Canadian Federation of Poets MEMBER NEWS
If you are a CFP member with exciting news, let us know. Send an email with the news in it, and a subject line of CFP Member News.
Tracy Repchuk -
* Appearing live on stage August 15-17th at Focus 2008 Internet Marketing event in Washington, DC. Come see me - they have amazing museums and tons of sight seeing. Focus Marketing 2008.
* Appeared in the Sept.-Dec TOPS Verse Afire
Nikhil Parekh -
* Applying for his 4th Limca World Record
Patricia A. McGoldrick -
* Poem entitled "Irish Wake" was published in Irish American Post, 2008—v.8 #1, Winter Spring edition;
* Poem entitled "Summer Night on the Farm", published in the Ontario Poetry Society's Verse Afire v.4 #2 , 2008
David Fraser -
* Will be included in Rocksalt, the first anthology of contemporary BC poetry in 31 years featuring 108 contemporary British Columbia poets. http://www.mothertonguepublishing.com/#/rocksalt/4526923016
* Published in Ditch 2008, Voices of Israel Print Anthology 2008, Ygdrasil Feb. 2008, A Little Poetry Feb. 2008, Manniquin Envy April 2008, Voices of Israel Online June 08, and will be published in Autumn Leaf Nov. 2008 and Long Short Story Sept. 2008.
* In March, 2008 David attended a retreat with poets, Patrick Lane and Wendy Morton and will be included in a future chapbook being launched at the Black Stilt Cafe, Victoria, BC in the fall.
George Arnold -
* Just launched his second book Meanderings. Contact George for your copy. George@federationofpoets.com
Stella and Graham Ducker -
* Founders of the Stellar Literary Festival to be held in September invite you to join in the festivities by attending or send in your greetings if you are unable be there to stellacd@federationofpoets.com
and they may be read during the CFP Group readings lead by George Arnold, CFP National Coordinator
www.stellarliteraryfestival.com
* Graham and Stella Ducker, are attending The Second Annual Al Purdy Fest 2008. The are honored to be a part of the reading program on Sunday.
* Graham and Stella Ducker will be attending the 2nd Annual Canada Cuba Literary Alliance Art & Lit Fest August 23. Stella as the Durham Region Chair will have CFP info to hand out.
Trish Shields -
* Published in Moonset Newspaper, through Natal*Light Press, poetry, Spring Journal newspaper
* Modern English Tanka, poetry, Spring Journal, Volume 2, Number 3, ISSN: 1930-8132
* Modern English Tanka, poetry, Summer Journal, Vol 2, Number 4, ISSN: 1932-9083
* Blue Collar Lesbian Erotica, Yellow Rose Books, short story, ISBN: 978-1-935053-01-9
* Received a Sakura Award for haiku submitted to the Vancouver Cherry Blossom festival
Mel Sarnese -
* Feature poet at Clinton's Art Bar Series in Toronto on June 24th
Graham Ducker -
* Stella and Graham were invited to go to the International WEFLA - www.wefla.org - conference in Cuba - April 23 to 25 - where I discussed - from my book Don't Wake The Teacher! - how I used the environment to develop language in a culturally diverse classroom. At the same conference I presented copies of my poetry book, Observations Of Heart And Mind to the University of Holguin.
*also have a poem in C.C.L.A. The Ambassador, Vol. 006.
Cheryl Xavier
* News item appeared in Mississauga News:
http://www.mississauganews.com/article/16845
* Read poems at International Goan Convention in Mississauga on July 24th.
* Curated one hour Poet's Hour at the Masala! Mehndi! Masti! South Asian festival in Toronto's Exhibition Place on the 27th July.
Ruth E. Walker
* won 3rd place in this year's Banff/Bliss Carman Poetry Award, sponsored by by the literary journal, "Prairie Fire"
* has poetry coming in the next issue of "Chapman", Scotland's premier literary journal.
* On November 1 and 2, Ruth is one of three workshop facilitators through Writescape a 2-day all-inclusive writers' retreat on the quiet shores of Kempenfelt Bay, Innnisfil, Ontario. See www.writescape.ca for details.
Saturday, August 02, 2008
Thursday, July 10, 2008
Artists for a Better World Poetry Anthology
Artists for a Better World
A Better World Poetry Call
Artists For A Better World International has announced its 2008 "Call for Poetry" to global poets for potential inclusion in the third AFABW poetry compilation book.
Poets may submit up to three (3) of their poems, for no cost, and poets whose works are selected for inclusion in the book will be given full credit as well as additional AFABW promotion. Poets
may submit their work via the AFABW website and will receive an upgraded AFABW "Premier" membership ($75.00 value) at no cost.
Get More Details at AFABW Poetry Call
As the editor I am looking forward to seeing your poetry and helping to make the world a better place through poetry.Tracy Repchuk
President of the Canadian Federation of Poets
Friday, June 20, 2008
Worldwide Poetry Anthology Calls
LARGEST ANTHOLOGY CALL IN CFP HISTORY
Launching a 10-book call, the Canadian Federation of Poets is undertaking an anthology call that will cover the production of 10 books. 8 Calls are still open.
It is a similar concept to the "Chicken Soup for the .... " but this is called:
The Poetry of (TM) ....
Marriage
Travel
Birth
Relationships
Love - CLOSED
Children
Food
Sports
Occupations
Seasons - CLOSED
This will be a world wide call.
So start to organize the poetry you have in those categories, and wait. The call will be put out once everything is in place. Tell your FRIENDS to subscribe to the new ezine database now!
This is how we will be making the announcements, along with a press release to 10,000 different types of medias.
The new subscription system is ready for new ezine subscribers. If you are a current ezine subscriber, have no worries, you will be ported over automatically.
If you aren't a CFP member, the time to join has never been better. With Federations around the world now, this call will help to make us one of the fastest growing poetry organizations in Canada.
Our last anthology was so successful, it sold out in 10 days. We still have library and fulfillment houses contacting us for more copies. If it had been sold on Amazon, it could have come close to being a Best Seller.
We're about to put poetry back on the map!
Tracy Repchuk
President of the Canadian Federation of Poets
Launching a 10-book call, the Canadian Federation of Poets is undertaking an anthology call that will cover the production of 10 books. 8 Calls are still open.
It is a similar concept to the "Chicken Soup for the .... " but this is called:
The Poetry of (TM) ....
Marriage
Travel
Birth
Relationships
Love - CLOSED
Children
Food
Sports
Occupations
Seasons - CLOSED
This will be a world wide call.
So start to organize the poetry you have in those categories, and wait. The call will be put out once everything is in place. Tell your FRIENDS to subscribe to the new ezine database now!
This is how we will be making the announcements, along with a press release to 10,000 different types of medias.
The new subscription system is ready for new ezine subscribers. If you are a current ezine subscriber, have no worries, you will be ported over automatically.
If you aren't a CFP member, the time to join has never been better. With Federations around the world now, this call will help to make us one of the fastest growing poetry organizations in Canada.
Our last anthology was so successful, it sold out in 10 days. We still have library and fulfillment houses contacting us for more copies. If it had been sold on Amazon, it could have come close to being a Best Seller.
We're about to put poetry back on the map!
Tracy Repchuk
President of the Canadian Federation of Poets
Tuesday, May 20, 2008
Al Purdy Statue Unveiled
At last the statue was unveiled honouring Al Purdy the poet, at Queen's Park, after a seven year struggle with bureaucracy.
Through the herculian effort of Scott Griffin (of the Griffin poetry awards) and Dennis Lee, did this event finally take place.
Check out the latest from the
Griffin Poetry Prize - Al Purdy Unveiled
Tracy Repchuk
President and Founder of the Canadian Federation of Poets
Through the herculian effort of Scott Griffin (of the Griffin poetry awards) and Dennis Lee, did this event finally take place.
Check out the latest from the
Griffin Poetry Prize - Al Purdy Unveiled
Tracy Repchuk
President and Founder of the Canadian Federation of Poets
Thursday, May 15, 2008
A Different Approach To Marketing Your Poetry
I was on a Teleseminar the other day with Peggy McColl and Randy Gilbert, and these guys are Amazon bestsellers with many of their books. They started with great ideas and a book, (just like we did), and they made it happen. Notice I use the word 'made' it happen. They wrote a book, and thought it was going to fly out the door, and when it didn't, said okay, what will make this happen, and put the steps in place to make their dreams a reality.
So anyone who is interested in trying something new, stick with me through this article, because I am about to start to change reality. I have a business background, and poetry is my passion, my mission, an important part of our culture, we need to adapt, and make use of the tools out there to help us succeed, and stop saying "Poetry doesn't sell."
Step one - Change the attitude, and it will change the environment.
