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5 Shortcuts to Becoming a Bestselling Poet

It’s easier now than ever

Jay Sizemore
7 min readNov 22, 2021
Photo by Aziz Acharki on Unsplash

Everyone’s a poet these days. And why not? It’s certainly the easiest kind of writer to be, isn’t it? Heck, just write whatever pops into your head. A few quick phrases jotted down, and boom, you got yourself a poem. Post that shit to Instagram, tag it with a few popular hashtags of the day, and watch the notification box tally up your popularity. Simple.

What’s not so simple, is winning that magic lottery ticket handed down from the Willy Wonka Factory of Fame & Fortune, the one that guarantees you infinite success, stints on the New York Times Bestseller list, and the ability to retire to the countryside and finish out your life writing book after book while sipping the endless supply of steaming coffee from your mug inscribed boldly with the word POET.

No, it takes a certain combination of elements, an almost intangible clicking of the keys of fate, to secure a poet that kind of success. Not everyone posting their poems to Insta is going to become instant bosom buddies with the likes of Rupi Kaur or Atticus, just like not everyone self-publishing their poetry collections on Amazon is going to end up selling copies to every University across the land or having their work analyzed for generations to come.

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Jay Sizemore
Jay Sizemore

Written by Jay Sizemore

Provocative truth teller, author of APNEA & Ignore the Dead. Cat dad. Dog dad. Husband. Currently working from Portland, Oregon. Learn more at: Jaysizemore.com.

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