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Poet Business Institute

Poet Business Institute

By: diVERSES
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How do you turn into a professional poet, using poetry as a vehicle to financial and creative freedom? Poet Business Institute consists of talks and workshops centered around craft development, voice development, and business development focused on poetry. I'm Geoff Anderson (@geoffandersonstensentences), a Cave Canem fellow, a Callaloo fellow, and founder of a pronunciation business, Fluent American. All of the lessons I've learned from running my own business I am applying to poetry. Let me show you the paths I'm taking, the experiments I'm testing, and the lessons I'm learning.diVERSES Art Literary History & Criticism
Episodes
  • How To Pitch Your Art So People ASK To Learn More
    May 22 2026

    If you want to start an art business or poetry business, you'll eventaully have opportunities to pitch and describe what it is that you do. Let's turn to Daniel Priestley's Key Person Of Influence for help! If you have not had to pitch yourself before, even if it is just to answer a question like "so what do you do", then it can be helpful to prepare for that moment to better describe the change you are creating and the help you give the world. We explore how to move away from passive politeness and toward emotional resonance. Whether you’re pitching a corporate brand, a school, or a private collector, you’ll learn how to structure your story so that people don't just nod—they ask to learn more.In this video, we cover:Why "polite" responses are the enemy of your art business.The 5-part blueprint for a winning poetry pitch.How to define your "rules," your "players," and your "prizes."My personal story of moving against the corporate poetry system to build diVERSES.How to ground your pitch in your origin story to build instant credibility.The first episode on Daniel Priestley's Key Person Of Influence for poets who want to live on poetry: https://youtu.be/-6qlOyAL-6IThe previous episode: https://youtu.be/ZOt7nhb7Ww0Get a free audio/mp3/podcast version at https://open.spotify.com/show/4vAdMbaunOPziRoovm0K5PWrite with us at the Substation: www.diversespoetry.com/aboutsubstationWelcome to the Creative Companionship Book Club, where we take business texts and discuss how to use their techniques to create a poetry business we'd be proud to run. This is our third dive into Daniel Priestley's Key Person Of Influence, which is a book centered on finding ways to stand out and provide unique insights and help in our field of interest so that we are competing against no one. *Welcome also to our poetry channel at diVERSES! Whether you're a seasoned poetry enthusiast or just beginning your journey into writing, this discussion will help inform your development in poetry🔍 What You'll Discover:The importance of questioning while reading poetry.Practical tips for asking insightful questions.How questioning enhances comprehension and appreciation.Examples of question-driven analysis applied to popular poems.Strategies for incorporating questioning into your own reading practice.The broader benefits of critical thinking fostered through poetic inquiry.🎓 Join us as we embark on a journey of discovery through the rich landscapes of poetry, where every question unlocks a new layer of meaning and understanding. Don't miss out on this opportunity to deepen your connection with literature and broaden your perspective on life.Let's embark on this poetic journey together and uncover the profound truths that lie within the lines. Share your thoughts and insights in the comments below—we'd love to hear from you!00:00 - Famous Quotes are Actually Pitches00:30 - The Creative Companionship Book Club: Daniel Priestley’s KPI01:08 - Why You Only Get One Chance to Answer "What Do You Do?"01:34 - The "Polite" Response Trap vs. Emotional Resonance02:22 - Practicing Your 5, 10, and 30-Second Introductions02:47 - How to Find Your Pitch: Looking for Blind Spots & Your "Why"03:08 - The diVERSES Story: Moving Against the Corporate Poetry System04:10 - 5 Components of a Winning Pitch04:27 - 1. Make it Fun and Exciting (Living on Poetry)04:54 - 2. Setting Your Rules: Saying No to the Old System05:35 - 3. Finding Your Players: Who is Your Specific Audience?06:04 - 4. Defining Prizes and Success Measures06:58 - 5. Setting Goalposts: Your 3-Month and 3-Year Plan07:40 - Embracing Risk: Why a Game Needs the Possibility of Failure08:21 - Targeting Your "Specific Person" & Choosing Your Vocabulary10:04 - Grounding Your Pitch in Your Origin Story11:28 - Desired Future State: Defining the Payoff for Your Client12:09 - Establishing Credibility: Proof That Your Art Business Works13:10 - Next Steps: Writing Your First Pitch

