Top Reasons for Doing a Poetry Reading!
In the internet world, sharing work with your friends, family, even your community is much easier than it was say 10 years ago. Just like literary magazines, poetry readings (other than poetry slams) have become scarce. There are less reasons to do poetry readings, maybe, and we shouldn’t forget that the Goliath mega-coffee monster Starbucks doesn’t really sponsor a lot of readings (at least not in my town). So lack of places, and less reason to share, have slowed the proliferation of poetry through oration. It’s a shame. Here are my top reasons you should do a poetry reading, right now (maybe at least tonight when you get off work…)
Sell Books
Yeah, it’s true you can sell more books from Facebook or with Twitter and never leave your home, but the face to face signing and promoting is something that will get people to download your Kindle. It’s tried and true, and poets have been doing it for many many years.
Meet other poets
It stands to reason that some of the people at your poetry reading will write poetry. Poets also buy poetry, but that’s number 1 not number 2. Number 2 is about trying to put together a poet’s group and not being able to find other poets. If you read it, they will come.
Feedback
Like no other place or activity, you’ll be able to see first hand the impact your poetry has on people. You’ll see surprised faces, laughter, sadness, happiness and all that. You will never find a more honest evaluation of your poetry than a live audience. The spotlight is directly on you and your work.
Inspiration
Something about doing a poetry reading makes you want to write more poetry. I’m not sure what it is. It might be the energy of the crowd, or the nerves of being exposed in front of people. You will get a charge from it. You know when you read that great great poem someone else wrote and you loved it so much you wanted to write a poem, it’s that feeling times 10.
Affirmation
Sometimes you feel like the world really sucks. You feel like art is dying or corrupt or whatever, you know the feeling. People are only worried about the bottom line and poetry is the lowest bottom line of them all. Readings will make you feel better, even if only a few people show up. Reading in front of a few people or even crowd (it does happen) will renew your belief that maybe there are some people out there who care, or at least want to read your work.
It’s worth something
On the same note as number 5, if you are complaining that no one cares about poetry, you really should try to bring value to it. Readings make poetry real in the world. Make it a night out for that couple who read poetry together. Make it the night that someone in the audience goes out and buys a copy of a poetry collection(you hope it will be your poetry, any poetry would be good). If you can assign meaning to what you do, more people will find value in it.
Toughens you up
After standing in front of a crowd and reading your work, sending out copies in a workshop is a piece of cake. Every time you get a little worried about someone reading your work you will remember standing in front of a bunch of people and think, I’m bullet proof! The sting will be gone! It really works. Try it.
Free Promos
It will get your name you there. If the owner of the coffeehouse wants patrons they will promote every event. Readings are a big deal to a coffeehouse. You get free promotions. If they run ads or have a website, it will help you get your name out there.
It’s fun
If you have never done a reading, you have no idea how much fun it really is. Try it one time. You’ll see that being the center of attention, for doing something you love in front of people is a great feeling.
It’s much easier than you might think these days to do a poetry reading. If you call a local coffeehouse, not Starbucks, you’ll probably find that they have regular readings. If they don’t, ask them if you can read there. Most of the time the answer will be yes. Go do it. Have fun, write more, read it out loud!
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Thinking on doing poetry readings but feeling insecure because I have a speech impediment and don’t have a PHd or MFA.
I am a twenty year old Poet Looking for recognition in the poetry world. How exactly can I do that ? I Have a book full of poetry but only seem to recite it to my close friends and family…