Ibrahim P.O.E.T Siddiq developed “The Artist” Collective with a vision in mind. “The Artist” Collective includes numerous artists banning together to make a dream into a vision – a company infused with projects that will be the launch of an exciting and new brand of not only ART and ENTERTAINMENT, but of STYLE and CREATIVITY through many forms of ART.

This summer, the “Artist” Collective’s goal is to fund raise to provide a FREE ART Project including a new series of workshops, open mics and showcases, as well as picking back up with the workshops & open mics that have been running throughout this past Fall & Winter. In order to continue, P.O.E.T and his team of artists will need the support of people spreading the word and making donations. The goal amount to reach is $10,000 in as little as 30 days time. By donating and spreading the word, you are helping to support the The “Artist” Collective and its efforts to bring FREE ART into its collective community. ART is a great way for the youth of today to be expressive and focused in positive ways. Workshops give them a place to go to speak their minds, in an adult manner; learn; be creative and more importantly, it keeps them out of trouble.

With each donation given, you will be helping The FREE ART Project with:
Securing A Venue to Host Workshops
Materials For Workshops
Facilitators
A Website with Registration Links & Workshop Calendar
Applying for 501 C3 Non Profit Status
Securing Transportation for Workshops to Correctional Facilities, Schools and other Out-of-town Events

Make your donation to The FREE ART Project here: http://www.rockethub.com/projects/7021-the-free-art-project

Who Is P.O.E.T.?

“Ibrahim Siddiq aka P.O.E.T is not your average Spoken Word Artist, more so an activist and philosopher rooted in poetry. P.O.E.T is an acronym for “Putting Out Eternal Thoughts”. He believes “thought” is creative energy and that the world is the way it is because of our collective thoughts about it. P.O.E.T wants to serve as a light for the worlds potential, meaning the knowledge he posses, the principals and philosophies that he presents aren’t necessarily ones he has created but rather discovered. Knowledge is there whether you seek it or not. Just as when you walk into a dark room and flip a switch the light does not create the objects within that room but merely makes you aware of its presence. He wishes for all people to realize their potential for greatness.”

What Is The Artist Collective All About?

“The Artist” Collective is a Philanthropic Artistic Movement that P.O.E.T has been working on for several years. It’s a network of Artists of all different genres (Music, Poetry, Photography, etc.) coming together as One in order to both live out their art, as well as do their part in helping out their collective communities. P.O.E.T’s hopes are that one day “The Artist” will reach far enough that the collective communities will include the entire World. The Collective will include various projects and ventures. It will be providing a FREE ART Project this summer filled with WORKSHOPS, OPEN MICS, SHOWCASES, AND MORE.

FYI – The Artist Collective will be hosting a series of FREE WRITING WORKSHOPS every Tuesday in May at The Brooklyn Public Library (665 New Lots Ave) 4-6pm; May 8th-29th. FREE & Open to the Public.

Read more about The FREE ART Project here: http://www.rockethub.com/projects/7021-the-free-art-project

Why Does “The Artist” Collective Want To Help The Community?

Ibrahim P.O.E.T Siddiq is a man with a mind that reaches far beyond the acuity of what some may find “the norm.” He is a madman when it comes to his ideals and beliefs. But he also shares with others the understanding and compassion that is necessary to be someone who possesses the power of a great mind. He is a man of dreams, that he turns into visions that not only becomes his reality, but the reality of others. He is a goal setter; a seeker and a leader. A man who sets out to accomplish the impossible and opens the minds of the non-believer.

“The Artist” Collective encompasses all that P.O.E.T is about. It will bring out the positives of what great art is and help build a brand that will benefit the entire art world. Everything has a beginning. And everything begins with PEOPLE. People, no matter who, are always needed to work with one another; to believe in something, in order for new movements or developments to happen and grow. In order to make this FREE ART Project happen, it will need the HELP of people like YOU to get involved.

Read more about The FREE ART Project here: http://www.rockethub.com/projects/7021-the-free-art-project

How YOU Can Help!

DONATIONS – You can help by making your donation TODAY of $20 dollars and more to kick start the funding for the three projects. With each donation given, you will be helping the FREE ART Project with:

Securing A Venue to Host Workshops
Materials For Workshops
Facilitators
A Website with Registration Links & Workshop Calendar
Applying for 501 C3 Non Profit Status
Securing Transportation for Workshops to Correctional Facilities, Schools and other Out-of-town Events
Make your donation to The FREE ART Project here: http://www.rockethub.com/projects/7021-the-free-art-project

FYI – The Artist Collective will be hosting a series of FREE WRITING WORKSHOPS every Tuesday in May at The Brooklyn Public Library (665 New Lots Ave) 4-6pm; May 8th-29th. FREE & Open to the Public.

