The first 10 poetry tips from '101 Poetry Tips', which is available on Amazon. Paperback details here.
101 Poetry Tips Ebook (Amazon.co.uk)
101 Poetry Tips Ebook (Amazon.com)
1. Don't pester people with your work. If a poem's been accepted don't then bombard a publisher with several submissions in a week or month. Also don't send whole manuscripts to small press publishers with no return postage, as many are struggling financially as it is.
2. Don't forget to practice writing poetry. As the great golfer Gary Player once said: "The more I practice, the luckier I get." In the case of poetry that should read: "The better I get."
3. Don't believe the myth about how magical a poet's life is. It's hard graft for little money for all poets initially, and involves gradual steps towards success - unless you really are one of those loathsome geniuses who finds it easy and who is quickly appreciated.
4. Don't copy Byron's lifestyle - unless you want to have the paparazzi outside your front door 24/7.
5. Don't ignore constructive criticism, but judge whether it's fair comment. Violence rarely solves things...
6. Don't use too many big words in your poems as it'll seem like you're pretentious.
7. Don't stick to one poetic form, but experiment with several, which will then help you find out which are the best poetic forms for you.
8. Don't go anywhere without a notepad. Inspiration can come at any time.
9. You don't need to set a time period regarding when to finish a poem. If it's midnight and you're tired, consider it finishing it the next day.
10. Don't sulk if your work gets rejected. What doesn't kill you makes you stronger and all that.
