that offer services to keep your blog files on their servers and ensure that your website is always available for your readers to find online.

6. Choosing and installing a theme for your poetry blog

A theme is very important when starting a poetry blog. It's just a kind of model that dictates how your new blog looks and reads. It's how you make your website look. You can think of it as his “skin.”

The theme determines the layout of your website and allows you to easily replace photos and text with your own. That means you have a professionally designed website without having to learn a single line of code.

Like most other website builder tools, there are free themes and premium options available. I suggest that you opt for a premium WordPress theme for a number of reasons:

Advantages of paid themes compared to free alternatives for poetry blogging

Unique designs: Premium WordPress themes have unique, stylish, and professional designs.
Usability: It's easy to make changes to your site to make it look the way you want without having to learn HTML.
Mobile-friendly: All WordPress themes are mobile-friendly and appear perfectly on all devices.
Adapted to SEO: High-end WordPress themes improve your SEO (SEO) for a high-level website.
Technical support: Paid WordPress themes also come with reliable technical support, ideal for bloggers who have technical difficulties.
Enhanced security: WordPress premium themes have built-in security to combat malicious code.

Now that you know all the reasons why you should choose a good premium WordPress theme for your blog, let's look at some examples of themes that are great for poetry blogging.

I always recommend Thrive Theme Builder to people. Why? Because it's completely customizable and you can adjust your blog to look exactly the way you want by pointing and clicking, instead of hiring a developer.

This blog was built using Thrive Theme Builder, and I am thrilled with it. In the long term? I think it's the most profitable theme you'll find.

Click on the image below to watch a video and learn more about Thrive Theme Builder.

And, if you want to watch an extremely detailed tutorial, you can watch this playlist on YouTube.

If you think Thrive Theme Builder isn't for you, here are other theme options that are perfect for a poetry blog.

1. Typology

This incredibly popular theme is designed for writers and poets. It's simple, elegant, and focused on typography. It has plenty of features to choose from, allowing you to create a distinctive poetry blog.

2. Sense

The sense theme has a content-oriented, clean, and uncluttered design. This WordPress blog theme has excellent typography, advanced theme options, and great readability. You will be able to customize this theme to fit your needs easily.

3. Wild Book

This theme is perfect for poets and comes with lots of design layouts to choose from. There are also unlimited color options, as well as tons of other features that will help you create a unique poetry blog.

4. Writer

The writer is an ideal theme for poets.

While it's not a design exclusively for poetry blogs, it's an elegant, high-class theme that's very easy to customize to suit your own poetry needs.

5. The Novelist

This is a rather niche offering, which means you're not likely to find a lot of designs related exclusively to publishing poetry.

However, many themes, like the one from Theme Forest, make it easy to customize and create designs tailored to your own poetry blog.

If you're not interested in any of the above topics, you can search some online theme markets like ThemeForest, StudioPress and MyThemeShop to find a model.

Follow the criteria below to help you choose the best theme for your new blog.

What to look for in a good WordPress theme to write a blog about poetry:

Vitesse : the theme should be fast
Receptive : it must be responsive to mobiles
Customization : The theme should be easy to customize
Assistance : It should offer excellent support
Evaluations : It should have excellent online ratings and reviews
Marque : The theme should come from an established and reliable brand.

7. Create the essential pages and the logo

This is undoubtedly the most important page on your own poetry blog. Indeed, many people who will read your work will want to get to know you a little better.

You should include information about yourself, who you are, and what you are on this page. Explain wherefore you've created a poetry blog and what people can expect from your blog.

Make it friendly and fun, and don't be afraid to let your personality shine through. You can also include a photo of yourself on this page.

Since a large part of your audience will be viewing this page, you can also take the opportunity to encourage them to connect with you on other platforms, such as social networks or signing up for your newsletter.

Contact page

This page should contain all the information that your readers might need to get in touch with you. Ideally, you should offer your audience several ways to contact you, including:

An email address
A form that they can fill out directly on the contact page
Social media buttons
A telephone number
An address

Be sure to monitor all of the channels you mention on this page to give your audience quick answers to their questions, comments, and feedback.

Confidentiality policy

Your new poetry blog needs a privacy policy page and other legal pages, such as a disclaimer, terms of service, cookie policy, and more.

These legal pages are extremely important, and if you don't know how to write them, it's best to seek professional help.

Create a logo

It is also a good time to focus on creation of a logo for your poetry blog.

I think it's a good idea to create a logo at this point, now that your blog is ready.

This platform will provide you with a free logo for your blog, and if you need high resolution logo files, you can pay a very small amount to have access to these files and a few other things.

Once you've added these basic elements to your poetry blog, you can start creating your content.

8. Start blogging

As a writer, this step is likely to be the most fun for you. But, before creating your first article, you first need to choose a category for it.

Depending on the niche of your poetry blog, you can divide your main topic into several subcategories.

For your first post, you might consider writing a simple ad to set the scene for your blog readers. In this post, you can explain why you're starting your blog, what you hope to achieve, what your influences are, and the various things your poetry will cover.

Writing blogs is hard work, but if you only post once in a while, you'll have a hard time attracting an audience.

That's why it's crucial to publish regularly to keep your blog interesting. Use the topic ideas below to make sure you always have something to write about on your blog:

Poetry blog topic ideas

Use creative writing messages for inspiration, like those from Poets and Writers.
Choose a monthly theme around which you can write poems.
Use the National Poetry Month as an anchor for your writings.
Write reviews of some of your favorite poetry books
Create responses to some of the great works of other poets that you are reading.