SPREAD THE WORD – By spreading the word and sharing the information and link (http://www.rockethub.com/projects/7021-the-free-art-project) to the fund raising page, you are helping to support the The Artist” Collective and its efforts to bring FREE ART into its collective communities. Spreading the word can include: WORD OF MOUTH; posting to your Facebook; Twitter; your blog and/or any other form of Social Networking you choose to use.

To Donate TODAY – http://www.rockethub.com/projects/7021-the-free-art-project

For more information about “The Artist” Collective and how YOU CAN HELP, contact Ibrahim P.O.E.T Siddiq on Facebook – http://www.facebook.com/pages/Ibrahim-Siddiq-aka-POET/171763343018

Website – http://www.poet.bandcamp.com/; www.Facebook.com/TheArtistCollective; IHeartFreeArt@Gmail.com

“This isn’t one of those jam sessions that has three people sitting around watching a poet and a guitarist. This jam session promises to be BEYOND dope with appearances from some of my favorite artists, including: Narubi Selah, Emcee Jermaine, Blue, Brokyn Sylance, Chris Slaughter, Shane Kora, Lo Anderson AND there’s going to be MORE. OMNI Blaize and his band, “Two Shades Darker” will be playing, as well. Believe me, if you love great entertainment, you want to be at this show.” ~ Poet, Jamica Hardwick

BYA (Bring Your Art) – FREE OPEN MIC & ARTIST SHOWCASE – Every Forth Saturday of the Month

Hosted by POET Jamica Hardwick & MUSICIAN Gerald “OMNI Blaize” Trotman

New Featured Artists Every Month

WHEN: EVERY FORTH SATURDAY

TIME: JAM SESSION–5-10pm  (Be there ON TIME to secure YOUR spot on the FREE OPEN MIC)

PRICE: FREE! FREE! FREE!

WHERE: B-HIVE LOUNGE

990 Atlantic Ave. (btwn Grand & Classon)
BROOKLYN, NY

TRAVEL: C TRAIN TO CLINTON-WASHINGTON AVENUE

**Full-service bar & food available

For more information about BYA (Bring Your Art), visit: www.facebook.com/gerald.trotman OR www.facebook.com/jamicahardwick

***Homepage images for BYA taken & designed by Latanya DeVaughn – urbanvoicesheard[at]gmail.com

Marketing or promoting events on Facebook is easily the most misunderstood business process that I see on a day to day basis. Now that Facebook has over 500 million registered users, it makes sense that just about everyone with a product or service to sell has joined the party.  There are dozens, if not hundreds of poets that are using Facebook to promote events in the tri-state area on a weekly basis.

The problem is that very few of these poets actually see the big picture.  They think that they are doing what is called social media marketing when in reality they are simply social networking.  That’s right, there is a HUGE difference between the two.

Social media marketing is when you are using social media platforms such as Facebook to find NEW prospects and eventually turn them into paying customers.  Social networking is when you use social media platforms such as Facebook to talk to people that you know, such as your friends, family and maybe people that share some of the same common interests that you do.  The key difference between social media marketing and social networking is that one usually produces MONEY and the other one usually produces CONVERSATIONS.

I will give you an example.  If you watch any decent amount of television, you have seen a commercial where instead of the company giving their website, they say connect with us on Facebook.  They do this because they understand just how powerful social media marketing is.  Large companies have already figured out that Facebook has more traffic than Google.  They also know that if they “connect” with you on Facebook, they get more information about you than they would if you just watched a commercial and went to their website.

Think about that for just a moment.  When you watch a commercial and then go to the company’s website, they really don’t know anything about you unless you buy something from them right then.  But on Facebook, when you go to a company’s fan page or request them as a friend, they generally have access to all the information that you are freely sharing in your Facebook profile.

This means they know your name, where you live, what your hobbies are and they can now send you messages to directly interact with you. They can also send you updates by simply posting useful content to their Facebook account and this content will automatically show up in your Facebook stream.  THIS is why they want you to connect with them on Facebook instead of visiting their website and it makes perfect sense when you think about it.

If you are a poet, you really need to to stop and ask yourself are you social networking or social media marketing when you use Facebook.  Then ask yourself if you “really” understand how to promote or market on Facebook?  Just because your Facebook account has hundreds or even thousands of friends that you send messages to when you have upcoming performances or events does not mean that you know what you are doing.

