Where can I get paid for writing poetry?

Poets can be paid for writing poetry via freelance submissions to literary magazines, grants or residency programs. Many poets fund their writing life by teaching creative writing. Very few poets are able to make a living on their work alone.

Many online and in-print literary magazines are small and work on very low budgets, so therefore are not able to pay poets and writers for their work. Larger magazines, such as The New Yorker or Ploughshares, offer cash payments for accepted poems and stories. By applying for the many grants, scholarships and residency programs available for writers, poets can acquire temporary funds for living and travel to aid their writing projects. However, even the most well-known poets often need to hold teaching positions in creative writing programs to generate adequate income.

By using such resources as Poets & Writers, an online and in-print community, poets are able to find up-to-date information about current submission periods to literary magazines, grants, scholarships, teaching positions and creative writing degrees. Another online resource is Aerogramme Writers' Studio, which on a monthly basis posts lists of active grants, scholarships and open submission periods for poets and other creative writers, in addition to regular articles concerning the writing life.