That is a very simple, yet powerful thought. If we all stop saying and/or agreeing with the general population that states: poetry doesn't sell, nobody wants to listen to poetry, poetry is boring, poetry is only for intellectuals, poetry isn't mainstream, and the list goes on, ad infinituum, things will change. We have to face everyone head on, stop letting them suppress us, and shove us into the corners of coffee houses, and the back of bookstores, and change it!
Okay so that might be a tall order, but it is acheivable. Look at what has been changed throughout history. Blacks can't ride on the bus, women should stay at home, (I am using the slang of the times.) It took the voice and people of that time period - to change it. Lets not wait for that time period to come, lets make it! It didn't take a quiet voice from the back of the room, it took an all out movement.
The Mission of the Canadian Federation of Poets has been the same from the beginning - Creating One Voice - so that we can change reality together, and I am taking initiatives and trying new ideas (some may work, some may not), but change is better than another year of the same. In fact, things don't stay the same, they either go up, or down, and I have seen far too long the direction of poetry.
Do you know how far back it goes that poets have been made to be quiet. Centuries. Writers would have to put on plays secretly to get their work seen, and hide pages, and we are still carrying some of this energy, and stigma with us. We are going to break free from all of this, and get the job done.
For those of you who don't know my background - I am an Internet Marketer by trade, and poet by heart. Among other business ventures, this is what pays the bills, supports Poetry Canada magazine, and supports the Canadian Federation of Poets. But I want us to be able to support ourselves at what we really love to do - write poetry, read our poetry, listen to poetry, whatever that passion may be.
I haven't worked out the whole plan yet, it is in its infancy - and if you have ideas - email them to me and I will introduce each of them through the newsletter, and give you credit for them. Great ideas need to be shared, and this is the tool we will use to do that right now.
Are you with me so far? Good. Because I can't do this alone. It will take each and every subscriber to do something within their own environment, their own mindset and their own family and friends. And I think we will be amazed at how easy this will be when we do it together.
For starters, I am going to be purchasing master resell rights for some e-books so that you can get them for a bargain, that will help us to market, promote, and take advantage of the largest delivery method in the world, the Internet. I make millionaires in the business world with internet marketing, and we can do the same thing here.
So I am going to give you the first task which has two parts.
Think like a business person when marketing your book. Not like a poet, we use that to create the book, but now we have to switch our hats, and sell the book. You don't have to think like a salesperson, but think like a marketer - and look outside of your own box and come up with a different way to market your book. We need to get out of our own heads, and tell everyone what we have, what we do, and why they need it. We are helping them, and a book is a business.
Read something different to help you do this. I have an e-book that I can offer at a really good price about conquering AMAZON. Take a look at this, or find something else in the library, from your office, something that deals with the ability to give you a new skill, or a new way or idea to distribute and share the words you need to have heard.
And as an aside - if you have a book you want to get published, don't wait another year. If you believe in what you've written, get your book done, take it to a company such as LuLu Press.
You're going to need your book, because by the end of this year, you're going to also be a marketer.
Tracy Repchuk
President and Founder of the Canadian Federation of Poets
Bestselling author of 31 Days to Millionaire Marketing Miracles available at Amazon.com
So anyone who is interested in trying something new, stick with me through this article, because I am about to start to change reality. I have a business background, and poetry is my passion, my mission, an important part of our culture, we need to adapt, and make use of the tools out there to help us succeed, and stop saying "Poetry doesn't sell."
Step one - Change the attitude, and it will change the environment.
That is a very simple, yet powerful thought. If we all stop saying and/or agreeing with the general population that states: poetry doesn't sell, nobody wants to listen to poetry, poetry is boring, poetry is only for intellectuals, poetry isn't mainstream, and the list goes on, ad infinituum, things will change. We have to face everyone head on, stop letting them suppress us, and shove us into the corners of coffee houses, and the back of bookstores, and change it!
Okay so that might be a tall order, but it is acheivable. Look at what has been changed throughout history. Blacks can't ride on the bus, women should stay at home, (I am using the slang of the times.) It took the voice and people of that time period - to change it. Lets not wait for that time period to come, lets make it! It didn't take a quiet voice from the back of the room, it took an all out movement.
The Mission of the Canadian Federation of Poets has been the same from the beginning - Creating One Voice - so that we can change reality together, and I am taking initiatives and trying new ideas (some may work, some may not), but change is better than another year of the same. In fact, things don't stay the same, they either go up, or down, and I have seen far too long the direction of poetry.
Do you know how far back it goes that poets have been made to be quiet. Centuries. Writers would have to put on plays secretly to get their work seen, and hide pages, and we are still carrying some of this energy, and stigma with us. We are going to break free from all of this, and get the job done.
For those of you who don't know my background - I am an Internet Marketer by trade, and poet by heart. Among other business ventures, this is what pays the bills, supports Poetry Canada magazine, and supports the Canadian Federation of Poets. But I want us to be able to support ourselves at what we really love to do - write poetry, read our poetry, listen to poetry, whatever that passion may be.
I haven't worked out the whole plan yet, it is in its infancy - and if you have ideas - email them to me and I will introduce each of them through the newsletter, and give you credit for them. Great ideas need to be shared, and this is the tool we will use to do that right now.
Are you with me so far? Good. Because I can't do this alone. It will take each and every subscriber to do something within their own environment, their own mindset and their own family and friends. And I think we will be amazed at how easy this will be when we do it together.
For starters, I am going to be purchasing master resell rights for some e-books so that you can get them for a bargain, that will help us to market, promote, and take advantage of the largest delivery method in the world, the Internet. I make millionaires in the business world with internet marketing, and we can do the same thing here.
So I am going to give you the first task which has two parts.
Think like a business person when marketing your book. Not like a poet, we use that to create the book, but now we have to switch our hats, and sell the book. You don't have to think like a salesperson, but think like a marketer - and look outside of your own box and come up with a different way to market your book. We need to get out of our own heads, and tell everyone what we have, what we do, and why they need it. We are helping them, and a book is a business.
Read something different to help you do this. I have an e-book that I can offer at a really good price about conquering AMAZON. Take a look at this, or find something else in the library, from your office, something that deals with the ability to give you a new skill, or a new way or idea to distribute and share the words you need to have heard.
And as an aside - if you have a book you want to get published, don't wait another year. If you believe in what you've written, get your book done, take it to a company such as LuLu Press.
You're going to need your book, because by the end of this year, you're going to also be a marketer.
Tracy Repchuk
President and Founder of the Canadian Federation of Poets
Bestselling author of 31 Days to Millionaire Marketing Miracles available at Amazon.com
Saturday, May 10, 2008
How You Can Promote Your Books
Ben Franklin has a great quote that goes "The definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and over and expecting different results"
Sometimes poets fall into this category, in that they create a book, and expect it to magically sell.
If you have a book that hasn't been selling the way you would like, it may be time to take a look at the promotion you are doing for it. When surveyed, most poets responded the only promotion they did was to take it with them to readings, and even then, they didn't promote it (excluding putting it on a table with a price tag.)
When you promote at a passive level, you may just end up with passive sales.
Here are some low cost plans you can make to help improve the sale of your book.
If you are a CFP member, for only $27.50 you can have a 4 month appearance in Poetry Canada magazine in the Poets' Marketplace section. For less than $30, you can be in a magazine with your book! (Price is $55 for non-members) Poets' Marketplace Sample
If you are a CFP member, you can have an announcement in this newsletter, appear on the front index page of the CFP site (over 140,000 hits per month), appear at the top of the page in the CFPShop store, for a total of 5 weeks, for only $20! (A $65 value) That's $4 per week for the promotion of your book - not a big investment, but it could make a big difference. (cost is $30 for non-members) Book Promote Plan
Reserve a table and participate in book fairs. Even better, share it with a friend, and have some company for the day.
Plan a reading from your book at a local coffee shop. Include about 4 readers, offer a discount, and make it fun. If you are a CFP member, promote your event for FREE in the CFP calendar.
If you're a CFP member, tell us what wonderful things you have done. Did you have a book launch, attend an event, win a contest, get selected for an anthology... whatever your news, let us know, and we'll share it in this newsletter.
Whatever you do, do something to help get your work out there, and have your voice really be heard!
Here are some links for you:
Special on right now - Get 5 weeks for the price of 3Book Promotion
Advertise in Poetry Canada Marketplace
Invest in your future with the Federation of Poets
Tracy Repchuk
President and Founder of the Canadian Federation of Poets
Bestselling author of 31 Days to Millionaire Marketing Miracles
Sometimes poets fall into this category, in that they create a book, and expect it to magically sell.
If you have a book that hasn't been selling the way you would like, it may be time to take a look at the promotion you are doing for it. When surveyed, most poets responded the only promotion they did was to take it with them to readings, and even then, they didn't promote it (excluding putting it on a table with a price tag.)
When you promote at a passive level, you may just end up with passive sales.
Here are some low cost plans you can make to help improve the sale of your book.