You would be surprised at how many poets I see with marketing efforts that are very similar to someone that is trying to sell ice to Eskimos.  What I mean by that is they are just sending their so-called marketing messages to people who basically do the same exact thing that they do.  What you are supposed to be doing is sending your marketing messages to people who have shown that they are interested in seeing poetry or spoken word events in your local area.  This will be very difficult for most poets because they have not figured out that this does not happen on Facebook. It happens on the search engines.

Did you know that every month tens of thousands of people use a search engine to search for spoken word events in the New York area?  The simple truth is that the search engines are where you will find your prospects and potential customers – NOT Facebook.  Once you let them find you, THEN you will direct them to your Facebook account so that you can easily follow-up with them and share your work and upcoming event details with them periodically as well.

I hope that this article has shed some light on the differences between social networking and social media marketing.  I also hope that those of you that intend to be social media marketers realize that you need to stop wasting your time social networking and start taking steps to become a social media marketer.  As always, if you have any questions or feedback, I’d love to hear what you have to say.

~ Nicole

What is online reputation and how does it matter to you? The Internet is a huge collection of information. Everything you do and say online leaves an impact and effects how people perceive you as a person and professional. In fact, 48% of HR professionals and recruiters prefer to browse through personal websites to decide whether to hire a person or not. Consumers basically do the same thing. Meaning, if you are trying to sell yourself as a brand or sell your product, posting too much negativity online about yourself or others can keep you from doing so. Keep in mind that as an artist or business of any kind using the Internet as a tool to gain exposure, you are being watched.

How Search Engines Effect Your Reputation

Search engines catalog everything you do online, from your social media participation to press releases and blog posts. Unfortunately, the Internet has a greater reach than gossip in a small town. So, even if you don’t care what people think about you in your real life, your online activities must be managed well to protect your business as a poet, artist, musician, singer, whatever.

What Causes A Bad Reputation

There are many things that may cause your followers/fans, customers and potential customers on the Internet to develop a negative opinion of you. We have all been known to fly off the handle; act in the moment and vent off anger. But doing so continuously on a social medium such a Facebook is not very smart for business. Posting unflattering comments about your personal and professional life can have a detrimental effect on your business as a poet or artist. Which in turn can cause your readers to re-post or feel the need to comment or respond in a negative manner. Even if what is said is untrue, it’s hard to un-ring a bell. Another way to form a bad reputation online is when people use your photo, logo or other information to post pretending to be you. The most likely way to tarnish your reputation online is by getting a lot of negative reviews from your fan base and customers who have supported your business as an artist and who see your online activities as being too brash and unprofessional.

Managing Your Online Reputation

Just as there are people out there who are going to nitpick at what you say or do online, there are people who will appreciate that you remain true to yourself as well as to your art. Your followers/fans who are loyal will not be a problem for you. But it’s the new followers/fans and potential buyers of your product that you have to be careful of. Establish and keep a positive presence on social media sites. Check your name in search engines and social networking websites frequently and keep an eye on every detail associated with your online presence. Remember to keep personal affairs out of the eye of social media if using it as a marketing tool. And above all else, treat your followers/fans, customers and potential customers well to avoid damaging your own reputation online – which can cause negative publicity, bad word-of-mouth and loss of interest from your fan base.

I’d like to introduce Charlene.  Charlene is a professional poet and for the last several years, she has been running circles around most other poets.  I wanted to sit down with Charlene and see if her insight could help other poets that would like to get to earn their living as a professional poet.  Both of us believe that many of the mistakes made by poets that are seeking to earn a living from their poetry can be avoided by simply having a solid plan and sticking to it.  I am sure you will find this interview as entertaining and informative as I did, if not more.

Me: So let’s get started by learning more about Charlene and her background in poetry.

Charlene:  Well, just like many other poets, I started off writing at a very young age.  You name it, I wrote it, from poetry to short stories to Haiku.  I simply loved writing.  I originally thought that I would be a magazine writer, but it did not take me long to figure out that poetry was my true passion.

Me: So did you go to college?

Charlene:  Yes, I have a degree in English and I truly see that as one of my greatest accomplishments in life because it is something that no one can take away from me.

Me: When did you start to think that you could make a living as a poet?

Charlene:  While in college, I would take my poetry to Open Mics to read and I would get great responses from the audience.  People would ask me if my poetry was available in the form of a book and how they could read more of my work.  This got me to thinking about what was the best way to publish my work.

Me:  What did you find was the best way?

Charlene:  I had a friend who was studying marketing at the same time and she taught me about sales funnels.  She showed me that my performances at the Open Mics was just the beginning of the sales funnel and that if I learned how to properly use it I could possibly make a living as a poet.

