The best advice that I can give any child or adult who wants to be a poet is to read lots of poetry. Get a feel for poetry. Look at different styles of poetry. I have grown so much in my own writing by reading the work of other poets. Don’t be afraid to accept constructive criticism. Part of being a writer is being able to accept criticism. Everyone who writes poetry is eager to publish a book but why not start out small. Before you send off your poetry for publication ask yourself if you are ready. It might be wise to Join an online poetry community and share your poetry ...

As a published author and creative writing teacher I often get asked how writers can get published. One of the simplest ways to answer that question is tell the story of my publishing contracts with two different publishers.Like many other writers, I have always wanted to write a book and started scribbling stories as a child. I have also always been an avid reader. When I started my first book I did not know what I was doing. It was a learning experience and I was not sure I could even write an entire book, but at last I did have a completed manuscript. I then began my search for a publisher.As ...