If you are a CFP member, for only $27.50 you can have a 4 month appearance in Poetry Canada magazine in the Poets' Marketplace section. For less than $30, you can be in a magazine with your book! (Price is $55 for non-members) Poets' Marketplace Sample
If you are a CFP member, you can have an announcement in this newsletter, appear on the front index page of the CFP site (over 140,000 hits per month), appear at the top of the page in the CFPShop store, for a total of 5 weeks, for only $20! (A $65 value) That's $4 per week for the promotion of your book - not a big investment, but it could make a big difference. (cost is $30 for non-members) Book Promote Plan
Reserve a table and participate in book fairs. Even better, share it with a friend, and have some company for the day.
Plan a reading from your book at a local coffee shop. Include about 4 readers, offer a discount, and make it fun. If you are a CFP member, promote your event for FREE in the CFP calendar.
If you're a CFP member, tell us what wonderful things you have done. Did you have a book launch, attend an event, win a contest, get selected for an anthology... whatever your news, let us know, and we'll share it in this newsletter.
Whatever you do, do something to help get your work out there, and have your voice really be heard!
Here are some links for you:
Special on right now - Get 5 weeks for the price of 3Book Promotion
Advertise in Poetry Canada Marketplace
Invest in your future with the Federation of Poets
Tracy Repchuk
President and Founder of the Canadian Federation of Poets
Bestselling author of 31 Days to Millionaire Marketing Miracles
Friday, May 02, 2008
May Canadian Federation of Poets Newsletter
Greetings Poetry Canada and Canadian Federation of Poets members
The Month of May - May I?
When I think of the month of May, besides May flowers, I think of the game Mother May I. So what if May became the month of May I. May I share my poetry with you? May I attend a reading? May I submit my poetry? May I promote my book? May I announce my news? The power behind a "May I" is you.
Take the initiative this month and get yourself and your poetry to the people. Think in the box, out of the box and pick at least three things to do that achieves that goal.
If you're a CFP member, send me your news. That's one done already. If applicable, it can appear in this newsletter.
Are you a CFP member and write articles? Send them in too. They can be considered for this newsletter as well. That is free publicity and promotion whether you are a poet, editor or publicist.
Check out the May News - Federation of Poets May Newsletter
Join the Canadian Federation of Poets
Federation of Poets
It's money well invested!
Tracy Repchuk
President and Founder of the Canadian Federation of Poets
The Month of May - May I?
When I think of the month of May, besides May flowers, I think of the game Mother May I. So what if May became the month of May I. May I share my poetry with you? May I attend a reading? May I submit my poetry? May I promote my book? May I announce my news? The power behind a "May I" is you.
Take the initiative this month and get yourself and your poetry to the people. Think in the box, out of the box and pick at least three things to do that achieves that goal.
If you're a CFP member, send me your news. That's one done already. If applicable, it can appear in this newsletter.
Are you a CFP member and write articles? Send them in too. They can be considered for this newsletter as well. That is free publicity and promotion whether you are a poet, editor or publicist.
Check out the May News - Federation of Poets May Newsletter
Join the Canadian Federation of Poets
Federation of Poets
It's money well invested!
Tracy Repchuk
President and Founder of the Canadian Federation of Poets
Tuesday, April 29, 2008
How to Create a Poetry CD for Free
Tracy Repchuk here, president and founder of the Canadian Federation of Poets and I'd like to encourage you to find new ways to get your poetry out to the public.
Here is one great way -
CREATE A POETRY CD FOR FREE
There is nothing more powerful than hearing what a poem sounds like from its creator. Only you know exactly what it is meant to sound like, how you pause and invoke emotion from intonations and flex in tone. In the early days, poets created a chap book to get their work out the door, but now, you can record your voice on your computer and create a CD in under an hour.
Even better, keep the audio in digital .mp3 format, and sell it on the web. Zero cost to you, zero production, and by integrating it to paypal payment processor, you can be selling your work while you sleep.
I sell audios of everything I say and do - and people pay for it. You are no different, and can do the same thing.
Profit from your poetry, without the production costs of books.
Look under your computer's accessory option, and there is a function called Sound Recorder. Record your poetry and sell it in a compilation. If you have my book 31 Days to Millionaire Marketing Miracles, all of the steps are detailed in there for you.
If you have a blog, and want to share your poetry orally for free, you can record using this free service, which provides you with the code for a 'play, pause and stop' button that you can put on your blog or website.
1. Visit www.audio-mail.com - Register - it will take you to your account.
2. Then you call: 1-604-609-0185 - Enter your ID from registration
Have fun and be sure to check out the Federation of Poets
Tracy Repchuk
President and Founder of the Canadian Federation of Poets
Bestselling author of 31 Days to Millionaire Marketing Miracles
Here is one great way -
CREATE A POETRY CD FOR FREE
There is nothing more powerful than hearing what a poem sounds like from its creator. Only you know exactly what it is meant to sound like, how you pause and invoke emotion from intonations and flex in tone. In the early days, poets created a chap book to get their work out the door, but now, you can record your voice on your computer and create a CD in under an hour.
Even better, keep the audio in digital .mp3 format, and sell it on the web. Zero cost to you, zero production, and by integrating it to paypal payment processor, you can be selling your work while you sleep.
I sell audios of everything I say and do - and people pay for it. You are no different, and can do the same thing.
Profit from your poetry, without the production costs of books.
Look under your computer's accessory option, and there is a function called Sound Recorder. Record your poetry and sell it in a compilation. If you have my book 31 Days to Millionaire Marketing Miracles, all of the steps are detailed in there for you.
If you have a blog, and want to share your poetry orally for free, you can record using this free service, which provides you with the code for a 'play, pause and stop' button that you can put on your blog or website.
1. Visit www.audio-mail.com - Register - it will take you to your account.
2. Then you call: 1-604-609-0185 - Enter your ID from registration
Have fun and be sure to check out the Federation of Poets
Tracy Repchuk
President and Founder of the Canadian Federation of Poets
Bestselling author of 31 Days to Millionaire Marketing Miracles
Wednesday, April 02, 2008
April Canadian Federation of Poets Newsletter
Happy Poetry Month!
This is our month so be sure you are being as active with your poetry as you can be.
Spread the word that poetry is alive, and critical to the social fabric of society.
CFP VOLUNTEERS OF THE YEAR
The Canadian Federation of Poets runs on volunteer power, and I am grateful for everyone that gives their time, support, and promotion efforts. Throughout this past year I would like to give recognition to some very special people that keep the wheels turning every day.
George Arnold - National Coordinator
George Arnold is the Oakville Federation Chair, Burlington Co-Chair, Oakville Arts Council representative, and has won the CFP Poet of the Year 2 years in a row. George is a vital member of the CFP, and the only awarded lifetime member.
George is responsible for the success and expansion of the CFP in Canada with respect to the operation and growth of Federations/Chapters throughout the country.
Betty Dobson - Calendar Coordinator and Editor of Poetry Canada magazine
Betty Dobson is an award-winning, published writer and the owner of InkSpotter Publishing. As a longtime volunteer, she donates her time and her talents to causes close to her heart, including adult literacy, AIDS awareness, and the prevention of violence against women.
Betty is responsible for updating the online calendar with CFP, member, and editor of Poetry Canada magazine.
Find out more at: http://inkspotter.com/
We are always looking for help, if you would like to join our volunteer team, go here and check out our list of positions.
Check out the April News - Federation of Poets April Newsletter
Join the Canadian Federation of Poets
Federation of Poets
It's money well spent!
Tracy Repchuk
President and Founder of the Canadian Federation of Poets
This is our month so be sure you are being as active with your poetry as you can be.
Spread the word that poetry is alive, and critical to the social fabric of society.
CFP VOLUNTEERS OF THE YEAR
The Canadian Federation of Poets runs on volunteer power, and I am grateful for everyone that gives their time, support, and promotion efforts. Throughout this past year I would like to give recognition to some very special people that keep the wheels turning every day.
George Arnold - National Coordinator
George Arnold is the Oakville Federation Chair, Burlington Co-Chair, Oakville Arts Council representative, and has won the CFP Poet of the Year 2 years in a row. George is a vital member of the CFP, and the only awarded lifetime member.
George is responsible for the success and expansion of the CFP in Canada with respect to the operation and growth of Federations/Chapters throughout the country.
Betty Dobson - Calendar Coordinator and Editor of Poetry Canada magazine
Betty Dobson is an award-winning, published writer and the owner of InkSpotter Publishing. As a longtime volunteer, she donates her time and her talents to causes close to her heart, including adult literacy, AIDS awareness, and the prevention of violence against women.
Betty is responsible for updating the online calendar with CFP, member, and editor of Poetry Canada magazine.
Find out more at: http://inkspotter.com/
We are always looking for help, if you would like to join our volunteer team, go here and check out our list of positions.
