When we think of sharing poetry online, the first platform that likely comes to mind is Instagram. Definitely Facebook and probably Twitter would follow on the list.
We might also think of blogging sites like WordPress, Medium and Google’s Blogger.
Ever wondered if there are any websites that are exclusively for writers and poets? You may have been looking for a chance to move away from these popular social media platforms where varieties of other forms of art and entertainment are the main trends. Sometimes, it feels difficult to find a site where writers can share ideas with other writers and create long term bonds with them. Could Poets have their own free social media sites where they can connect with readers directly and create a fanbase?
Thankfully, the answer is yes. Such social communities and websites already exist, and I am excited to share them with you. There may be many more social websites or apps for writers and poets, but we will just talk about ten.
Before that, let’s look at some benefits of posting your poems on these platforms. There’s a table of contents to help you get to the main points faster.
Benefits of Posting Your Poems on Writers-Only Platforms:
1. Getting feedback from other writers can help improve your writing:
You get to interact with other writers who can point out any issues with your work, compliment or suggest ways to improve your writing. They are ever ready to support, and getting constructive feedback from others can help you learn and grow as a poet.
2. Your audience are readers who are ready and eager to read your writing:
They are on these platforms mainly to read and share short stories or poems. They are there for nothing else but poetry or short stories or both, depending on the purpose of the website i.e. whether it is for poetry only or for all forms of writing.
3. You can find new friends who share your passion for writing:
This is one good reason to join such social platforms. The friends you make on these sites have a deep love for writing, and it’s great to communicate with people who have the same interests as you. These connections are definitely priceless and can help you in the long run.
4. You get to participate in writing contests and benefit from writing lessons:
Many of these writing platforms have regular writing contests which are sources of inspiration, and help you get better as a writer. The winners usually receive prizes, points or bragging rights and may have their poems featured on the home page.
Poetry and writing lessons, courses or articles may also be made available to members, and these can really help you become an expert at the art.
5. You can get inspired by reading the work of other poets on the site:
One major thing every writer needs is inspiration, and one of the best ways to get that is through reading other people’s poems. You get to see the type of poetry or rhyming scheme used, and pick lessons from them.
10 Free Sites to Share Your Poetry on:
Now let’s get to the main point. There are many free platforms to post your poems, but we will just look at 10 options you can choose from.
1. Commaful
Commaful is a website where writers post fanfiction, short stories and poetry of different genres. Their style is multimedia fiction, meaning writers post their stories or poems with visuals, i.e. images and animated GIFs. Hence, your poems always have to be shared with at least images.
On Commaful, posts have a photobook-like format where users read on images or GIFs while tapping through the pages, making the reading experience quite different from other websites.
Being a social media site for writers, poets and readers, fans can follow and like posts of favourite writers. Users can also follow poetry topics and themes as well.
Thankfully, there is a mobile app for Android and iPhone users.
2. Poetizer
Poetizer is another platform you should check out. It is a poetry-only social network and has been gaining popularity among poets and lovers of poetry.
Users are able to follow newfound poets, bookmark poems they love, leave comments, share their own original poems, and get support from others.
Poetizer members have some exciting benefits: They can have their poetry books published and printed through Poetizer for self purchase. This is however only available for US distribution at the moment.
They can also have access to poetry merch where they can customize, and print apparels and accessories with their words.
Poetizer also has a mobile app for both Android and iPhone.
3. Hello Poetry
Hello Poetry is a third option to share poems with others for feedback and appreciation. Your readers get to save, share and react to your poems with emojis. They also get to know you through your brief biography on your page. These all give off an Instagram vibe, but this time, not with photos and videos, but with poems.
Unlike other sites where you can sign up and join straight ahead, becoming a member of the Hello Poetry Community is by invite. Every new individual has to submit their work for approval before they can be accepted.
4. All Poetry
All Poetry has a large community of poets sharing poetry and growing a fanbase. Just like the earlier ones, users get to like, comment on posts and favorite poets.
The social site uses a point system to encourage users to comment and give feedback to others. Every poet or reader gets points anytime they comment or receive comments. Points attained can, for example, be used to feature your poem on the homepage at the featured list section, or start contests, where these points are offered as prizes to winners. During contests, writers are asked to write poems on specific topics or themes.
There are also writing groups or forums where you can interact with other poets, share ideas and write on various topics. You get to review others’ work and receive reviews on yours. And that’s not all, there are free writing courses available.
All Poetry gives poets the opportunity to share-publish with other poets in anthologies, or publish their own poetry books, at a fee in both cases.
They thankfully have a mobile app too.
5. Writer’s Cafe
Writers Cafe isn’t just for poetry. Scripts, short stories, novels and screenplays are shared as well.
The website’s benefits are many, including free writing contests, writing forums, free courses and access to lists of literary agents, magazines and publishers.
There is currently no mobile app available.
6. Writco
Writco isn’t a social website, but instead, a mobile app. The kinds of content you see on Writco are stories, poems and quotes in multiple languages. The app deals with audio-visual posts, and sharing of content from the app to other social media sites such as Instagram and Facebook is allowed.
There are lots of features on Writco. There are daily writing prompts for inspiration, and contests where writers can win cash prizes. Readers aren’t left out and also earn as they read.
As stated earlier, Writco is only available as a mobile app on Google Playstore and Apple store.
7. Poem Hunter
Poem Hunter is another community of poets where poems and quotes of various themes are shared. It is also a social site, so making friends with writers is its main purpose.
On their homepage, Poem Hunter features the poems and quotes of the day, as well as new poems posted, categorising them according to themes. They hence help readers discover new poems on their preferred topics, and promote the works of upcoming poets.
Poem Hunter also has a mobile app.
8. My Poetic Side
Just like all the poetry-only platforms mentioned earlier, My Poetic Side is a social network for poets. Like any social media site, users can like, comment and save poems they love.
The platform gives their writers the benefit of publishing e-books with their poems for free.
My Poetic Side is another of the options with no mobile app available at the moment.
9. Wattpad
Wattpad has a very large audience of readers ready to get hooked on any interesting form of writing. Though Wattpad is popular for novels and love stories, it has a big poetry community there. Getting an audience for your poetry collection is competitive, but it isn’t a bad place to start as a young poet.
10. Deep Underground Poetry
Though not famous, Deep Underground Poetry is another website you can check out, especially if you prefer a much smaller community to Wattpad’s and Poetizer’s. The platform is for sharing poems, spoken word, lyrics and short stories.
Summary
There are many sites that will allow you to post your poetry for free, probably far more than the ten mentioned. These are, however, 10 sites I came across, that are great places to start.
Thanks for reading! I hope this was helpful.
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