How to Become a Poet
A poet writes and shares poems, and over time builds a body of published work and a readership. You become one by reading widely, writing and revising seriously, and submitting to magazines and contests that publish poetry.
The steps to get there
- 1
Read widely and closely, because poets learn the art mostly by reading other poets.
- 2
Write often and revise hard, treating the poem as something built, not just felt.
- 3
Learn the tools of the craft, from sound and rhythm to line and image.
- 4
Share work in a workshop or with trusted readers who will tell you the truth.
- 5
Submit to literary magazines and contests, and expect rejection as part of the process.
- 6
Build a body of published poems toward the goal of a chapbook or full collection.
The craft
Poetry rewards compression and precision: every line and line break is a choice, and sound carries as much meaning as sense. You do not need formal training, but understanding meter and rhythm gives you options whether you write in form or free verse. Read the magazine you hope to appear in before you submit, because poetry culture varies enormously from one publication to the next, and the meter and syllable tools here let you hear how a line actually scans.
A day in the life
You read other poets as much as you write, revising a single poem far past the point most writers would stop, listening for sound and rhythm and the one image that carries the whole thing. Progress is slow and cumulative: a body of poems built one acceptance and one rejection at a time.
Your first 90 days
Read widely and closely, because poets learn mostly by reading, and write often while revising hard. Learn the tools of sound, rhythm, line, and image, share work with readers who will tell you the truth, and start submitting to magazines and contests, expecting rejection as part of the process.
What writers and authors earn
The closest US Bureau of Labor Statistics occupation is Writers and Authors (SOC 27-3043). In the May 2025 Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics release, the national median wage was $76,910 a year, with the lower tenth under $44,310 and the top tenth above $139,870. These cover wage-and-salary jobs only, so self-employed and freelance earners are not counted.
See the full state-by-state breakdown in the Writer Salary Explorer.
Your first markets
Real places to submit or pitch, pulled from this site's living databases on the day this page was built. Check each one's current guidelines before you send.
Contests and grants
- Guggenheim Fellowship (US & Canada) — Grant amount varies; ~175 fellowships/year (deadline 2026-09-15)
- National Poetry Competition (The Poetry Society) — £5,000 first prize (deadline 2026-10-31)
- Gregory O'Donoghue International Poetry Prize — €2,000 + publication + festival reading (deadline 2026-11-30)
- The Moth Poetry Prize — €6,000 first; €11,000 total (deadline 2026-12-31)
Magazines that pay
- New Letters — Pays (rate not published); $25 for book reviews (open now)
- Palette Poetry — $50 per poem, up to $150 (open now)
- Brilliant Flash Fiction — $20 US per accepted piece (open now)
- Topical Poetry — none (open now)
The full, sortable lists live in the deadline databases.
Looking for paying gigs and staff roles right now? Browse the writing jobs directory - verified job boards, pitch markets and marketplaces, filterable by niche.
Tools for the job
The free tools on this site that do this kind of work.
Frequently asked questions
How do poets get published?
Most poets build up by submitting individual poems to literary magazines and contests, collecting acceptances, and eventually assembling a chapbook or a full collection. The magazine and contest databases on this site track which are open now.
Do you need to understand meter to be a poet?
You do not need formal training, but understanding sound, rhythm, and line will make your poems stronger and give you choices, whether you write in form or in free verse. The meter and syllable tools here let you hear how a line scans.
Can you make a living as a poet?
Very few poets earn a living from poetry alone; most combine it with teaching, other writing, or unrelated work. Poetry is pursued for the art, with income usually coming from adjacent paths.
Related paths
How to Become an Author
An author writes a book and gets it into readers' hands, whether through a traditional publisher or by self-publishing.
How to Become a Children's Book Author
A children's book author writes stories for young readers, from picture books to middle-grade novels, matched to a specific age group.
How to Become a Blogger
A blogger writes and publishes regularly on their own site to build an audience around a topic, then earns from it through ads, affiliates, products, or services.
Still weighing your options? The two-minute quiz walks you to the path that fits and shows two more worth a look.
What kind of writer should I be?The writer's edit
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