Writers on the Rise

By Sage Cohen

Because I write poetry, for most of my life I thought of myself as a poet. And because poets don’t make a living simply writing and publishing poetry (even the most famous ones supplement their income with teaching, speaking and lecturing), I resigned myself to a fate of scribbling poems in the margins of my life while I got paid to do other things.

Then a few years ago, I took Christina Katz’s platform-building class where it dawned on me that the scraps of margins I’d been filling year after year added up to pages, even books. Through the exercises in that class, I discovered that somehow under my own nose I had already built the framework of a platform; I just didn’t know it. And I certainly hadn’t claimed it.

As it turns out, my primary love of writing poetry was fueling many secondary activities and accomplishments: publication, awards, writing residencies, teaching, public speaking and running a reading series. For the first time, I also understood that the marketing communications business I’d founded more than a decade ago-the one that pays the bills-is also a part of my poetic process. Being paid to write in the corporate sphere has honed my ear and kept my pencil sharp.

In short, I discovered that “poet” was far too limiting of a descriptor for what I do. “Writing the life poetic” felt more inclusive of how I live and work; I claimed this phrase as the umbrella platform of my writing life. By stretching my own self-definition, I started to see the work I was doing in my community through a new lens. Suddenly, so much more seemed possible and within reach. Within months of this realization, I was circulating a newsletter, had updated my website, had been invited to read and speak at several conferences and events, and had pitched a book. A year later, I’m putting the finishing touches on my book Writing the Life Poetic, forthcoming from Writer’s Digest Books. The old idea that being a poet doesn’t pay has been kicked to the curb.

What I learned from this experience is that the name we assign to our writing work and our writing life can be a cage or a limitless field of potential, depending on what kind of lens we’re looking through. How have you named your writing life and your role in it? Might you be seeing yourself too small-and as a result selling yourself too short? What if you were to take a wide-angle view and give yourself a little more room to move and grow? You just might find that as your identity expands, your writing repertoire and audience will expand proportionately along with it.

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Sage Cohen is the author of Writing the Life Poetic, forthcoming from Writer’s Digest Books, and the poetry collection Like the Heart, the World. Her poetry and essays appear in journals and anthologies including Cup of Comfort for Writers, Oregon Literary Review, Greater Good and VoiceCatcher. In 2006, she won first prize in the Ghost Road Press annual poetry contest. Sage holds an MA in creative writing from New York University where she was awarded a New York Times Foundation fellowship. Sage teaches Poetry for the People and Personal Essays That Get Published.

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By Sage Cohen

Nature has four distinct cycles. No matter how lofty we might imagine ourselves to be, writers are subject to the laws of nature like every other living thing around us. There is no permission slip that will excuse us from this fate, no matter whose signature we forge!

Yet, despite a lifetime of witnessing the world around us bud, blossom, drop petals, push out lush fruit, ripen, burn glorious autumn flames of color, lose everything, slumber, then start over, we seem to expect more of ourselves. Many of us strive for a nonstop cycle of bud, blossom, fruit, harvest, repeat. (This is not surprising, since this is how the clockwork of our culture turns: to produce, produce and produce some more.) But the fact is that flora and fauna don’t work that way, and neither do we.

It’s simply not natural or sustainable to be continuously producing. Farmers rotate their planting so that the land can replenish after a harvest. Writers who want to make the most of their natural resources will make similar choices. One of the great blessings of the writing life is that we are not beholden to supervisors or stockholders. This means that we get to decide how, when and where we write. You can clock in and clock out if that’s what works for you. But I recommend finding a way to align your process with the natural world and learn from the seasons how to trust the cycles of your writing.

Once upon a time before most of us knew of her, Alice Walker was given a grant to write. She proceeded to move out the country where she spent a year knitting. As she knit, the characters in The Color Purple made themselves known, and the force of the story’s narrative gathered like rain clouds. I’m guessing that by the time Walker sat down with pen to paper, a veritable storm of a narrative shook the entire landscape as it poured forth from her. When it came time for harvest, we readers had the good fortune to pluck The Color Purple ripe from the virtual vine.

I remember the first time I heard this story about Alice Walker’s writing process. I wondered if she worried, as I have, that when she was “doing nothing” that nothing was happening. I wondered if the people around her (if there were any) were anxious that there was no sign of a book being written during that year. But clearly, this is an author who understood far more than I did about embracing and moving with the cycles of nature.
I’m not proposing that you match what the seasons are doing exactly by writing furiously all spring and summer, then spending the winter canning and preserving all of your good ideas. But I am suggesting that you have a four-part rhythm that’s worth exploring so you can better understand when your high productivity times are, when it’s time to add fuel, and when it’s time to rest.

