How to Write a Poetry Bio for Beginners

How to Write a Poetry Bio for Beginners

Interviews, Professionalism, Publishing, Services, Writing Process
Instagram Facebook Youtube Pinterest "At one point I had no idea what to put in my writer’s bio when I was first published and I had to scramble to find out the best way to go about it."  - dimitrireyespoet.com One of the most satisfying things that come out of working with my Patreon poets are the ways in which they improve each time we speak to each other. They’re proof that as long as the writer is always looking forward and working on themselves— whether that’s by reading, writing, or creating in a myriad of different ways— there is incremental improvement in their work. Emerging poet, Cathlin Noonan is a great example.  Quite recently, Cathlin has received her first publication acceptance (yay!) and reached out to me seeking counsel…
Read More
How to Write a Poetry Cover Letter

How to Write a Poetry Cover Letter

Professionalism, Publishing
Instagram Facebook-f Youtube Pinterest "Maintaining your composure and remaining level headed through your career allows you to observe yourself objectively and this is very important for your work and how you choose to navigate your spaces."  - dimitrireyespoet.com As you can gather from my countless blogs about writing poems, revising poems, publishing, professionalism, and more, just about everything you put on paper has to be considered when you plan on publishing your work. One of those everything’s involves writing a cover letter which is often needed with just about every submission. Though there isn’t a precise way to write one, there are some things you should consider when you draft it. It needs to be clear and straightforward with a glean of confidence and professionalism without seeming too pretentious. I’ll…
Read More
How You Should Be Titling Poetry Submissions

How You Should Be Titling Poetry Submissions

Professionalism, Publishing
Instagram Facebook Youtube Pinterest "Many factors contribute to a submission being accepted but the quality of your work should always be top priority."  - dimitrireyespoet.com Very recently, I put together a How to Sign Up for a Submittable Account video where I discuss how to register, why Submittable is important, and some tips on how to navigate the website. Upon the release of that video, a poet who I know personally brought up some interesting questions as a follow up to submitting poems, one of them being if titling your submissions, “x Poems” as in “3 Poems” or “5 Poems” will hurt your chances of getting your poetry looked at.  This was an excellent question because in actuality, there’s no cut and dry answer. Every publisher operates uniquely and this…
Read More

6 Reasons to Publish Your Poems

Professionalism, Publishing
Instagram Facebook Youtube Pinterest "Yes, own the fact that you are a poet."  - dimitrireyespoet.com When I first started my MFA program, I quickly started a slight obsession with submitting because everyone else in the program was. I didn’t stop to realize that my colleagues were at different points in their writing career than I was and I had yet to discover that each writer has their own path. It wasn’t until another MFA candidate who is now a dear friend of mine said, “you have to ask yourself why you are submitting. Submitting shouldn’t be more important than writing” that I discovered that I was thinking about it all wrong. Technically, I didn’t even know why I was submitting beyond the fact that my community was so with this…
Read More
Online Virtual Poetry Workshops

Online Virtual Poetry Workshops

Professionalism, Services, Writing Process
Instagram Facebook Youtube Pinterest "As long as there is a need for online poetry workshops, I’ll be here to provide the service!"  - dimitrireyespoet.comSince the start of the COVID-19 outbreak where most of the world has been encouraged to practice social distancing, many programs have been quick to move to online. Long before the pandemic I was already in preparation for an end-of-the-month workshop in March. After the first pilot workshop, I asked the attendees if they were interested in doing it again for National Poetry Month in April and they were as excited as I was!Since then, we’ve conducted another workshop in May and I look forward to hosting another in June. As long as there is a need for online poetry workshops, I’ll be here to provide the service!  As…
Read More
Personalized Poetry Services on Patreon

Personalized Poetry Services on Patreon

Professionalism, Services, Tips, Writing Process
Instagram Facebook Youtube Pinterest "After getting to know the client and their goals, each month we work towards achieving them."  - dimitrireyespoet.com In case you are wondering, here is a breakdown of my Patreon services. What is Patreon? Patreon is a membership platform in the United States where an artist’s audience can subscribe for a certain amount of money each month and expect exclusive rewards and perks. Essentially, Patreon is a platform that helps artists get paid by those who patronize their work. How Does My Patreon Differ? Normally, artists will allow their patrons early access to content, have them take part in secret polls that influence their next project, or they’ll send their patrons something each month. Instead of that, I use Patreon as a 3rd party subscription service…
Read More

7 Ways to Publish Poetry

Professionalism, Publishing
Instagram Facebook Youtube Pinterest " We’ll never be the same writer we were when we first started writing, heck, every time we write a poem, we are more experienced than we were during our last writing session." - dimitrireyespoet.com First ever poetry feature! 1st pub.  (Peeking Cat Poetry Dec 2016) There are many milestones in a writer’s life and each achievement is special. I remember when I wrote that poem that really solidified my speaker’s voice and my first featured reading. Everyone also remembers their first publication and whether they’re ecstatic about it or a bit hesitant to tell people because it doesn’t mean a thing to them unless it was a paid gig. It’s an event that is christened into memory. Authors that have continued to publish even get…
Read More

Poetry Resources During COVID-19

Professionalism
Instagram Facebook Youtube Pinterest "...COVID-19 immediately cut my workload by about half. This has allowed me to do other things I enjoy."  - dimitrireyespoet.comAs I am writing this, COVID-19 has been in New Jersey since the beginning of this month. It is now March 27th and I’ve rarely left my house since I came back from AWP in San Antonio, Texas on March 7th. For the first two weeks (approximately 14 days) I made sure to limit my outings to as little places as possible while being mindful as to not touch as many things as possible, just in case I were to have gotten sick or became a carrier of the virus while I was in Texas. After the 15th, I made sure that we were fully stocked for a…
Read More

The AWP Convention Experience

Professionalism
Instagram Facebook Youtube Pinterest "Words have the power to change moods instantly, and because of this, we should respect their importance."  - dimitrireyespoet.com With Former Patron-Turned-Colleague, Venus Davis At At My Alma Mater's Table With New Friend, Ahmad Almallah & His Book, Bitter English Previous Next I had a very good March 2020 so far. Considering the fact that COVID-19 has made its way to New Jersey and my fiance, cat, and myself are all practicing safe distancing, I have plenty to be thankful for. We’re safe and healthy with a stocked fridge and bookshelf, plus I got my first chapbook award for my upcoming collection, Every First and Fifteenth in addition to attending my first AWP writers conference this year. AWP stands for the Association of Writers and Writing Programs…
Read More

Poetry Inspiration for the New Year

Professionalism, Writing Process
Instagram Facebook Youtube Pinterest "Statistics show that by February, most people are already falling off of their New Years resolutions."  - dimitrireyespoet.com Did you know that statistics show most people already breaking their goals for the new year? I’m here to tell you that any writing/ artistic goals that you have can still be completed! No matter what time it is throughout the year! And do you not have any goals that feed your artistic passions? Create them now! With your art, no one can create that for you, so no matter how long you’ll take, it’ll be there waiting for no one else but you. This is a quick note to encourage you to read your work to people, to open that notebook and write something down, to flip a…
Read More