Check out the April News - Federation of Poets April Newsletter
Join the Canadian Federation of Poets
Federation of Poets
It's money well spent!
Tracy Repchuk
President and Founder of the Canadian Federation of Poets
Sunday, March 02, 2008
March Canadian Federation of Poets Newsletter
Welcome Supporters of Poetry Canada and the Canadian Federation of Poets
Greeting everyone I just wanted to remind you that the latest edition of Poetry Canada has gone out, and the high profile interview with Daphne Rose Kingma, six times on Oprah and over 1,000,000 copies sold of her books in this edition has already received massive feedback.
Hope for poets, and acknowledgement for members that you are in one of the most progressive poetry organizations whose profile is continuously rising.
I will be away most of March with my speaking engagements in Australia, but you will have your latest copy of Poetry Canada to keep you company, and ten anthologies to submit to. With over 1000 poets we should have hundreds of submissions for every edition. If you have dreamed of getting more publishing credits in one year than your entire life - this is what could happen.
With increased recognition of Poetry Canada our next interview will be just as impressive for the next edition. He has appeared on The Tonight Show six times, CBC, Comedy Now, Montreal Comedy Festival, Mike Bullard show, and is a poet with a brand new book out. Look for this exciting reveal in our next edition of Poetry Canada. This is a magazine subscription that Canadian Federation of Poets members currently get included in your membership.
Check out the March News - Federation of Poets March Newsletter
Join the Canadian Federation of Poets
Federation of Poets
It's money well spent!
Greeting everyone I just wanted to remind you that the latest edition of Poetry Canada has gone out, and the high profile interview with Daphne Rose Kingma, six times on Oprah and over 1,000,000 copies sold of her books in this edition has already received massive feedback.
Hope for poets, and acknowledgement for members that you are in one of the most progressive poetry organizations whose profile is continuously rising.
I will be away most of March with my speaking engagements in Australia, but you will have your latest copy of Poetry Canada to keep you company, and ten anthologies to submit to. With over 1000 poets we should have hundreds of submissions for every edition. If you have dreamed of getting more publishing credits in one year than your entire life - this is what could happen.
With increased recognition of Poetry Canada our next interview will be just as impressive for the next edition. He has appeared on The Tonight Show six times, CBC, Comedy Now, Montreal Comedy Festival, Mike Bullard show, and is a poet with a brand new book out. Look for this exciting reveal in our next edition of Poetry Canada. This is a magazine subscription that Canadian Federation of Poets members currently get included in your membership.
Check out the March News - Federation of Poets March Newsletter
Join the Canadian Federation of Poets
Federation of Poets
It's money well spent!
Sunday, February 24, 2008
Market Your Poetry and Promote Your Poems
SQUIDOO MARKETING TOOL
For poets marketing their work, there are many options that they don't consider. As the president of the Canadian Federation of Poets, I have spent much time on educating them on alternative routes to maximize exposure. This one was particularly easy, so I wanted to mention it.
Squidoo, is that a funny name or what? Who would have thought this peculiar name would become an easy to create tool for marketing online.
Mastering Squidoo can make a huge difference in the promotion of your books or your endeavours.
Squidoo is like a baby blog, only you create what is called a lens - which really just means a one page site that targets a specific keyword, including your name.
1. Go to: www.Squidoo.com
As an example - to get a feel for the elements, here is a look at a Squidoo Lens I created. Tracy Repchuk on Internet Marketing
Squidoo
It is effective, easy to do, and really helps with your web traffic and rankings. Many new users are raving about rankings they are getting in Google, because of their Squidoo Lens.
So here is a bit about the background, now that you have seen what one looks like:
1. They are as easy to create as a Blog
2. They allow you to focus (hence the term lens) on a specific topic
3. You create a page by 'Adding Modules'. Add a title for the module, just like a blog post, and then type in the body. Modules are like sections.
4. Popular modules are Amazon, RSS (your blog), Pictures, Guestbook, YouTube, and a generic post area.
5. Like a blog, you can earn money with Adsense. In the case of Squidoo, they add it for you, but you split the income. But, they know how to do it probably better than you do.
6. Tighter more adhesive community. Has the feel of a YouTube.
Try it - it can't hurt, and you can't screw up anything if the lens doesn't work, plus they have a full SquidooU - University if you really want to go for it. Sites like this make the difference between selling books, and having a book.
Have fun, and try it. Promote your poems, your books, your organizations, or poetry in general - help to spread the word about one of the most powerful mediums.
Tracy Repchuk
President and Founder of the Canadian Federation of Poets
PS - Join the Federation of Poets an organization dedicated to uniting poetry and organizations around the world in the global promtion of poets and poetry.
For poets marketing their work, there are many options that they don't consider. As the president of the Canadian Federation of Poets, I have spent much time on educating them on alternative routes to maximize exposure. This one was particularly easy, so I wanted to mention it.
Squidoo, is that a funny name or what? Who would have thought this peculiar name would become an easy to create tool for marketing online.
Mastering Squidoo can make a huge difference in the promotion of your books or your endeavours.
Squidoo is like a baby blog, only you create what is called a lens - which really just means a one page site that targets a specific keyword, including your name.
1. Go to: www.Squidoo.com
As an example - to get a feel for the elements, here is a look at a Squidoo Lens I created. Tracy Repchuk on Internet Marketing
Squidoo
It is effective, easy to do, and really helps with your web traffic and rankings. Many new users are raving about rankings they are getting in Google, because of their Squidoo Lens.
So here is a bit about the background, now that you have seen what one looks like:
1. They are as easy to create as a Blog
2. They allow you to focus (hence the term lens) on a specific topic
3. You create a page by 'Adding Modules'. Add a title for the module, just like a blog post, and then type in the body. Modules are like sections.
4. Popular modules are Amazon, RSS (your blog), Pictures, Guestbook, YouTube, and a generic post area.
5. Like a blog, you can earn money with Adsense. In the case of Squidoo, they add it for you, but you split the income. But, they know how to do it probably better than you do.
6. Tighter more adhesive community. Has the feel of a YouTube.
Try it - it can't hurt, and you can't screw up anything if the lens doesn't work, plus they have a full SquidooU - University if you really want to go for it. Sites like this make the difference between selling books, and having a book.
Have fun, and try it. Promote your poems, your books, your organizations, or poetry in general - help to spread the word about one of the most powerful mediums.
Tracy Repchuk
President and Founder of the Canadian Federation of Poets
PS - Join the Federation of Poets an organization dedicated to uniting poetry and organizations around the world in the global promtion of poets and poetry.
Sunday, February 03, 2008
Canadian Federation of Poets February Newsletter
The Canadian Federation of Poets is dedicated to uniting people and organizations around the world in the global promotion of poets and poetry by educating people on the importance of Poetry in their lives.
February Newsletter is ready for your viewing.
It is in HTML so can't be displayed here, so go to Canadian Federation of Poets Feb 2008 Newsletter
Enjoy the news.
Tracy Repchuk
President and Founder of the Canadian Federation of Poets
PS - There is a 10-book anthology call on right now! Free to submit.
Get published in 2008!
February Newsletter is ready for your viewing.
It is in HTML so can't be displayed here, so go to Canadian Federation of Poets Feb 2008 Newsletter
Enjoy the news.
Tracy Repchuk
President and Founder of the Canadian Federation of Poets
PS - There is a 10-book anthology call on right now! Free to submit.
Get published in 2008!
Saturday, February 02, 2008
The 3 Rules for Being a Poet on the Stage
Tracy Repchuk, host and poet at the Artists for a Better World Poetry event. Over 20 poets participated in this spectacular event, and anyone is welcome.
I have 3 rules for an event that I am giving, and they are:
1. When a poet is on the stage - they're perfect, and we're going to treat them that way
Find out the others right now.
Have a great day, and join the Canadian Federation of Poets.
Be a part of this world-wide organization of caring poets for a better world.
Tracy Repchuk
President and Founder of the www.FederationofPoets.com
I have 3 rules for an event that I am giving, and they are:
1. When a poet is on the stage - they're perfect, and we're going to treat them that way
Find out the others right now.
Have a great day, and join the Canadian Federation of Poets.
Be a part of this world-wide organization of caring poets for a better world.
Tracy Repchuk
President and Founder of the www.FederationofPoets.com
Friday, February 01, 2008
How to Ensure your Book Cover is Ready
AIDA - YOUR BOOK COVER
You have possibly heard all about this before, but just in case you haven't - I wanted to bring it to your attention.
The reason I do right now is three-fold:
1. When I took my first book through this process (31 Days to Millionaire Marketing Miracles) - the cover page difference was amazing and effective.
2. In looking at many existing poetry books, trust me when I say - you didn't follow AIDA. If possible, review what you have and update it for 2008.