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Sage Cohen is the author of Writing the Life Poetic, forthcoming from Writer’s Digest Books, and the poetry collection Like the Heart, the World. Her poetry and essays appear in journals and anthologies including Cup of Comfort for Writers, Oregon Literary Review, Greater Good and VoiceCatcher. In 2006, she won first prize in the Ghost Road Press annual poetry contest. Sage holds an MA in creative writing from New York University where she was awarded a New York Times Foundation fellowship. Sage teaches Poetry for the People and Personal Essays That Get Published.

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By Sage Cohen
“Luck favors the prepared, darling.”

At a recent gathering with a few poet friends, Bob mentioned that he doesn’t send his work out.

Shawn challenged him: “Which of the poems that you haven’t sent out have been published?” This stumped Bob for a minute, and then we all laughed.

The simple truth behind Shawn’s question is this: the people who send out their writing are the only ones who have a chance of publishing it.

For many writers, especially those focused on creative writing, the leap between writing and publishing can feel like a Herculean one. The best parachute for taking this leap is a solid, easy-to-use submission system. The logic is simple: the easier it is to send your work out for publication, the more likely you are to do it. And the more regularly you send out your work, the greater your odds of seeing your words in print. Following are some suggestions for establishing a submission system that can set you up for success.

Submission system basics
Whether you prefer paper files or computer files, soft copies or hard copies, it’s important to know where your work is and what you intend to do with it next. Following are some of the categories I’ve used to manage my publishing process. Imagine that each is a tabbed section in a big “Publishing My Writing” binder––or a series of folders that are easily accessible in your computer. Take whatever pleases you and make it your own.

Label sections of your notebook or folders:

Finished pieces
Submission guidelines
Contest information
Submission log
Published work
Cover letters

Under “Submission Log,” because it can be confusing to keep track of which pieces you’ve sent where, I recommend creating a spreadsheet or log that tracks the following:

Name of publication Piece(s) Sent Date Sent Results Notes

I order my submission log chronologically with whatever is most current at the top.

Establishing a good rhythm
Procrastination can be the death of your submission system. That’s why it’s important to get a good rhythm going and stick with it. I generally dedicate the last Sunday of every month to “writing administration,” which means that I actively use all of the systems here to send my work out to magazines, literary journals and websites, etc. My friend Shawn sends out his poetry every week. I’m impressed with this, but it’s a rhythm I could not maintain. You may need to experiment to see what submission interval is realistic for you. I recommend that you choose a regular time, be willing to be flexible, experiment until you get it right, and then follow through on your commitment to your writing and yourself.

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Sage Cohen is the author of Writing the Life Poetic, forthcoming from Writer’s Digest Books, and the poetry collection Like the Heart, the World. Her poetry and essays appear in journals and anthologies including Cup of Comfort for Writers, Oregon Literary Review, Greater Good and VoiceCatcher. In 2006, she won first prize in the Ghost Road Press annual poetry contest. Sage holds an MA in creative writing from New York University where she was awarded a New York Times Foundation fellowship. Sage teaches Poetry for the People and Personal Essays That Get Published.

By Sage Cohen

If you are seeking publication for your creative writing, contests can be a great way to increase your visibility, income and platform status. Being published always looks good on your writing resume. Being a contest winner looks even better. That’s why I recommend building contest submissions into your regular regimen of sending work out.

Whereas the standard literary journal submission costs you nothing and typically pays you nothing more than a copy or two of the publication when your work is accepted, you’ll pay to submit your work to a contest. And if you win, you’ll most likely be rewarded with both publication and a cash prize–and sometimes even a reading.

Because most contests require a submission fee–anywhere between $10 and $20 is common–and these can add up, be thoughtful about how frequently and where you submit your work. If you’re sending out work to journals and magazines every month, for example, perhaps you could submit to a contest every quarter. Like any submission ritual, once you get a good rhythm going, contests will become a natural part of your process. The more you submit your work, the greater your odds of winning may be.

Throughout every year, there are a wide variety of contests sponsored by literary publications for fiction, creative nonfiction and poetry. Here are a few reliable resources for learning about the contests that might be the best fit for you:

·    absolutewrite.com
·    fundsforwriters.com
·    poetsandwriters.com
·    practicing-writer.com
·    thepoetrymarket.com
·    winningwriters.com

A note of caution: There are presses and organizations that offer contests where, unbeknownst to those who participate, everyone who enters wins something. All winning pieces are then published in a large volume, and winners are encouraged to buy these collections for $75 or more. Such presses are called vanity presses, because they prey on the vanity and naiveté of writers who do not have enough experience to know that this is not a legitimate publishing venue. You should never have to pay to receive a copy of your published writing. Any publication that requires you to do so should raise a red flag; investigate carefully before proceeding.