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    13 mins
  • How To Keep Your Reader Engaged In Your Poem
    May 20 2026

    How To Keep Poetry Readers EngagedStruggling to keep readers engaged with your poetry? In this episode of Fine Print, Geoff with an 'O' breaks down the "People Hide Their Love" by Wu-ti to show you exactly how to stage a poem for maximum impact.Learn how to use line length, punctuation, and different sentence structures to maintain your reader's interest and keep them wanting to read from line to linePoem Staging: How to build a world using simple subject-verb-object structures.The Power of Doubling: Why repeating patterns in pairs helps your reader settle into your poem’s rhythm.Creating Tension: How to shift from world-building to human desire and unfulfilled needs to hook your audience.Abstract vs. Concrete: Moving from descriptive imagery to powerful, earned conclusions.Poetry Analysis: A deep dive into the themes of poverty, riches, and belonging in Fu Hsuan's work.Whether you are a seasoned poet or just starting to write, these structural strategies will help you map out the journey you want your readers to take.New episodes of Fine Print air every Wednesday at 11:00 AM ET!Get a free audio/mp3/podcast version at https://open.spotify.com/show/4vAdMbaunOPziRoovm0K5PWrite with us at the Substation: www.diversespoetry.com/aboutsubstationWelcome also to our poetry channel at diVERSES! Whether you're a seasoned poetry enthusiast or just beginning your journey into writing, this discussion will help inform your development in poetry🔍 What You'll Discover:The importance of questioning while reading poetry.Practical tips for asking insightful questions.How questioning enhances comprehension and appreciation.Examples of question-driven analysis applied to popular poems.Strategies for incorporating questioning into your own reading practice.The broader benefits of critical thinking fostered through poetic inquiry.🎓 Join us as we embark on a journey of discovery through the rich landscapes of poetry, where every question unlocks a new layer of meaning and understanding. Don't miss out on this opportunity to deepen your connection with literature and broaden your perspective on life.Let's embark on this poetic journey together and uncover the profound truths that lie within the lines. Share your thoughts and insights in the comments below—we'd love to hear from you!diVERSES was founded by poet Geoff Anderson in Columbus, Ohio to help writers achieve creative and financial independence #poetry #FinePrint #diverses

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    13 mins
  • How To Schedule Art Workshops (WITHOUT GOOGLE CALENDAR)
    May 19 2026

    How do you get people to find your poetry event, register, book themselves, reserve, save a seat--whatever wording you use, how do you get people to save themselves a spot in a class, workshop, event, webinar, or call? Even a simple Google Calendar may be enough to get the job done! Yet, it can be tricky when you need to handle payments, limit seats, and send links or event info to people who register This final episode of the Semester from the Poet Business Institute is dedicated to the calendar/scheduler, what key considerations you want to have when designing it, and how to make your calendar an automatic tool that you create once and never have to worry about it again.Episode 1 of the Semester from the Poet Business Institute: https://youtu.be/aq8WM0VbKq4Welcome to the Spring Semester from the Poet Business Institute! Over a 12-week module, poet Geoff Anderson is walking poets through steps to begin thinking about making poetry into a side business, a full time operation, or even a poetry career. We'll discuss creating a poetry product/service/offer, identifying what passions we have and what needs they serve, as well as strategies to reach people and have the impact we seek on the world. Keep up with the Spring Semester here on the channel! Get a free audio/mp3/podcast version at https://open.spotify.com/show/4vAdMbaunOPziRoovm0K5PWrite with us at the Substation! www.diversespoetry.com/aboutsubstation#poetry #poetbusinessinstitute #diversesdiVERSES was founded by poet Geoff Anderson in Columbus, Ohio to help writers achieve creative and financial independenceGet a free audio/mp3/podcast version at https://open.spotify.com/show/4vAdMbaunOPziRoovm0K5PWrite with us at the Substation! www.diversespoetry.com/aboutsubstation

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    23 mins
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