3. I am in the design of my new book cover, and this cycle gets tighter and more aggressive once you accept it, and you become a powerful critic that looks at your own cover with the eyes of your worst enemy - who STILL ends up buying it by time you are done.
ATTENTION - You have 4 seconds to impress them. The front cover must have a title that can be read across a bookstore. Be attractive and fit the theme.
INTEREST - Then the purchaser will quickly flip to the back. You have 7 seconds to sell them. This is NOT a place for your bio or what inspired you to write the book. Tell them the benefits they will get from reading it, include testimonials if you have them, and leave them needing that book. Appeal to their "What's in it for me" attitude.
DESIRE - Once they've done with your back cover, they will open up the book and look at the table of contents - and this had better be organized and compelling. A book is no place for 'untitled' or lame titles for your work. You have fractions of seconds for them to STOP and want to know what the poem from that title would look like. Because then - you've got...
ACTION - They need to know, and will now take the action required to walk out of the bookstore, or hit ORDER on Amazon. Last mention here, make this process very easy - stamps, mailing a cheque, they will forget and you won't sell a book after all of your effort. Get paypal on a blog if you have to - but make it easy to buy your book!
I have spent $12,000 this past year getting educated on book production and marketing from #1 International Bestselling authors, and 14-time #1 New York Times bestselling author Richard Paul Evans and Robert G. Allen, so I am passing a small but critical piece that I learned. Richard Paul Evans was the first person in history to make the New York Times #1 spot in both soft and hard-cover simultaneously, sold the most books in history as a self-published author, and got the largest advance in history for their first book (7-figure advance, yes-including JK Rowling.)
Examine the books on the bestseller list in your category, pull the book up from Amazon, look at the front, back, inside table of contents, and see how your book rates against it. Would it generate the way it is right now, enough INTEREST for someone to take ACTION and buy it?
My real improvements also came on the back cover, where it became less about 'me' and more about what the book would do for them.
Have your cover reviewed by friends, use your writing or critique group to give you feedback, and go to the bookstore and see what other people have in your genre, and then design something better.
Tracy Repchuk
President and Founder of the Canadian Federation of Poets
Dedicated to uniting people and organizations from around the world in the global promotion of poetry and poets.
PS - Get free access to our newsletters and register to receive your free copy automatically.
You have possibly heard all about this before, but just in case you haven't - I wanted to bring it to your attention.
The reason I do right now is three-fold:
1. When I took my first book through this process (31 Days to Millionaire Marketing Miracles) - the cover page difference was amazing and effective.
2. In looking at many existing poetry books, trust me when I say - you didn't follow AIDA. If possible, review what you have and update it for 2008.
3. I am in the design of my new book cover, and this cycle gets tighter and more aggressive once you accept it, and you become a powerful critic that looks at your own cover with the eyes of your worst enemy - who STILL ends up buying it by time you are done.
ATTENTION - You have 4 seconds to impress them. The front cover must have a title that can be read across a bookstore. Be attractive and fit the theme.
INTEREST - Then the purchaser will quickly flip to the back. You have 7 seconds to sell them. This is NOT a place for your bio or what inspired you to write the book. Tell them the benefits they will get from reading it, include testimonials if you have them, and leave them needing that book. Appeal to their "What's in it for me" attitude.
DESIRE - Once they've done with your back cover, they will open up the book and look at the table of contents - and this had better be organized and compelling. A book is no place for 'untitled' or lame titles for your work. You have fractions of seconds for them to STOP and want to know what the poem from that title would look like. Because then - you've got...
ACTION - They need to know, and will now take the action required to walk out of the bookstore, or hit ORDER on Amazon. Last mention here, make this process very easy - stamps, mailing a cheque, they will forget and you won't sell a book after all of your effort. Get paypal on a blog if you have to - but make it easy to buy your book!
I have spent $12,000 this past year getting educated on book production and marketing from #1 International Bestselling authors, and 14-time #1 New York Times bestselling author Richard Paul Evans and Robert G. Allen, so I am passing a small but critical piece that I learned. Richard Paul Evans was the first person in history to make the New York Times #1 spot in both soft and hard-cover simultaneously, sold the most books in history as a self-published author, and got the largest advance in history for their first book (7-figure advance, yes-including JK Rowling.)
Examine the books on the bestseller list in your category, pull the book up from Amazon, look at the front, back, inside table of contents, and see how your book rates against it. Would it generate the way it is right now, enough INTEREST for someone to take ACTION and buy it?
My real improvements also came on the back cover, where it became less about 'me' and more about what the book would do for them.
Have your cover reviewed by friends, use your writing or critique group to give you feedback, and go to the bookstore and see what other people have in your genre, and then design something better.
Tracy Repchuk
President and Founder of the Canadian Federation of Poets
Dedicated to uniting people and organizations from around the world in the global promotion of poetry and poets.
PS - Get free access to our newsletters and register to receive your free copy automatically.
Friday, June 15, 2007
Poetry Testimonials for Tracy Repchuk
Testimonials are an amazing thing, and not only for the recipient, but if you have a website or blog you can get the added benefit of traffic back to your site, by providing one.
Here are a couple of members who took the time to provide their feedback.
Donna Thompson, CFP member - "Writers respond well to encouraging voices, your voice is a blessing -Thank You."
Richard Vallance - CFP member - "Tracy Repchuk, President of the Canadian Federation of Poets, has always struck me as a hard-working editor and publisher, whose devotion to the art of poetry and also of photography is second to none. Tracy makes a special effort to publish quality poetry, and this includes in Poetry Canada. I can only hope I will be able to return to Tracy something similar to the several signal honours she has bestowed on other poets, including myself."
Honoria Groves - CFP member - "Tracy, we are blessed to have you because any organization is only as great as its leader! You are such an inspiration to us all and make it possible for us to share our thoughts and feelings with others, which brings us great satisfaction. Thanks so much."
Nancy V. Bennett - CFP member - "It is nice to find a home for poetry, a moment to pause and linger. Canada has a vast amount of talented writers of verse. Here is where we gather to exchange ideals, offer comradeship and pave the way for new generations."
Testimonials are a great way to get traffic to your site, and improve your Google rankings with relevant back links. So feel free to send a testimonial to the Canadian Federation of Poets, and we'll be glad to help promote your site too!
Tracy Repchuk
President and Founder of the Canadian Federation of Poets
Join one of the fastest growing poetry organizations with 8 Federations around the world and over 100 live events each year. Benefit from the Canadian Federation of Poets
Here are a couple of members who took the time to provide their feedback.
Donna Thompson, CFP member - "Writers respond well to encouraging voices, your voice is a blessing -Thank You."
Richard Vallance - CFP member - "Tracy Repchuk, President of the Canadian Federation of Poets, has always struck me as a hard-working editor and publisher, whose devotion to the art of poetry and also of photography is second to none. Tracy makes a special effort to publish quality poetry, and this includes in Poetry Canada. I can only hope I will be able to return to Tracy something similar to the several signal honours she has bestowed on other poets, including myself."
Honoria Groves - CFP member - "Tracy, we are blessed to have you because any organization is only as great as its leader! You are such an inspiration to us all and make it possible for us to share our thoughts and feelings with others, which brings us great satisfaction. Thanks so much."
Nancy V. Bennett - CFP member - "It is nice to find a home for poetry, a moment to pause and linger. Canada has a vast amount of talented writers of verse. Here is where we gather to exchange ideals, offer comradeship and pave the way for new generations."
Testimonials are a great way to get traffic to your site, and improve your Google rankings with relevant back links. So feel free to send a testimonial to the Canadian Federation of Poets, and we'll be glad to help promote your site too!
Tracy Repchuk
President and Founder of the Canadian Federation of Poets
Join one of the fastest growing poetry organizations with 8 Federations around the world and over 100 live events each year. Benefit from the Canadian Federation of Poets
Thursday, May 24, 2007
Choosing an Internet Service Provider
Choosing an Internet Service Provider ISP
Step 2 of setting up a website, is selecting an ISP or Internet Service Provider, which is the service that hosts your website. I thought this would be a good topic as so many poets are becoming internet savvy, and are ready to take the plunge into creating their own website. So before you get the "HTML book for Dummies", you first need to have a place to put your site.
If you purchase your website domain name through companies such as www.ipower.com, they also provide free hosting services for small sites. For only $9.95, you can even eliminate the banner. This is a great way to start.
You can also create a free blogger site. A BLOG is an online personal journal, where you can post your poetry, make announcements, or just let the world know what you're up to. It's interactive, and FREE. Go to www.blogger.com, open up an account, select a template, and voila, you have a website.
I have 6 blogs, and they are very easy.
Find out more details on what to look for in an Internet Service Provider
And who do I use? Here is one of the ISPs I use
Helping you to get the word out about your poetry.