Me:  So what did you do next?

Charlene:  I asked more questions, I was really interested in finding out if what she said was true so I wanted to prove it to myself.  I realized then that if I could make a living, I mean REALLY make a living writing poetry and performing, that’s what I wanted to do.  So over the next few months, she would take the stuff she learned at school and apply it to my business by giving me a list of tasks that I had to complete in a certain amount of time.

Me:  Tasks like what?

Charlene:  She had me setup a website, and then she had me start publishing my work online, either in pieces or as a complete poem.

Me:  What did that do for you?

Charlene:  It was amazing!  Even though I had been performing at various Open Mics for a year, things really started changing for me when I had a site to tell people to go to when they asked me how they could see more of my work.  I had videos of my performances online as well as actual poems that I had written over the past few months.

Me:  And people were actually reading them?

Charlene:  Oh, it was just a few at first, but as time went on, it started to grow really fast.  What I would do is perform at an Open Mic, and if the audience responded to me really well, I would tell them they could find more of my work at my site.  What usually happened is that the people who liked me would visit my site and leave a comment saying that they saw me perform this piece and why they liked it.

Me:  So were you making money at this point?

Charlene:  Nope, not at all.  I had nothing to sell, at least not yet anyway.

Me:  So what was the next step for you?

Charlene:  My friend sat me down and told me that if I ever wanted to make money as a poet, I needed to have at least one book of poetry; a product to sell.  This scared me at first. I thought there was no way I would ever be able to convince anyone to publish my poetry, but my friend told me that it would be extremely easy and cost less than $50 in total.

Me: Wow!  It only took fifty dollars to become a published author?  That sounds almost too good to be true.

Charlene:  I know right!  I thought the exact same thing, but I had total trust in her and since I wasn’t paying the $50 to her, I figured that she wouldn’t ruin our friendship over something as trivial as $50.  So I did what she told me, I self-published my first book in less than 30 days.

Me:  Incredible…so now you are a published author.  What happened next?

Charlene:  Next, she showed me how to connect my book to my site, so that when a person came to my site to see more of my work, they saw that I had a book of poetry that they could purchase as well.

Me:  Did people actually buy it?

Charlene:  At first, I would see only about 20 or so book sales per month, which was usually less than $250 per month but it was a lot more than I saw a lot of other poets making at the time.

Me:  Okay, so you are making some money, but definitely not enough to live off of.  How did you take it to the next level?

Charlene:  Next, my friend taught me how to use Social Media platforms to increase the amount of people that saw my work, which would increase the number of books that I sold.  At the same time, even though I was not selling a lot of books per month, I had a steadily growing list of customers who really liked my work and would probably buy another book if I chose to produce one.

Me:  So what benefits did you see from using Social Media?

Charlene:  The benefits were slow at first.  I really didn’t see the benefits until I would perform at certain events.  Once I did my first Feature Show, the results started to show up pretty fast.  The following that I gained from the Open Mics came out to see my feature. From then they began to go to my site more frequently to see more of my work.  They would comment on my work and sometimes they would “like” it, which then sent it out to all of their friends.  This resulted in a flood of traffic, a ton of comments and substantial increase in book sales.

Me:  Oh that is awesome, why exactly did this happen?

Charlene:  My friend explained to me that people have an overwhelming tendency to associate with people that share the same interests that they do.  So when someone “Likes” my page on Facebook, I am getting access to many more people who also share the same interests as the person who liked the page.  This results in way more people coming to my site, reading my poetry and getting to know me as an artist.  Over time, many of these people purchase my book, which results in me making money.

Me:  I noticed that you said “over time”, what exactly do you mean by that?

Charlene:  What I mean is that most people don’t just come to my site and then buy my book on that first visit.  I publish a lot of my work on my site and I allow visitors to sign up to my email list so that they can find out when I publish anything new on the site.  In the emails that get sent out, they also get reminded that I have a book for sale and that it contains more poetry that I have on my site.  Since I publish at least one poem a week, the people on my list get an email from me weekly telling them that I have published a new poem and that I also have a book for sale.

Me:  So the more you perform, the more people see your work, right?

Charlene:  Exactly, plus I get to continuously show my work to a list of people that pretty much grows every month whether I perform or not.

Me:  So how many people are on your list now?

Charlene:  I don’t know the exact numbers, but it is easily over 15 thousand.

Me:  Woah!  Have all of those people bought your book?

