One of the MAJOR misconceptions about the poetry industry is that you have to do spoken word to become a prominent figure.
Performance poetry might be the most popular, but there are other ways to be profitable.
Artists like Rudy Francisco, Jasmine Mans, Prentice Powell (who was recently nominated for a Grammy), Obbie West, and others are dynamic spoken word artists I could listen to all day.
But it is not something I am passionate about doing myself.
I enjoy spoken word and have done it, but I don’t want to make a career out of performance poetry.
I am much better at reciting than performing, and I have learned there is a career in them both.
Reciting and performing poetry are two different areas of expertise we can discuss later.
Poets, let me free you today!
You can write and publish poetry books.
You can recite your poetry before an audience instead of performing it. In the same way that spoken word artists get paid to perform, you can get paid to recite!
You can get paid to write poems for others, organizations, and even movies. Think Poetic Justice. Maya Angelou wrote the poems Janet Jackson’s character Justice recited in the movie.
If you are serious about turning your passion for poetry into a profitable business, I invite you to join The Poetry Business Network.
The Poetry Business Network is a global community where poets learn how to do more with their poetry and create a poetry career.
In this community, you will learn…
How to transform yourself from an individual to an entity (business)
How to start your poetry business step-by-step
How to launch your poetry business step-by step
How to audit your poetry business (if you already have a one)
How to build your brand on a national and international scale
How to identify what services to offer
How to create predictable income with your poetry
How to create, offer, and distribute your own merchandise
How to determine what signature experience you will be known for
How to create your own platform people will be attracted to
Join Us!
And the best part? Membership is FREE (for now! Get in before that changes).
We’ve received a few questions about if rappers can enter the contest.
The short answer is yes, as rap is a form of poetry.
The longer answer requires a bit of a breakdown.
RAP and POETRY
RAP (often called Rhythm and Poetry*) uses similar forms as poetry, like verses, refrains, rhyming words, rhythm, and meter.
Rap’s origins are said to date as far back as the West African Griots, or village storytellers, and up to early examples of jazz poetry during the Harlem Renaissance Movement.
Rap lyrics that can be poetry:
“Some say the blacker the berry, the sweeter the juice I say the darker the flesh then the deeper the roots I give a holler to my sisters on welfare Tupac cares, if don’t nobody else care And uh, I know they like to beat ya down a lot When you come around the block, brothas clown a lot But please don’t cry, dry your eyes, never let up Forgive but don’t forget, girl, keep your head up.”
-Tupac Shakur, Keep Ya Head Up
Some poetically inclined rappers also used poetry in their raps. Common’s The Corner featuring Kanye West featured The Last Poets:
“Uh, the corner was our magic, our music, our politics Fires raised as tribal dances and war cries Broke out on different corners Power to the people Black power Black is beautiful.”
-Common, The Corner, ft Kanye West and The Last Poets
And Kendrick Lamar’s Poetic Justice infuses poetic lyricism in the song:
“With poetic justice, poetic justice If I told you that a flower bloomed in a dark room, would you trust it? I mean I write poems in these songs dedicated to you When you’re in the mood for empathy, there’s blood in my pen…”
-Kendrick Lamar, Poetic Justice
Rap and poetry share many similarities, so much so that it’s hard to see where one begins and the other ends.
Both Use:
Rhyme —both use rhyming words
Rhythm and meter —both use language that creates rhythm.
Verses —both use verses or stanzas to separate ideas.
Refrains — both use the repetition of lines or entire stanzas/verses.
Subject Matter —both can discuss all possible subjects and commonly speak on the same ones (for example, heartbreak, loss, grief, and death)
Here’s Where it Gets Tricky:
We can best sum up the confusion in the words of Adam Bradley from this article: “…that poetry only exists on the page, and rap only lives in the music, that poetry is refined, and rap is raw, that poetry is art and rap is entertainment…”
But poetry can also live in music, be raw and entertaining, and rap can be refined on the page.
So, how do we know the difference?
Rap is a musical genre in which vocal expression is essential, respecting rhymes and rhythmic diction.
Poetry is literature and more verbal. Rhymes and music are not mandatory, and the message is even more emphasized.
“Poetry … is the revelation of a feeling that the poet believes to be interior and personal which the reader recognizes as his own.”
Bradley writes: “Economy of language remains one of poetry’s hallmarks. By contrast, language in rap is usually abundant, functioning on the rhetorical principle of copia, which Erasmus defined in 1512 as a practice of amplifying expression through variation, adornment, and play.”
“Poetry is the spontaneous overflow of powerful feelings: it takes its origin from emotion recollected in tranquillity.”
— William Wordsworth, from “Preface to Lyrical Ballads.”
“Poetry is a phantom script telling how rainbows are made and why they go away.”
It’s a debate that is sure to be ongoing for some time.
Rap is a form of poetry, but every rapper is not a poet.
A rap is a poem when it:
Deals heavily with emotions
Uses thoughtful language and poetic techniques (alliteration, metaphor, imagery, etc..)