Tracy Repchuk
President and Founder of the Canadian Federation of Poets
Join one of the fastest growing poetry organizations with 8 Federations around the world and over 100 live events each year. Benefit from the Canadian Federation of Poets
Step 2 of setting up a website, is selecting an ISP or Internet Service Provider, which is the service that hosts your website. I thought this would be a good topic as so many poets are becoming internet savvy, and are ready to take the plunge into creating their own website. So before you get the "HTML book for Dummies", you first need to have a place to put your site.
If you purchase your website domain name through companies such as www.ipower.com, they also provide free hosting services for small sites. For only $9.95, you can even eliminate the banner. This is a great way to start.
You can also create a free blogger site. A BLOG is an online personal journal, where you can post your poetry, make announcements, or just let the world know what you're up to. It's interactive, and FREE. Go to www.blogger.com, open up an account, select a template, and voila, you have a website.
I have 6 blogs, and they are very easy.
Find out more details on what to look for in an Internet Service Provider
And who do I use? Here is one of the ISPs I use
Helping you to get the word out about your poetry.
Tracy Repchuk
President and Founder of the Canadian Federation of Poets
Join one of the fastest growing poetry organizations with 8 Federations around the world and over 100 live events each year. Benefit from the Canadian Federation of Poets
Thursday, April 12, 2007
How To Get a Website in 5 Minutes for Free
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Tuesday, March 13, 2007
Poetry Survey Reveals the Future of Poetry
Ever wonder what other people are thinking about poetry.
The Canadian Federation of Poets conducted a survey, and here are the results.
This could help you with planning your next book launch, plan how you approach others with your poetry, and highlights how the Federation of Poets is doing with these issues.
Here are the complete results.
• Q1 - What do you think people like most about poetry?
85% - emotional, inspirational, creative expression of ideas
12.5% - rhymes and rhythm
2.5% - too technical
Once you identify what people like most about something, that is what you can give them. People like to feel something when they read a poem, be inspired, and share ideas, so if we want to get a wider audience, this is a good place to start.
• Q2 - What could a national organization do that would be most useful to a poet?
43% - Career help and guidance
18% - Publish poets
13% - Increase Perception
11% - News/Events
10% - Unite poets/sense of community
5% - Train poets
For the Canadian Federation of Poets, this was the most important question, and the results were surprising. So we will spend the next year coming up with innovative ideas and solutions, and opportunities to help you establish your career as a poet, and provide guidance and suggestions where applicable.
How is the CFP doing so far?
• Career help and guidance With over 50 events, and 15 appearances of CFP members in the news, this is the first step to establishing your career - and that is exposure. Plus we provide advise about free contests, we promote members in Poetry Canada magazine, we select and promote a Feature Poet every month on-line, we provide a free on-line community for anyone, forum and chat area so poets can help poets, and share ideas, our website has over 27,000 hits a month, plus we have interviewed some of the newest up and coming poets of 2004 to let you know how they did it! Poetry Canada magazine will make sure it has content to satisfy this need in every edition.
• Publish poets: We put out a call in 2004 for the First CFP members anthology, which will help you gain experience in the publishing and editing process, and provide a method to get you published so you can announce to the world that you have been selected for inclusion, and published in a high quality, perfect bound book of the finest poems from CFP members.
• Increase Perception: We have poets on tour with Chapters/Indigo, and at every opportunity the CFP gets out there and promotes poetry. Events, newsletters, ezines, contests, on-line bookstore, pay per click keywords, an anthology, all of these are a great start to increasing the perception of a poet and their unique purpose in the society. By continuing to appear in front of anyone who will listen, and by starting off the year appearing at the Mayor's Levee in the city of Milton, we are expanding the audience type. In addition the combined events with the Burlington Art Centre that have our poets create in conjunction with current main gallery exhibits, all of this will continue to increase our awareness. If we all continue to 'speak up', we'll all eventually be heard.
• News/Events: This past year on average the CFP and its members held over 50 events that you could participate in, gain valuable speaking experience from and increase your own exposure. We will be adding even more this year, so be sure to take advantage of this! Plus we had over 15 appearances of CFP members, and 34 event accouncements in community newspapers. CFP will help promote you!
• Unite poets/sense of community We had 50 get togethers last year, we have 5 on-line forums for all different kinds of poetry topics, an on-line calendar where members and organizations can post their events, a monthly ezine that keeps you informed, announcement of events in Poetry Canada magazine, a free subscription to Poetry Canada magazine, on-line biographies and links of members so you can really get to know them, and a place where youth under the age of 16 can join for free, and participate on every level of full membership!
• Training - did you know the CFP has a complete 52 week education program where you can learn tons of different styles of poetry, and participate in drills and exercises to increase your own knowledge and experiences. At the end CFP members will get a Poets Certificate, which will be a well earned certificate, qualifying you to create in any of the methods from the program. Experienced teachers and editors will be there to mark your work, provide advise, guidance, and make sure you get the most knowledge you can from the CFP.
Are you a CFP member? What are you waiting for! Find out ALL the benefits of joining the CFP!
• Q3 - What would you like to get from the world of poetry?
48%- Recognition/Appreciation
26%- A career as a poet
19%- Knowledge
7%- Friends and community
How is the CFP doing so far?
• Recognition and appreciation Poets want to be appreciated and acknowledged. Simple things such as the CFP answers every email, responds to your inquiries, and helps members get the information you are looking for. You want recognition, so each month we feature a member on the website, we feature a member in Poetry Canada magazine, and we hold many events which we feature attending poets. In addition, we provide member on-line bios, and website links, so you can send out the message you want to every visitor. As for next year, we are going to add some member awards for outstanding poetry, volunteer work, and various other poetry expanding activities. Look for these!
• A career as a poet At the CFP, we know many of you would like to be earning enough money to have poetry be a full-time income endeavour, or if it is is a secondary passion, to have it compensate enough for your time. After all, you are a writer, and writers get paid. This is why we create events, contests, and opportunities in which you can sell your books, CDs and from Poetry Canada, we even pay our poets for their work. Not only does this result in the magazine being extremely selective, it means that the selected poets are launched in a very nice way. In addition, we don't look at the names of submitters, which means first time poets get the same consideration as published. Here you are on a level playing field, where talent wins, not who you know.
• Knowledge We created the unique 52 week Poetry Certification program to provide you with knowledge about different types of poetry, plus we provide information on the website, in the ezine, on the forums, in the calendar, newsletters and in Poetry Canada magazine. We work to keep you well informed.
• Friends and community Although this ranked low, we feel it is an important part and feature of the Canadian Federation of Poets. Poetry can be a tough nut to crack, and with the help of friends trying to do the same thing, and a community that will help encourage and provide advise to each other, we can all get further ahead, and when we walk together, the journey will be a beautiful one.
• Q4 - Should the name be Canadian Federation of just Federation of Poets?
71% - Canadian Federation of Poets
29% - Federation of Poets
CFP Response: Because the CFP is a world-wide organization, we decided to take a poll on whether we should make the name more generic. It was a landslide win in favour of keeping the Canadian heritage and origins. Be proud of where it started you said, and that is very good advise for all of us! Be proud. So the name is officially and will be registered as The Canadian Federation of Poets, even though it is for everyone, it started in Canada!
• Q5 - What would a poet like to see in or from a poetry magazine?
39% - Tips and articles to help with career
32% - Good poetry
16% - Their own work, chance for first timers
9% - Aesthetics and promote multiculturalism
4% - Get paid
2% - More rhyming poetry
2% - Volunteer opportunities for job experience
How is Poetry Canada doing so far?
• Tips and articles to help with career Every edition will have information to help you get published, find publishers, and tips and articles on how to help you with your career.
• Good poetry - We select a maximum of 10 out of about 300 submissions. We appreciate everyone that sends us their work, encourage you to continue, and as the magazine grows, are certain so will submissions, always resulting in the best work being selected. With a high number of submissions we can't select everyone if we want to continue the high standards, however, sometimes we simply run out of room - so we keep the runner ups on file and include them for consideration next time also. When you have to shell out money like Poetry Canada does to each poet, we make sure our money is well spent.
• Their own work, chance for first timers Over 50% of the poets that have appeared in Poetry Canada magazine, tell us it was their first time. They were so excited, and we were glad to be a part of their break into the industry. When we consider the work, we don't look at the name, city, province, state or country. The best are selected from anywhere in the world.
• Aesthetics and promote multiculturalism - Part of the core mission of the magazine is to promote culture and diversity through art, photography, and poetry. This mission will ensure we get you a beautifully created magazine, that promotes poetry, art and photography from around the world. In addition, we have an exclusive section for poetry presented in multiple languages called "Small Planet". The more we realize we are all here for the same reason, regardless of race, religion, culture, creed or any other 'physical world differentiator', the more we will all see each other as the same.