Charlene:  Not all, but most have and people continue to buy at their own pace. All I need to do is keep following my system and doing what I would already be doing anyway – writing poetry.

Watch and see why Poet Jamaal St. John is a multiple Slam Champion and renowned poet. One of my favorite poets to watch and support.

For more info on Jamaal St. John, visit – www.facebook.com/people/Jamaal-St-John/665196205

For more videos of Jamaal St. John, visit youtube.com (keyword search JAMAAL ST. JOHN)

For more info on The Book Club Cafe, visit http://www.youtube.com/user/thebookclubcafe

Poetry is a form of literature that can be very hard to define. It can be intellectual, or emotional, spiritual or rational. We all experience poetry in different ways, but there is one thing that remains the same no matter who we are. Poetry that we truly enjoy, that we really connect to, is something that makes us feel. It can inspire us, make us smile when we’re sad, and provoke thought on topics that we had  never even considered before. It can change mindsets. It can alter lives.

Unfortunately, too many people are unaware of the enjoyment poetry can bring to their lives. As such, we dedicate the month of April all across America as a time for poetry readings, festivals, and just the all-around appreciation of what is truly a wonderful art form. It is our hope that by the end of April, people will not simply be looking forward to next year, but they will have discovered a new love for poetry to match mine.

I personally have loved poetry since I was very young. It always caught and held my attention more than regular prose; there seemed to be a freedom to it that your average book just didn’t possess. It wasn’t long before I was writing my own poetry (which was admittedly terrible at first), and seeking friends who shared my own interest. Some of my best experiences in NYC, with my friends, is spending the evening at a poetry café or club; watching a great stage performance by a veteran or an up and coming spoken word artist or just hitting an Open Mic to see what’s fresh, what’s new, what’s going on in the Spoken Word Poetry community.

I am positive that poetry will be something that is a part of my life forever. It is something that I create, share with my family, and see in the world all around me.

Happy National Poetry Month, Everyone! Get creative; write something; share it at an Open Mic and be amongst the millions of people who have fallen in love with poetry. 30/30 awaits you – that’s 30 poems in 30 days. It’s not tot late to get started. Take the challenge!

Are you in the NYC area or visiting and need a HOT SPOT to share your poetry or would just like to admire the work of others? Here are a few WEEKLY/MONTHLY Open Mics and Feature Showcases. Enjoy!

HOT! WEEKLY/MONTHLY POETRY SHOWS (to get your show listed, LEAVE A COMMENT WITH YOUR INFORMATION)

Mike Geffner Presents – The Inspired Word Poetry & Prose in NYC – Weekly

116 MacDougal, 116 MacDougal Street (between Bleecker Street and Minetta Lane), Manhattan, NY – EVERY Wednesday night, 7-10pm. NO AGE LIMIT.

One and One Bar/Restaurant, downstairs Nexus Lounge, 76 East 1st Street (corner of 1st Avenue), Manhattan, NY – EVERY Monday night, 7-11pm. NO AGE LIMIT.

Nuyorican Poets Café, 236 East 3rd Street (between Avenue B and C), Manhattan, NY -  One Tuesday of every month, 9pm-midnight. NO AGE LIMIT.

The Gallery at LPR (le Poisson Rouge), 158 Bleecker Street (between Sullivan and Thompson), Manhattan, NY – Specialty events. Please check schedule for dates and times. Age limit 21+.

Soho Playhouse, downstairs Huron Club, 15 Vandam Street, Manhattan, NY – Special events. Please check schedule for dates and times.

**For more information on Mike Geffner Presents – The Inspired Word, visit http://inspiredwordnyc.com/ OR http://inspiredwordnyc.blogspot.com/

CentricSpotlight Presents – Thursday Night Open Mic & Talent Showcase at Voodoo Lounge

Every THURSDAY of the MONTH

Doors open at 7:00pm
Last Sign-Up at 7:30pm
Showtime at 8pm SHARP!

$7 Cover Charge before 9PM (INCLUDING PERFORMERS)

For more information on CentricSpotlight Thursday Open Mic, visit http://www.centricspotlight.com/ OR call Kim: 347.326.1013 or Tee: 646.546.7526 to sign up.

“The Artist” Collective presents “Anatomy of an Idea” – Every 1st Sunday of the Month

Hosted By: Andre Rainey aka N00dle

New Featured Artist Every Month

Doors Open at 5pm – Open Mic Starts at 6pm

Cover: Donations Accepted (all donations go towards supporting “The Artist” Collective)

5:00pm until 8:00pm

Location: 835 Dawson St., Bronx, NY

For more information about “The Artist” Collective and “Anatomy of An Idea” Open Mic & Showcase, contact: Ibrahim “P.O.E.T” Siddiq at: FreedumbMovement[at]gmail.com OR http://www.facebook.com/FreedumbMovement

Become a fan! I just did!