Is composed with depth, storytelling
Shows off the writer’s creativity
Yes, rappers can enter this contest as long as they write a poem.
When submitting your poem, whether as a poet or rapper, be sure that you are following the contest’s theme, which is GRACE. When submitting an audio or video, be careful not to send content that sounds more like rap songs than poems. There is a clear difference that should be expressed.
*Although it sounds nice (and there’s nothing wrong with using it as such), RAP is not an acronym for Rhythm and Poetry. Initially, rap meant to strike or hit. It then transitioned to mean to talk or speak in the African American community. Some older generations still say: “Let me rap to you,” when they want to talk to you. During the heightened political era of the 1960s and 70s, the men who stood on the corners teaching, like Malcolm X, were said to be “rapping.”
When it comes to the arts, poetry is my first love, and this contest is my way of giving back to the poetry community to shed light on the power of the spoken and written word and the artists who love it.
It is not just a contest but a movement to discover and elevate those who have always desired to pursue their artistic ambitions in poetry but have been either discouraged from doing so or have allowed fear to hold them back.
If you’ve been looking for a sign to get back to your creative writing endeavors, this is it!
Write a poem on this year’s theme: GRACE. You may include an audio or video with your document!
SUBSCRIBE to the Email List if you are not already.
Email your poem to yecheilyah@yecheilyahysrayl.com on or BEFORE the deadline of November 30, 2023.
Winners announced on Thursday, December 28th.
Theme: GRACE
Submissions Accepted:
Monday, October 23, 2023 – Thursday, November 30, 2023
Winners Announced on December, 28, 2023.
Click THIS link to subscribe to the list and then email your poem by the deadline!
Note. Each year, an email subscription is necessary to enter the contest. To avoid a yearly subscription, click the “Poetry Contest Updates Only” box on the form. This will subscribe you to the contest list exclusively, and you will only receive contest updates, rather than having to resubscribe year after year.
If you are already subscribed to the list you may go ahead and submit your poem.
I cannot believe we’ve been doing this for six years. If it weren’t for Covid, it would be year seven!
We are excited to gear up for year six of the contest. But we need your help to make this year a success.
I am looking for the following:
Sponsors: No books please. Contribution must either be a service our poets can benefit from or a financial investment toward the cash prize. There are four cash prizes worth between $25 and $100 up for grabs. You can donate whatever you like to put toward it, or you can donate toward one of the tiers (for example, first place is $100).
Judges: The last seven poems will be judged by additional authors, poets, editors, or literary experts who will also help select the top four winners. This is the perfect opportunity for those who are versed in poetry.
Before you put your hand in, remember: Previous winners cannot volunteer as judges, and persons wishing to participate in the contest cannot be team members in the background.
Poems will be judged in the following categories:
POWER
BEAUTY
EDUCATION / MESSAGE
ENTERTAINMENT
GRAMMATICAL / TECHNICAL
RHYME
ORIGINALITY
OVERALL IMPACT
Social Media Marketers/Promoters: Bloggers, businesses, and professionals willing to use their platform to help promote the contest from the start of the submissions until close.
If you are on board to help with year six, please email the following to yecheilyah@yecheilyahysrayl.com as soon as possible.
Your name/title as you want it to appear online
A professional photo/headshot
Your company logo (if available)
Social media handle
The area you are applying to help with. Sponsor, Judge, or SM Promo
If you know someone who could help, do feel free to share this post with them!
Thursday, July 7, 2022 – Friday, September, 30, 2022
Winners Announced:
Tuesday, November 1, 2022
About.
Yecheilyah’s Annual Poetry Contest is an online national and international poetry competition established in 2017 by award-winning author, book blogger, and poet Yecheilyah Ysrayl. The contest’s purpose is to find and celebrate the work of dope poets while raising awareness about the power of poetry.
Now in its 5th year, this is a contest essential for those serious about literary excellence.
We are now open for submissions.
Since 2017, we have hosted this contest right here on the blog. We will continue in the tradition of providing updates, author interviews, and all that jazz.
But as for the rules and guidelines, the contest now has its own website!
We accept poems (written, audio or video) from now through September 30, 2022. Our theme this year is FREEDOM. Head over to the website, subscribe to the list, and email your freedom poem before the deadline.
As many of you are well aware, I host an online poetry contest every year. The purpose of the competition is to give back to the poetry community by spotlighting the next dope poet. I also host the contest to shine a light on the power of poetry which can often be underrated.
We are in our fifth year, but I will need some help.
To help me coordinate this year’s contest, I am putting together a team by choosing people to join me behind the scenes.
If you would like to join me in organizing our 5th Annual Poetry Contest, please click on the link below and submit your application.
This year’s theme is Freedom.
Do keep in mind that if you are on the board to help, you cannot enter the contest. So, if you are a poet looking to submit a poem for this year, do not sign up.
You also do not need to be a poet to help. I am looking for people in all areas right now, from help with promotion to prizes.
