Support Independent Poetry Today!
All of the poetry on this website is available to read for free. I don't think people should be denied access to poetry just because they can't afford it. That said, free poetry doesn't put food on the table, so I'd like you to consider helping me out.
Your patronage pays for things like my monthly hosting costs, advertising campaigns to draw in new readers, giveaways & contests, and even cross-media work like artistic video presentations of my poetry. It also helps me pay my student loans (some $15,000+ USD as of this writing), and to raise my standard of living a little above that "abject poverty" level.
Say what you will about the starving writer gig, but it's only fun for so long. Earning an income from my creative endeavors has always been a dream of mine, and even if I don't make enough to live entirely on my writing, getting paid for my writing -- even a dollar or two at a time -- motivates me to keep writing.
Some of you reading this might be thinking, "Hey, this is the Internet -- why should I pay for anything?" In response to that, I'd like you to consider that if this poetry were only sold in stores as a print book, you'd probably pay anywhere from $7.99 to $14.99 to get it -- and it wouldn't update itself with new content every week.
So how can you help me out? Here's some ideas:
Participate In Crowdfunding
From time to time, I'll be launching short-term crowdfunding initiatives -- essentially, a donation drive where you, the crowd, help me fund a specific goal. They'll usually be well-publicized, and run for a few weeks to a month, and there might be perks for people who help out, if I can swing them.
What sort of goals might be funded? Things like the reading fees for poetry contests (which can run anywhere from $5-$25 per poem per entry), or the printing costs for a set of limited edition bookmarks. It might even be things like "My-car-just-exploded-and-I-need-an-expensive-part-to-fix-it."
If I'm not currently running a crowdfunding drive, you can still throw a few bucks my way. Just use the Paypal donate button found below, or at the bottom of every page:
Buy an MP3
Audio recordings of several of my poems can be downloaded for just $0.50 USD. You can browse the available poems from the Store, or, when reading the poems themselves, look for the microphone icon at right. If you see the icon, an MP3 of that poem is available and you can add it to your cart directly from the poem's page.
Not sure where to start? Here are a few of the most popular downloads.
Is there a poem you want that hasn't been recorded yet? Request it through the Contact page and I'll record it as soon as possible.
Share It!
If you enjoy my poetry, please share it with others! Tell your mother, tell your best friend, tell your boss, tell your dog. Print it off and mail it to your grandma, or tack it to a bulletin board in your university's English department.
At the bottom of every poem and blog post are a set of social media buttons that will let you share a link on Twitter, StumbleUpon, or Facebook. There's also a button that will let you repost the poem on Tumblr.
Readers are the lifeblood of independent literature. I don't have a publishing house's marketing department helping me: YOU are my marketing department.
Become a Member
You don't have to register as a member of this site to view the poetry and blog posts, but site members do enjoy a number of perks.
- Lifetime downloads of all MP3s and PDFs you purchase
- Keep a list of your favorite pieces of content with Bookmarks
- No CAPTCHAs on comment and contact forms
- Comments are automatically published without admin approval
Members are also eligible to win free MP3 downloads and other giveaways that aren't open to non-members.
Becoming a member of the site is completely free! You just need to Register.