The video is casting, BUT the message is SO VERY CLEAR! JUST LISTEN & LEARN!! Performed at Classic Books in Trenton, NJ – Oct. 2011.

For more information on Narubi Selah, check her out on Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=1576208520

CentricSpotlight is an Open Mic & Talent Showcase which gives a platform to all talents including: Poets, Musicians, Singers, Dancers, Rappers, and Comedians. It is a nurturing environment for artists to display their talents and to network. During Open Mic sessions, complimentary gifts are rewarded occasionally for best performances.

Great Music! Affordable Drinks! Great Talent!

CentricSpotlight Open Mic Night’s at Brooklyn’s Voodoo Lounge is sponsored by Telfair & Co. and UrbanWritten – Bringing you an Open Mic & Talent Showcase every FIRST & LAST Thursday of the month. Come out to share your talent or be entertained with New York City’s most intimate crowd. Enjoy a night of music, economy friendly drinks, and most of all, TALENT! CYPHER SESSION AT EVERY SHOWCASE!!

***CentricSpotlight is currently seeking acts – Poets, Singers, Comedians, Musicians, Rappers and Dancers. Please contact info@centricspotlight.com or info@urbanwritten.net for more info. Or call Kim: 347.326.1013 or Tee: 646.546.7526 to sign up.

CentricSpotlight Presents – Thursday Night Open Mic & Talent Showcase at Voodoo Lounge

Every OTHER THURSDAY of the MONTH

Doors open at 7:00pm
Last Sign-Up at 7:30pm
Showtime at 8pm SHARP!

$7 Cover Charge before 9PM (INCLUDING PERFORMERS)

$10 Cover After 9PM (INCLUDING PERFORMERS)

$5 cover College Students w/ valid I.D.

18 and Older – 21 to Drink (BRING I.D.)
(In-house Drink Specials ALL NIGHT)
Official Site: http://www.centricspotlight.com/

VOODOO LOUNGE
138 5th Avenue (Corner of St. John’s Place & 5th Ave.)
Brooklyn, NY 11217 (Park Slope)
Cross Streets: Sterling Place & Douglass St.
Travel: Take the 2,3,4,5,B,D,M,N,R,Q or LIRR train(s) to Atlantic or Pacific Avenue

**Parties and various Events are Welcomed

TICKET PURCHASE AVAILABLE HERE:

http://centricspotlight.eventbrite.com/

***CentricSpotlight is currently seeking acts – Poets, Singers, Comedians, Musicians, Rappers and Dancers. Please contact info@centricspotlight.com or info@urbanwritten.net for more info. Or call Kim: 347.326.1013 or Tee: 646.546.7526 to sign up.

Be sure to ‘LIKE’ CentricSpotlight Open Mic on Facebook – http://www.facebook.com/CentricSpotlight?sk=app_200193303353101

“The Artist” Collective presents “Anatomy of an Idea” – Every 1st Sunday of the Month

Hosted By: Andre Rainey aka N00dle

New Featured Artist Every Month

Doors Open at 5pm – Open Mic Starts at 6pm

Cover: Donations Accepted (all donations go towards supporting “The Artist” Collective)

When: Every First Sunday of the Month

5:00pm until 8:00pm

Location: 835 Dawson St., Bronx, NY

Directions: 2 or 5 Train To Prospect Ave. Exit near intersection of Longwood Ave & Westchester Ave. Head South East on Longwood Ave towards Hewitt Pl. Make Left on Dawson St.

6 Train To Longwood Ave. Exit Near Intersection of Southern Blvd & Longwood Ave. Head North West on Longwood Ave Towards Fox St. Make Right on Dawson St.

For more information about “The Artist” Collective and “Anatomy of An Idea” Open Mic & Showcase, contact: Ibrahim “P.O.E.T” Siddiq at: FreedumbMovement[at]gmail.com OR http://www.facebook.com/FreedumbMovement

BYA (Bring Your Art) will be returning on Saturday, January 28, 2012. There will be an amazing jam session with some of the HOTTEST artists in NYC from 5-10pm IMMEDIATELY followed by an equally amazing AFTER-PARTY. BYA is an art showcase that welcomes all forms of art to come and jam together on one stage. Musicians, Poets, Singers, ect. ALL ART IS WELCOMED. LIVE ENTERTAINMENT & FREE – every forth Saturday of the month.