This year’s theme is love. The difference between this year and our first year is this is not only about self-love or romantic love. You can certainly talk about self-love or the love of your life, but you can also talk about the love for family, the love for a hobby or career path, truth, history, and so on.
The grand prize this year is HUGE, so I am looking for some dopeness. If the poem doesn’t move me, I’m not accepting it, so bring your A-game. This is year four, and we are not accepting anything less than our best so let’s goooo!!
Here is a snippet of a poem from author and poet Jayla John on love. Let it inspire you!
“What love touches heals. What love reaches feels. What love bows to kneels. Love glances at sewage and turns it sacred. Love turns slander into praise. Love is a sacred storyteller. Love destroys all castles, drains all moats, rubbles royalty and thrones. Love answers. Prayers. Poetry. Passion fires. Love revolts. Love constantly births. Lets go. Remembers. Wakes your embers. Love is not romantic blindness. It is searing vision. Love sees. Love kills what is already dying, diseased, polluted, corrupted. Love makes all things new. Love is not in you. You are in love. And all of this is love.” – Jalya John, Author of Freedom.
Submissions Accepted:
Thursday, April 1st – Tuesday, June 1, 2021
*If your poem is ready, go ahead and submit it!*
Winners Announced:Wednesday, September 1st and 6th 2021*
*The 2nd-4th Place Winners are announced 9/1 with the Grand Prize Winner announced on 9/6.
Guidelines
The poems submitted must be original work. This means that the poems must be written by you. If we find a poem that resembles any previously published poem in any way that poet will be disqualified from the competition. Please send the poem as a Word Doc attachment, 12p font with your name on the document.
The poem must not be previously published in a book or anywhere online (including your blog)
The contest will be judged based on writing, style and how closely the poem adheres to the theme. This year’s theme is LOVE. Keep in mind this isn’t limited to romantic type love. You can also write about love for family, love for the creator, love for a passion or hobby, self-love, e.g.
All poets are welcomed to enter regardless of race, religion, political views or location. All poems must be written in English and there will be no shipments of books outside of the U.S. If a poet wins this competition and their residence is outside of the U.S., any prize requiring shipping (if any) will be awarded in digital form. Ex. Ebooks instead of paperbacks.
All poets must be at least 18 years of age to enter.
There is a $5 Entry Fee to enter the competition. This will help go toward the sponsoring of the prizes for the winners (See Below). If you are a member of the email list your fee is waived. If you would like your fee waived, sign up HERE and email your poem to enter. Anyone who subscribes only to unsubscribe before the competition is complete (any time before the winners are announced) will be disqualified for the win. Any subscription that has not been made before 11:59pm EST on June 1st will be disqualified.
Authors of the winning poems grant Yecheilyah of Yecheilyah Books LLC and Literary Korner Publishing the right to publish their winning poem on her blog located at www.thepbsblog.com. Permission is granted upon entry of the contest for publishing to The PBS Blog. The poets retain all rights and copyrights of their own work.
Multiple entries to this contest are allowed. If submitting multiple poems there is a 2-poem max.
Entry is taken as acceptance of ALL of these guidelines.
Or Click on THIS link and subscribe to Yecheilyah’s email list.
This will automatically give your name and email address.
*If you are already subscribed to my list you are halfway there! Just email me your poem*
Once you’ve paid the entry fee OR subscribed to the list, please send your poem(s) to yecheilyah@yecheilyahysrayl.com.
Submissions are accepted NOW through June 1st 2021.
Winners are announced September 1st and 6th, 2021 on The PBS Blog and across social media.
Video submissions are welcomed! This is a chance for you to get creative.
Prizes:
2nd, 3rd, 4th Place Prizes
$25 Amazon Giftcard nested inside a specialty gift box. The card has no fees and no expiration date and is redeemable towards millions of items storewide at Amazon.com (ecards for International Winners)
Signed Copy of I am Soul OR My Soul is a Witness + Matching Bookmarks (ecopies for International Winners)
Writing Journal and Diamond Pen
Poem Published to The PBS Blog at thepbsblog.com (exposure to over 3100 subscribers)
Interview on The PBS Blog at thepbsblog.com (exposure to over 3100 subscribers)
Social Media Promotion Across All Platforms (IG, Twitter, FB)
1st Place Winner / The Grand Prize
The first-place winner receives everything under 2-4th place with an exclusive publishing package courtesy of Yecheilyah Books LLC’s publishing arm Literary Korner Publishing. Yes, you heard me right! I will finance the publishing of your next (or first!) poetry ebook. As the grand prize winner, you get the following (in addition to everything else):
Book Cover Design (ebook only)
Copyediting
ISBN Assignment
Digital Format for e-readers such as Kindle
KDP Set-Up
PreOrder Set-Up (Optional)
The most exciting thing about this prize is I will work with you one-on-one every step of the way so you can know what to do the next time you want to publish a book. I am not here to fish for you. I am here to teach you how to fish so you can keep eating.
The PBS Blog 