• Get paid Despite the fact this is the first year, and the magazine is running at a complete loss, we made it clear that we would pay our poets, however nominal, out of principal alone. We are writers, and deserve to be paid. Just because we love to do it, that is the point. We should all be able to earn a living by doing what we love. So however small a role Poetry Canada magazine will play, we want to make sure we set a precedent that hopefully other magazines will follow.
• More rhyming poetry To ensure that a rhyming poem appeared in every issue, we reserved a 'contest' spot for this type of poetry. It's popularity, flow, and rhymic passages are wonderful to listen to, often underrated, and deserves to be a prominent form of poetry for any age.
• Volunteer opportunities for job experience We allow volunteers to participate at most levels of production, and many have offered your services, to which will be taking you up on when the need presents itself. We will be glad to provide an environment where you can gain experience, and provide formal references for your future endeavours in the world of writing, editing and publishing.
• Q6 - If you could change one thing about poetry, what would it be?
28.5% - Quality improvement
22.8% - Content/subject matter
14.2% - viable career option
11.5% - have it be a more popular medium
11.5% - People's perception of it
11.5% - disrespectful way poets are treated
How is the CFP doing so far?
• All of the above are difficult to measure, but we do know we are making a difference in the industry because we are getting very positive feedback from our poets, from Poetry Canada magazine subscribers and readers, and from the attendees at events. Next year we will post some of the feedback. For content and quality, we believe Poetry Canada is selecting top quality work, and as far as content is related, there many places and sites specific to content many of us are not interested in. At Poetry Canada and the CFP, we believe a positive message, improvement, quality of life and aestethic contribution are important qualities we wish to promote and publish. This does not exclude science fiction, short stories, or human drama. Content and quality are very subjective, so we will let our readers and poets decide on what they like, based on feedback and survey results.
• Q7 - How do you feel poetry is perceived by the general public?
38.8% - Boring waste of time
25% - Difficult to read, understand and do
19.5% - They like it
16.7% - For stuffed shirts and intellectuals
How is the CFP doing so far?
If someone doesn't understand something, that means as a poet, we have not communicated that very well. We have not connected with affinity, or got them interested enough in what poetry can do for them. So the responses to this question are up to all of us to correct. If you think of a person as a mirror, they should feel the way you do when you have successfully expressed your message. If they don't, take a good look at how you feel about poetry first.
The CFP will be putting great effort into this. Last year we had 5 visits to local schools to make sure that children and youth did not abandon poetry, and that they understood that music is a form of poetry, and when they are having problems it is a great way to express themselves, and much more.
So what can each of us do as individuals to make sure that the number one answer soon is - They like it?
1. If you work in an office, post on the memo board an amusing poetry about the office or a situation you were just in. Use it to improve the environment. Be proud of your work.
2. If you work at a Doctors office or place where there is a reception - put out your chapbooks or books for people to glance through (of course check this with your employer - but I bet they would love it).
3. Teach a friend how to write a Haiku - make them feel like a poet. Don't know how to do that yourself, check out our on-line lessons.
4. Tailor your readings to your audience. If you are presenting to a general audience, pick some of your lighter poetry. Not to insinuate they are not intellectually capable of understanding your heavier work, but to appeal to the broadest base of the audience.
5. Find out why someone thinks poetry is boring. Confront them. You can tell these people when their eyes roll back as you tell them what you do (and please tell them what you do!!). Correct their impression, or help them overcome any barriers they have erected. For every individual we each strip of false data or bad experiences they have had, that is one more audience member for all of us!
6. Think of any way you can to help improve the entry and understanding of poets and poetry
7. If you have an idea, send it to us!
We will be conducting surveys often to help us monitor and continue to successfully help increase our value as an Organization, and as a concerned society for the preservation and promotion of poetry and the arts. Please be sure to take part in these when they come up. A little opinion can go a long way when you know it is being heard. And at the CFP - we hear you!
Hope these results help.
Tracy Repchuk
President and Founder of the Canadian Federation of Poets
Join the FREE ezine and keep in touch
The Canadian Federation of Poets conducted a survey, and here are the results.
This could help you with planning your next book launch, plan how you approach others with your poetry, and highlights how the Federation of Poets is doing with these issues.
Here are the complete results.
• Q1 - What do you think people like most about poetry?
85% - emotional, inspirational, creative expression of ideas
12.5% - rhymes and rhythm
2.5% - too technical
Once you identify what people like most about something, that is what you can give them. People like to feel something when they read a poem, be inspired, and share ideas, so if we want to get a wider audience, this is a good place to start.
• Q2 - What could a national organization do that would be most useful to a poet?
43% - Career help and guidance
18% - Publish poets
13% - Increase Perception
11% - News/Events
10% - Unite poets/sense of community
5% - Train poets
For the Canadian Federation of Poets, this was the most important question, and the results were surprising. So we will spend the next year coming up with innovative ideas and solutions, and opportunities to help you establish your career as a poet, and provide guidance and suggestions where applicable.
How is the CFP doing so far?
• Career help and guidance With over 50 events, and 15 appearances of CFP members in the news, this is the first step to establishing your career - and that is exposure. Plus we provide advise about free contests, we promote members in Poetry Canada magazine, we select and promote a Feature Poet every month on-line, we provide a free on-line community for anyone, forum and chat area so poets can help poets, and share ideas, our website has over 27,000 hits a month, plus we have interviewed some of the newest up and coming poets of 2004 to let you know how they did it! Poetry Canada magazine will make sure it has content to satisfy this need in every edition.
• Publish poets: We put out a call in 2004 for the First CFP members anthology, which will help you gain experience in the publishing and editing process, and provide a method to get you published so you can announce to the world that you have been selected for inclusion, and published in a high quality, perfect bound book of the finest poems from CFP members.
• Increase Perception: We have poets on tour with Chapters/Indigo, and at every opportunity the CFP gets out there and promotes poetry. Events, newsletters, ezines, contests, on-line bookstore, pay per click keywords, an anthology, all of these are a great start to increasing the perception of a poet and their unique purpose in the society. By continuing to appear in front of anyone who will listen, and by starting off the year appearing at the Mayor's Levee in the city of Milton, we are expanding the audience type. In addition the combined events with the Burlington Art Centre that have our poets create in conjunction with current main gallery exhibits, all of this will continue to increase our awareness. If we all continue to 'speak up', we'll all eventually be heard.
• News/Events: This past year on average the CFP and its members held over 50 events that you could participate in, gain valuable speaking experience from and increase your own exposure. We will be adding even more this year, so be sure to take advantage of this! Plus we had over 15 appearances of CFP members, and 34 event accouncements in community newspapers. CFP will help promote you!
• Unite poets/sense of community We had 50 get togethers last year, we have 5 on-line forums for all different kinds of poetry topics, an on-line calendar where members and organizations can post their events, a monthly ezine that keeps you informed, announcement of events in Poetry Canada magazine, a free subscription to Poetry Canada magazine, on-line biographies and links of members so you can really get to know them, and a place where youth under the age of 16 can join for free, and participate on every level of full membership!
• Training - did you know the CFP has a complete 52 week education program where you can learn tons of different styles of poetry, and participate in drills and exercises to increase your own knowledge and experiences. At the end CFP members will get a Poets Certificate, which will be a well earned certificate, qualifying you to create in any of the methods from the program. Experienced teachers and editors will be there to mark your work, provide advise, guidance, and make sure you get the most knowledge you can from the CFP.
Are you a CFP member? What are you waiting for! Find out ALL the benefits of joining the CFP!
• Q3 - What would you like to get from the world of poetry?
48%- Recognition/Appreciation
26%- A career as a poet
19%- Knowledge
7%- Friends and community
How is the CFP doing so far?
• Recognition and appreciation Poets want to be appreciated and acknowledged. Simple things such as the CFP answers every email, responds to your inquiries, and helps members get the information you are looking for. You want recognition, so each month we feature a member on the website, we feature a member in Poetry Canada magazine, and we hold many events which we feature attending poets. In addition, we provide member on-line bios, and website links, so you can send out the message you want to every visitor. As for next year, we are going to add some member awards for outstanding poetry, volunteer work, and various other poetry expanding activities. Look for these!
• A career as a poet At the CFP, we know many of you would like to be earning enough money to have poetry be a full-time income endeavour, or if it is is a secondary passion, to have it compensate enough for your time. After all, you are a writer, and writers get paid. This is why we create events, contests, and opportunities in which you can sell your books, CDs and from Poetry Canada, we even pay our poets for their work. Not only does this result in the magazine being extremely selective, it means that the selected poets are launched in a very nice way. In addition, we don't look at the names of submitters, which means first time poets get the same consideration as published. Here you are on a level playing field, where talent wins, not who you know.
• Knowledge We created the unique 52 week Poetry Certification program to provide you with knowledge about different types of poetry, plus we provide information on the website, in the ezine, on the forums, in the calendar, newsletters and in Poetry Canada magazine. We work to keep you well informed.