“This isn’t one of those jam sessions that has three people sitting around watching a poet and a guitarist. And the after-party isn’t going to have 5 people dancing to an iPod. This jam session promises to be BEYOND dope with appearances from some of my favorite artists, including: Narubi Selah, Emcee Jermaine, Blue, Brokyn Sylance, Chris Slaughter, Shane Kora, Lo Anderson AND there’s going to be MORE. OMNI Blaize and his band, “Two Shades Darker” will be playing, as well. Believe me, if you love great entertainment, you want to be at this show.” ~ Poet, Jamica Hardwick

DJ PRETTYNYCE DaCURE will be spinning music for the ENTIRE AFTER-PARTY.

BYA (Bring Your Art) – FREE ARTIST SHOWCASE – Every Forth Saturday of the Month

Hosted by Jamica Hardwick & Gerald Trotman

New Featured Artists Every Month

WHEN: SATURDAY, JAN. 28, 2012

TIME: JAM SESSION–5-10pm  AFTER-PARTY–10pm – until……

PRICE: FREE! FREE! FREE!

WHERE: NOVA BAR & GARDEN LOUNGE

884 PACIFIC STREET (CORNER OF UNDERHILL AVE)
BROOKLYN, NY
www.info@novabrooklyn.com

TRAVEL: C TRAIN TO CLINTON-WASHINGTON AVENUE

For more information about BYA (Bring Your Art), visit: www.facebook.com/gerald.trotman OR www.facebook.com/jamicahardwick

If you are interested in growing your poetry business and increasing your profits, there are three ways you must market your poetry online through social media. Three essential marketing elements for any business are Facebook, Twitter, and LinkedIn. These social media outlets will gain exposure for your poetry business and work to increase your brand’s overall online presence.

Taking Advantage Of Facebook

Facebook is one of the most popular social networking sites in the world. Any social media marketing effort for your poetry business that does not include Facebook will be incomplete. Facebook has expanded the ways businesses can market on their site and introduced a classified ads listing service called “Marketplace”; the “Beacon” which allows subscribers to monitor Facebook user’s activities on partner sites; and also introduced the use of polls which allow a business to conduct intro areas such as new products and customer satisfaction. Plus, you can use Facebook Ads to serve up information to customers by demographic.

Using Twitter To Gain Exposure

As a a professional poet, spoken word artist or brand, you can market inexpensively and effectively through Twitter. It is a great place to network with other businesses, followers/fans, customers, and potential customers. It is very simple and easy to get your message out there by posting a short 140 character tweet. Search engines recognize your tweets, if done properly, which increases exposure for your brand and/or product and draws in new customers.

Making Use Of LinkedIn

The popularity of LinkedIn is growing and should be one of the social media outlets you access as a professional poet, spoken word artist or brand for your online marketing strategy. LinkedIn is a site where business associates can connect and share services and contacts. It has a much more professional feel and look to it than the other social networking sites. Anyone who is serious about establishing themselves as a serious professional of their craft will use LinkedIn in their social media marketing efforts.

By making full use of Facebook, Twitter, and LinkedIn, you are well on your way to increasing online exposure for your poetry business and growing your customer base. If you feel overwhelmed by setting up social media campaigns, be sure to contact me. I’ll assist you every step of the way. It can be fun and easy.

If you have been online for any length of time, you have probably already heard that you need to start your email list. But why is that even important? You may not even have products (book of poetry & prose, chapbooks, album, etc.) or your blog set up yet. But is it really time to start worrying about that all important list? The answer is very much YES.

Go To Where Your Followers/Fans Are

Not all of your followers/fans will find you through your blog or your website. In fact, many of your followers/fans and potential customers will learn about you through word of mouth from friends and relatives. Those helpful friends and relatives may find it easiest to simply forward your newsletter; blog link; email and/or Facebook information, building your list once they sign up. Through your emails and newsletters, these new customers will eventually find their way back to your website or blog which they may not have done otherwise.

Take Advantage Of Having A Target Audience

If you build your email listing correctly,  it will be full of people who are already interested in what you have to offer. Whether it is your poetry; latest book; track off of an album; whatever. You don’t have to worry about the hard sell with them, because they know you and your product and want to know what the latest information is. Your email list is also a valuable mine of feedback. These are the people whose opinions you care most about, and you will have them as a captive audience.