You can also look for inspiration on other poetry blogs.

Read their articles to find trending topics and ideas for your own blog.

Some of the most popular blogs that post interesting content on a regular basis include the following:

All the poems
Pixies poetry
Kavita Kosh
Good morning poetry
Rekhta.org
Writing out loud
Form of the poem
The poetry project
Eat this poem

Some poetry-specific tips

When you start sharing your poems, focus on keywords as part of your marketing strategy.

For example, you'll find that most people are looking for terms like “narrative poetry“or”haiku poems”, who do not appear naturally in the body of your poems. Unfortunately, that means Google won't see these terms, making it difficult to rank your poems.

What should you do?

The solution is to Introduce your poems. Then, for each of them that you publish on your site, write a short introductory paragraph that does not explain your poem too much and does not detract from it. This is where you can add your keywords.

This book by Czeslaw Milosz is a perfect example of using intros to include important keywords in your pages.

Important note: Before you start promoting your new blog, make sure you've published at least ten posts.

When you invite people to check out your blog, you want them to end up on a populated, professional-looking blog instead of a blog that screams.”amateur”.

When you launch your blog, make sure that the content is enough to attract different segments of your audience and encourage them to stay longer on your blog.

9. Promote your poetry blog

Some people think it's impossible to be a creative and a marketer at the same time, but that's far from being the case. As a poet, you are your own marketer. Some would even say that you are the best salesperson in the world because you market what you have created.

By following the steps listed below, you'll be able to promote your blog and build a solid audience.

Friends and family : The first thing you should do as soon as your blog is online is to share it with family and friends. They are the people who are most likely to want to support you.

They will be happy to consult your blog and give you feedback and advice if improvements are needed. You can also ask them to share your blog with their own network of friends, which will greatly increase your exposure.

Social networks : If you are already active on social media, you should share your new blog on your social profiles. Post the link and ask your followers and fans to check out your poetry blog on numerous social platforms.

Social networks are a great way to attract targeted readers, especially if you can go where they are already gathered, such as in groups or forums focused on poetry. When you publish new articles on your blog, always share them on these social areas in order to generate traffic to your blog.

Poetry clubs : Poetry clubs are places where groups of poetry lovers meet. You can join these communities to meet local poets or connect with other poets from around the world.

Just be careful not to spam the group with your link, but rather connect, interact with others, and provide real added value. Members of the group or forum will be happy to check out your poetry blog in exchange.

These are just a few of the most influential methods of promoting blogs.

However, if you want your poetry to be recognized, remember to continue to promote your blog in any way you can.

Include social media sharing buttons on your blog so that your readers can share your work with their friends. Also, invite everyone in your email contacts to visit your blog and add your blog link to your email signature.

10. Start earning money

Some people think that a poet's main source of income is the money he earns in his daily work.

But, by following the steps below, you can join the ranks of the many financially successful poets like Rupi Kaur.

Implement some of these monetization methods on your website and continue to work on them consistently.

Before long, you will have a reliable source of income thanks to your poetry blog.

Affiliate marketing

Affiliate marketing is great for a new poetry blog.

You don't have to have a big audience to start making money.

Even with a small number of poetry lovers, you can monetize your blog using this technique.

All you need to do is sign up for a affiliate program like Amazon or Click2Sell, and you can start recommending their products (e.g., poetry books, writing courses, etc.) to your audience and earn a commission every time a sale is made.

Magazines and anthologies

Many poets earn money by regularly submitting poems to poetry magazines and literary journals, as well as to anthologies and paid websites that welcome poetry.

You can do the same. This not only allows you to create an additional source of income, but also allows you to make your work even more widely known.

Information products

As a poet, you can publish your own books or collections of poems.

Traditional publishing contracts are rare, but self-published books are becoming increasingly popular and can bring in a surprisingly large amount of money.

While this requires an initial investment of time, effort, and money, it's a reliable way to create a passive income stream for yourself.

You can also discover my quick method for writing e-books without being a writer: Discover

Google Adsense

It's one of the easiest ways for beginning poet bloggers to make money with their blog.

Enrollment in the advertising agency Google AdSense is quick and easy, and this monetization method requires very little maintenance once it's up and running.

Once you sign up, Google starts showing ads on your blog and you get a small fee for each visitor who views the ads.

Over time, this can be an attractive source of income.

Additionally, as your traffic increases, you can add different ad networks to maximize your blog revenue.

Teaching poetry

Teaching is a great way for talented poets to earn money.

Many community programs, schools, and colleges offer poetry classes.

If you are a qualified poet, you can take advantage of these opportunities to create an alternative source of income while doing engaging and rewarding work.

Summary

Now you know how poets make money. In addition to the income sources listed above, there are many other activities adjacent to poetry that you can employ to create even more revenue streams, including booking conferences and signing up for poetry readings where you can sell your books afterwards.

So, if you hear someone say that poets can't make money, you know that they don't know all the different ways to monetize a poetry blog, or that they just don't know how to take advantage of the resources at their disposal.

Be that as it may, you now have the necessary knowledge to create a poetry blog and turn it into one profitable source of income.

All you need to do is follow the steps in this article, and you can start earning money doing something you love.