• Friends and community Although this ranked low, we feel it is an important part and feature of the Canadian Federation of Poets. Poetry can be a tough nut to crack, and with the help of friends trying to do the same thing, and a community that will help encourage and provide advise to each other, we can all get further ahead, and when we walk together, the journey will be a beautiful one.
• Q4 - Should the name be Canadian Federation of just Federation of Poets?
71% - Canadian Federation of Poets
29% - Federation of Poets
CFP Response: Because the CFP is a world-wide organization, we decided to take a poll on whether we should make the name more generic. It was a landslide win in favour of keeping the Canadian heritage and origins. Be proud of where it started you said, and that is very good advise for all of us! Be proud. So the name is officially and will be registered as The Canadian Federation of Poets, even though it is for everyone, it started in Canada!
• Q5 - What would a poet like to see in or from a poetry magazine?
39% - Tips and articles to help with career
32% - Good poetry
16% - Their own work, chance for first timers
9% - Aesthetics and promote multiculturalism
4% - Get paid
2% - More rhyming poetry
2% - Volunteer opportunities for job experience
How is Poetry Canada doing so far?
• Tips and articles to help with career Every edition will have information to help you get published, find publishers, and tips and articles on how to help you with your career.
• Good poetry - We select a maximum of 10 out of about 300 submissions. We appreciate everyone that sends us their work, encourage you to continue, and as the magazine grows, are certain so will submissions, always resulting in the best work being selected. With a high number of submissions we can't select everyone if we want to continue the high standards, however, sometimes we simply run out of room - so we keep the runner ups on file and include them for consideration next time also. When you have to shell out money like Poetry Canada does to each poet, we make sure our money is well spent.
• Their own work, chance for first timers Over 50% of the poets that have appeared in Poetry Canada magazine, tell us it was their first time. They were so excited, and we were glad to be a part of their break into the industry. When we consider the work, we don't look at the name, city, province, state or country. The best are selected from anywhere in the world.
• Aesthetics and promote multiculturalism - Part of the core mission of the magazine is to promote culture and diversity through art, photography, and poetry. This mission will ensure we get you a beautifully created magazine, that promotes poetry, art and photography from around the world. In addition, we have an exclusive section for poetry presented in multiple languages called "Small Planet". The more we realize we are all here for the same reason, regardless of race, religion, culture, creed or any other 'physical world differentiator', the more we will all see each other as the same.
• Get paid Despite the fact this is the first year, and the magazine is running at a complete loss, we made it clear that we would pay our poets, however nominal, out of principal alone. We are writers, and deserve to be paid. Just because we love to do it, that is the point. We should all be able to earn a living by doing what we love. So however small a role Poetry Canada magazine will play, we want to make sure we set a precedent that hopefully other magazines will follow.
• More rhyming poetry To ensure that a rhyming poem appeared in every issue, we reserved a 'contest' spot for this type of poetry. It's popularity, flow, and rhymic passages are wonderful to listen to, often underrated, and deserves to be a prominent form of poetry for any age.
• Volunteer opportunities for job experience We allow volunteers to participate at most levels of production, and many have offered your services, to which will be taking you up on when the need presents itself. We will be glad to provide an environment where you can gain experience, and provide formal references for your future endeavours in the world of writing, editing and publishing.
• Q6 - If you could change one thing about poetry, what would it be?
28.5% - Quality improvement
22.8% - Content/subject matter
14.2% - viable career option
11.5% - have it be a more popular medium
11.5% - People's perception of it
11.5% - disrespectful way poets are treated
How is the CFP doing so far?
• All of the above are difficult to measure, but we do know we are making a difference in the industry because we are getting very positive feedback from our poets, from Poetry Canada magazine subscribers and readers, and from the attendees at events. Next year we will post some of the feedback. For content and quality, we believe Poetry Canada is selecting top quality work, and as far as content is related, there many places and sites specific to content many of us are not interested in. At Poetry Canada and the CFP, we believe a positive message, improvement, quality of life and aestethic contribution are important qualities we wish to promote and publish. This does not exclude science fiction, short stories, or human drama. Content and quality are very subjective, so we will let our readers and poets decide on what they like, based on feedback and survey results.
• Q7 - How do you feel poetry is perceived by the general public?
38.8% - Boring waste of time
25% - Difficult to read, understand and do
19.5% - They like it
16.7% - For stuffed shirts and intellectuals
How is the CFP doing so far?
If someone doesn't understand something, that means as a poet, we have not communicated that very well. We have not connected with affinity, or got them interested enough in what poetry can do for them. So the responses to this question are up to all of us to correct. If you think of a person as a mirror, they should feel the way you do when you have successfully expressed your message. If they don't, take a good look at how you feel about poetry first.
The CFP will be putting great effort into this. Last year we had 5 visits to local schools to make sure that children and youth did not abandon poetry, and that they understood that music is a form of poetry, and when they are having problems it is a great way to express themselves, and much more.
So what can each of us do as individuals to make sure that the number one answer soon is - They like it?
1. If you work in an office, post on the memo board an amusing poetry about the office or a situation you were just in. Use it to improve the environment. Be proud of your work.
2. If you work at a Doctors office or place where there is a reception - put out your chapbooks or books for people to glance through (of course check this with your employer - but I bet they would love it).
3. Teach a friend how to write a Haiku - make them feel like a poet. Don't know how to do that yourself, check out our on-line lessons.
4. Tailor your readings to your audience. If you are presenting to a general audience, pick some of your lighter poetry. Not to insinuate they are not intellectually capable of understanding your heavier work, but to appeal to the broadest base of the audience.
5. Find out why someone thinks poetry is boring. Confront them. You can tell these people when their eyes roll back as you tell them what you do (and please tell them what you do!!). Correct their impression, or help them overcome any barriers they have erected. For every individual we each strip of false data or bad experiences they have had, that is one more audience member for all of us!
6. Think of any way you can to help improve the entry and understanding of poets and poetry
7. If you have an idea, send it to us!
We will be conducting surveys often to help us monitor and continue to successfully help increase our value as an Organization, and as a concerned society for the preservation and promotion of poetry and the arts. Please be sure to take part in these when they come up. A little opinion can go a long way when you know it is being heard. And at the CFP - we hear you!
Hope these results help.
Tracy Repchuk
President and Founder of the Canadian Federation of Poets
Join the FREE ezine and keep in touch
Saturday, February 24, 2007
Poetry Certification Expands Your Viewpoint
Canadian Federation of Poets "Poet's Certification" program
Along with the on-line communities you can choose from, we have just added an Education Certificate program. Each week you will complete a lesson, and post the results on the forum. If you complete all 52 poetry, prose and/or writing lessons, we will send you a beautiful certificate for your wall, and provide you with the confidence to approach any type of poetry.
Then we'll round out the course with lessons such as a 'live poetry reading', poet promotion, goals & targets and getting published to maximize the skills development of a poet. Sign up today and expand your horizons!
Also, if you are an 'expert' on any specific type of poetry that is not yet addressed on the 'curriculum', please submit a mini lesson to us, we'd love to include it.
Start learning more today...
Tracy Repchuk
President and Founder of the Canadian Federation of Poets
Along with the on-line communities you can choose from, we have just added an Education Certificate program. Each week you will complete a lesson, and post the results on the forum. If you complete all 52 poetry, prose and/or writing lessons, we will send you a beautiful certificate for your wall, and provide you with the confidence to approach any type of poetry.
Then we'll round out the course with lessons such as a 'live poetry reading', poet promotion, goals & targets and getting published to maximize the skills development of a poet. Sign up today and expand your horizons!
Also, if you are an 'expert' on any specific type of poetry that is not yet addressed on the 'curriculum', please submit a mini lesson to us, we'd love to include it.
Start learning more today...
Tracy Repchuk
President and Founder of the Canadian Federation of Poets
Wednesday, January 24, 2007
Learn How to Market Your Poetry with the Federation of Poets
Welcome to the Federation of Poets.
A group dedicated to uniting people and organizations from around the world in the global promotion of poets and poetry.
We do so by educating youth and adults on the importance of poetry in their lives, and providing an environment where all poets and organizations can unite to create one voice.
When you want to take your poetry career to the next level, turn to the experts in the poetry business.
Tracy Repchuk
President and Founder of the Canadian Federation of Poets
Founder of Poetry Canada Magazine
http://www.federationofpoets.com
http://www.poetrycanada.com
A group dedicated to uniting people and organizations from around the world in the global promotion of poets and poetry.
We do so by educating youth and adults on the importance of poetry in their lives, and providing an environment where all poets and organizations can unite to create one voice.
When you want to take your poetry career to the next level, turn to the experts in the poetry business.
Tracy Repchuk
President and Founder of the Canadian Federation of Poets
Founder of Poetry Canada Magazine
http://www.federationofpoets.com
http://www.poetrycanada.com
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