When sending creative writing to contests, the same rules of engagement apply as with regular submissions: do not send simultaneous submissions (the same piece to multiple places at the same time) unless a publication explicitly says that it’s ok to do so. I made this mistake once and experienced the one-in-a-million honor/horror of having the same poem win first place in two prizes simultaneously. Of course, I had to turn one down–the ultimate in bad form for me and inconvenience for the journal. Don’t let this happen to you!

Your homework assignment this week: check out the resources above and find one contest that looks appealing with a deadline that will work for you. With your next batch of submissions, send your work to this contest. Repeat this at whatever intervals make the most sense for your time and budget and get ready to add “Award-winning poet” (or fiction writer or essayist) to your resumé!

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Sage Cohen is the author of Writing the Life Poetic, forthcoming from Writer’s Digest Books, and the poetry collection Like the Heart, the World. Her poetry and essays appear in journals and anthologies including Cup of Comfort for Writers, Oregon Literary Review, Greater Good and VoiceCatcher. In 2006, she won first prize in the Ghost Road Press annual poetry contest. Sage holds an MA in creative writing from New York University where she was awarded a New York Times Foundation fellowship. Sage teaches Poetry for the People and Personal Essays That Get Published.

By Sage Cohen

What do you want editors, publishers, and readers to find when they look for you online? Does a Google search for your name lead them there today? If not, a website and blog could be the perfect one-two punch for pumping up your online presence.

A basic website functions much like an online brochure. It gives readers the key information you want them to know about you, such as: your credentials, links to publications, biographical information, upcoming readings and events, writing samples and a bio or resume. Because creating a website involves an investment of time, energy and money, this is a good way to demonstrate that you take your writing career seriously.

A website may give you greater confidence in your own work, while increasing your legitimacy in the eyes of your readers. If you want to see what’s possible in the realm of writer web sites, search for some of your favorites and see how they’ve presented themselves to the world.

A blog (weblog) is a simple, low-cost, user-friendly type of website comprised of individual “posts” or entries. (A few popular blog hosts are typepad.com, wordpress.com and blogger.com.) Blogs allow users to write and “publish” an entry in seconds. Writers use blogs to reinforce their expertise, publish writing, and share resources, ideas and inspiration. Because blogs are interactive, readers’ comments may teach you a great deal about your writing, its impact on your audience and your platform. Blogs are also a wonderful way to expand your community of likeminded thinkers and writers.

Recently, I encouraged a coaching client to start a blog to reinforce the platform she’d established with her web site and client work. Within weeks, she had 50+ daily readers–people she didn’t know previously–participating in a dialogue about the topic she is most passionate about.

A few years ago, I created a website in hopes of taking my writing life more seriously and a blog as a daily challenge to write and publish. I had no idea at the time what impact these choices would have on my writing career. Since establishing and growing my online presence, I’ve been invited to speak, teach, lecture, edit and organize. The audience for the readings I host has multiplied. Prospective students have visited my website and then decided to take my class. Journalists who found me online have contacted me for interviews. I’ve even had business writing prospects stumble upon my creative writing website and decide to work with me because they were impressed with my “other” life.

A web presence is like a trail of crumbs leading all who are interested right to your (virtual) door! Whether you choose to start with a website or blog, your key goal should be establishing an online trail that you feel proud of–so when folks do a Google search for you, they land somewhere that gives them an experience that is representative of you. Then, paced with the evolution of your writing career, you can build your media pulpit slowly over time.

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Sage Cohen is the author of Writing the Life Poetic, forthcoming from Writer’s Digest Books, and the poetry collection Like the Heart, the World. Her poetry and essays appear in journals and anthologies including Cup of Comfort for Writers, Oregon Literary Review, Greater Good and VoiceCatcher. In 2006, she won first prize in the Ghost Road Press annual poetry contest. Sage holds an MA in creative writing from New York University where she was awarded a New York Times Foundation fellowship. Sage teaches Poetry for the People and Personal Essays That Get Published.

By Sage Cohen

When I moved to Portland, Oregon in 2003, I didn’t know a single poet or writer in town. I decided I’d build my own writing community––from the ground up––and started a reading series from scratch in the basement of a friend’s restaurant. Inspired to create a line-up of poets I admired, I attended readings, workshops, conferences and lectures in search of talent. I even advertised for readers on craigslist.org.

Within a few months, I had met enough like-minded literary types to establish a line-up of poets, essayists and fiction writers whom I was proud to present. In a little more than two years, the series developed a loyal audience; readings were drawing audiences of 50-60 people. When my friend’s restaurant closed, I was eventually invited to relocate the series at Barnes & Noble. Today, I have three readers per month scheduled a year in advance.

