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The Business of Poetry

© Kay Day

After winning a national poetry contest, Eileen Malone says,"I pulled poetry over me until it hardened like a snail shell." Ms. Malone, who gives advice to writers the world over in her column for the Writers Club at America Online, has some tips for poets.

Eileen Malone calls poetry "a steady forward movement" in her life, and she devotes a large amount of her time to it. She writes poetry, writes about poetry, and works at different projects to promote poetry. She created the annualSoul-Making Literary Prize on behalf of the National League of American Pen Women, Nob Hill San Francisco Branch. Ms. Malone coined the award's name from lines written by John Keats.

Some say that the world is a vale of tears,
I say it is a place of soul making."

Ms. Malone's column, Ask Eileen, counsels writers on just about anything to do with the craft. The columnist believes in helping other writers. "The thing I've noticed about women writers and artists and other female creative souls," says Ms. Malone, "is how they believe in giving back to the greater flow that made their expressions possible. They do much of the work behind the scenes and hold things together, especially literary events I've been to." This popular columnist says women are just "more patient and nurturing with aspiring writers. Women see the potential. They see the marvel generating in the mud."

The path from talent to publication can be difficult at best. How does a poet jump her words from notepaper to the public eye? "The easiest way to publish one's poetry," says Ms. Malone, "is with help. By this I mean joining other writers in classes or groups, and sharing not only your work but your experiences with marketing." Quicksilvering, Ms. Malone's site for writers, is a product of this philosophy. Offered within this graphically attractive site are links to book reviews, bio notes on the author, and information about the workshops she implements and conducts.

Writers can launch into publishing with what Eileen Malone calls "group energy." She has taught creative writing for over thirty years, and she believes in the value of networking. "I can honestly say that the majority of my students published their first poem as a result of being spurred on and motivated by the class." Not to forget: the mechanics of poetry. "There is a way the poem should look on the page when being submitted for publication consideration," says the columnist. "Certain publications tend towards certain types of writing. While most literary competitions are legit, some are scams and provide a real disservice to the rest of the writing community. The same goes for editing and critiquing services." An excellent way to avoid the pitfalls, according to Ms. Malone, is to "connect with other writers on a regular basis and talk about your experiences."

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