How to Start Your Own Poetry Magazine

Poetry magazines provide a space for writers to see their work in print, for readers to discover up-and-coming poets, and for poetry enthusiasts to join a community of like-minded folks. 

If you’ve considered starting your own poetry magazine, now’s the time to make this dream a reality. Here are some tips to help you on this worthwhile endeavor.

Fundraise

To pay for expenses like website and print fees, consider fundraising. Determine how much money you’ll need to operate your magazine, then start collecting donations. 

There are several platforms, such as Kickstarter, you can use to meet goals. You can also develop an ongoing fundraising strategy, like posting on social media, to ensure you can continue publishing your magazine.

Build a team with poets who have varying experiences

Perhaps the most exciting part of starting your own magazine is building a supportive team. Consider working with both experienced poets/editors and those entering the field. You have the opportunity to help poets at the start of their career-searching for ways to expand their skill sets. 

Ask friends or members of your writers group, post on Instagram, and directly reach out to poets you admire to see if they’d be interested in joining your team. You can also post on different job sites to reach even more people.

Decide on themes and design

Take some time to decide the themes your magazine will explore. What genre or genres will you publish? Whether your magazine includes eco-poetry or poems about mental health, deciding which topics to publish helps your issues stay consistently cohesive. 

Ask yourself: How can you stand out? What’s missing in this space? Also, consider design elements like font and colors to build your magazine’s brand.

Develop a social media strategy

Whether you’re starting your magazine as a fun project or you wish to make an income, in order to sustain your publication and build an audience, you need a social media strategy. Social media is the simplest, most budget-friendly way to market your magazine and find potential customers and writers. 

To accomplish this goal, develop a social media strategy. Consider your audience demographics and plan a content calendar, or how often and what content you’ll post. How can you incorporate multimedia content, like photographs and videos? Or, you might want to search for a team member who can specifically manage your magazine’s social media accounts.

Publish a newsletter

Expand your marketing strategy further by publishing a newsletter. Newsletters are a great way to update your audience on pitch deadlines, editor openings, as well as virtual or in-person events. 

Consider how often you’ll send your newsletter, such as once a month. Also, be sure your newsletter adheres to your magazine’s brand design elements for cohesiveness and memorability. Include concise text to ensure folks read and remember the information in your newsletter.

We hope this list has inspired you to start your own poetry magazine. For more content on poetry-themed endeavors, check out our blog on how to start your own poetry Instagram.