The truth is, I started the reading series to prevent me from being lazy, and it worked! Knowing I am in charge of creating a great event has kept me inspired over the years to actively seek out, listen to and support great poets in my community. But the rewards of running the series have exceeded my wildest expectations. Not only have I discovered that I am providing a valuable community service by aligning writers with audiences, but my own platform has taken flight in surprising ways. I’ll name just a few:

• Invigorated sense of expertise. I’ve been interviewed about the local poetry scene, invited to teach and lecture, and have consulted with other writers about how to establish their own series. This has helped me take my expertise more seriously––and push it further.

• New publishing opportunities. At one reading a few years back, I met the editor of a publication I admired, sent him a few of my fledgling essays for his review and was invited to become a monthly columnist for his journal.

• Community support for my own poetry. When I published my poetry collection Like the Heart, the World last year and announced this to my sizeable list of literary friends, I was invited to read in eight different venues, including on a local radio show, and had friends reviewing and promoting the book on their websites and blogs.

Through hosting the reading series, I’ve learned that cultivating a literary community can be a fun and rewarding way to grow one’s own platform.

Your turn! Why not organize a one-time event featuring a writer you admire? Not sure how to get started? Consider what types of events you like to attend: readings? lectures? workshops? Is there something you’d like to learn? Someone you’d like to hear? Chances are good that if you create an experience that inspires or informs you, it will attract others who feel the same. From there, you can grow a series––and a literary community––at whatever pace you have time and energy for.
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Sage Cohen is the author of Writing the Life Poetic, forthcoming from Writer’s Digest Books, and the poetry collection Like the Heart, the World. Her poetry and essays appear in journals and anthologies including Cup of Comfort for Writers, Oregon Literary Review, Greater Good and VoiceCatcher. In 2006, she won first prize in the Ghost Road Press annual poetry contest. Sage holds an MA in creative writing from New York University where she was awarded a New York Times Foundation fellowship. Sage teaches Poetry for the People and Personal Essays That Get Published.

By Sage Cohen

What would happen to your writing career if you expanded into other genres? In my 2008 column, I’ll be exploring how we can stretch our self-concept as writers, explore new possibilities for our writing and thereby increase our publication opportunities.

For years, I though of myself exclusively as a poet until one day a journal entry derailed into a more formal narrative piece and I thought, “Hey, maybe I’m an essayist, too.” Shortly thereafter, I started polishing, submitting and publishing essays.

Whereas poetry is largely an art of compression-taking an idea or an experience and distilling it to its essence–essay has been for me an art of expansion. Through its large, narrative canvas, I can tell a more in-depth story, exploring and commenting on personal and cultural themes explicitly rather than metaphorically.

The two genres dovetailed for me on a month-long writing retreat at Soapstone, where I wrote not only poetry but also several essays describing the experience of writing poetry in a solitary cabin in the woods. One of those essays, “Flow,” was recently published in the anthology Cup of Comfort for Writers (Adams Media 2008).

I think I was successful in placing this story, as well as others that have appeared in Oregon Literary Review, Absolute Write, Greater Good and Black Lamb because I brought to essay writing two key, transferable skills from my poetry career:

1. Microscopic attention to the look, feel, sound and rhythm of every single word in relationship to the words around it

2. A practice of sending out my work regularly. The rhythm of keeping an ear to the ground for publications that seem like a fit for my work, and then submitting, was as important as the rhythm of writing essays.

The good news about taking on a second genre is that all of the good habits developed when cultivating one’s original craft will most likely continue to be beneficial.

By embracing two writing paths, I doubled my publishing possibilities and exponentially increased the fun and variety of my writing. And, of course, I doubled my workload. Keeping up with my double life demands more rigor, structure, creativity and odd work hours; but the payoffs have been well worth it. Within two years, I published two dozen essays and was offered two assignments as monthly columnist for publications I respect.

Interestingly, it was not a poem, but rather my essay “Flow,” that enabled me to share my love of poetry and the writing life with a larger, more diverse audience than I’d ever imagined possible.
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Sage Cohen is the author of Writing the Life Poetic, forthcoming from Writer’s Digest Books, and the poetry collection Like the Heart, the World. Her poetry and essays appear in journals and anthologies including Cup of Comfort for Writers, Oregon Literary Review, Greater Good and VoiceCatcher. In 2006, she won first prize in the Ghost Road Press annual poetry contest. Sage holds an MA in creative writing from New York University where she was awarded a New York Times Foundation fellowship. Sage teaches Poetry for the People and Personal Essays That Get Published.