Show Your Expertise Via Your Emails

With your email list, you can now show your followers/fans that you can keep them up-to-date with your upcoming shows; book releases; features; guest appearances; what’s new and what to be on the look out for. It’s also a great way to stay connected to your fan base. Communication via email allows for a feel of knowing. Leverage that fact to keep your followers/fans and customers coming back to know more information. Once your readers trust the information you bring them, your list will grow by leaps and bounds. Remember that your readers will share powerful information with their friends and families. Someone trying to gain exposure and keep their existing fan base is far more likely to have their newsletters, networking pages, blog links and email shared than someone who fails to leverage their expertise.

The Inspired Word was designed to bring forth people of all cultures and backgrounds to work together in bonding the poetry community. If you have been to an Inspired Word event, you have witnessed the many different types of spoken word and styles of poetry that are offered in this art. Surely, you have been inspired and walked away with more appreciate for the art. The Inspired Word brings you NYC spoken word poetry – LIVE!

The Inspired Word helps unite the novice with the veteran, allowing the novice to see what their future as an artist can look like. It brings together the poetry community; caters to the palates of those who crave poetry and other forms of stage art; gives poetry fans a place that can become home to them for WEEKLY poetry events; and most importantly, gives the poetry community a place to gain exposure of their talent. From the Open Mics to the Featured Performers, there are no BIG or SMALL at The Inspired Word, only a community of ARTISTS.

With a lineup of some of NYC’s HOTTEST Spoken Word/Poetry artists and musical performers all on one stage, and at one show, there will be more than just a “buzz” in the air after this 2-Year Anniversary Show. This show is sure to have more artists wanting to see how they, too, can get involved in The Inspired Word and will also have poetry lovers flocking in the doors to see more great artists.

Check out this lineup. Scheduled Performers will be: (subject to change)

Patricia Smith
Lemon Andersen
Oveous Maximus
Regie Cabico
Vanessa Hidary
Ngoma
Jesus Papoleto Melendez
Bonafide Rojas
Erica Miriam Fabri & Robin Andre
Big Mike
Osagyefo
Jamaal St. John
Jane LeCroy
Advocate of Wordz (El Grito De Poetas)
Ocean Vuong
The MarXman
Simply Rob (El Grito De Poetas)
Eliel Lucero
Jane Ormerod
Thomas Fucaloro
Sylvana Joyce + The Moment
Emanuel Xavier
David Lawton
Vince Royale
Eve Brandstein
Aimee Herman
Carolina Hidalgo
Yenny Love (see her video on the homepage of this site)
Amy Leigh Cutler

“The Inspired Word isn’t just a series, it’s a movement.” ~ The Inspired Word

The Inspired Word’s 2-Year Anniversary Show! Hosted by HBO Def Poetry star Gemineye and NYC spoken word legend Nathan P.

Friday, January 6, 2012

Doors open @ 6:00pm

Show – 6:30-11:00pm

Cover Charge: $15

Where – 116 (Formerly The Gaslight Cafe or Village Gaslight)
116 MacDougal Street (between Bleecker Street and Minetta Lane)
Downstairs Lounge
Manhattan, NYC 10012
Phone: (212) 254-9996
(917) 703-1512

http://116macdougal.com/

Directions – By subway, take the A, B, C, D, E, F to West 4th Street-Washington Square.

For more info on The Inspired Word series, please check out: http://inspiredwordnyc.blogspot.com/ or http://inspiredwordnyc.com/

Mike Geffner’s “NYC Open Mic Joint” will be a weekly TUESDAY night series open to all types of artists – comedians, musicians, storytellers, singers, poets, fiction/nonfiction writers, playwrights, spoken word artists, performance artists, dancers, ANYTHING and EVERYTHING.

Tuesdays, NYC Open Mic Joint will be hosted by the legendary Nathan P.

Mike Geffner and The Inspired Word team offer Open Mic every Tuesday (30 five-minute slots) and virtually every Thursday (15-20 four-minute slots), showcasing not only poets and spoken word artists but comedians, singers, fiction/nonfiction writers, monologists, and musicians.

Mike Geffner’s “The Inspired Word Poetry & Prose in NYC” events on THURSDAY nights will feature some of the HOTTEST performers in New York and the surrounding areas. Thursday nights will also offer an Open Mic (15-20 four-minute slots), showcasing not only poets and spoken word artists but comedians, singers, fiction/nonfiction writers, monologists, and musicians.

Thursdays are hosted by 3-time Def Poetry star Gemineye.

Get out and support the arts in Manhattan’s West Village. Mike Geffner’s – The Inspired Word Poetry & Prose in NYC AND NYC Open Mic Joint!

“Hope to see you there. And I dare you to walk away without feeling inspired. Best always and stay inspired!” ~ Mike Geffner

Mike Geffner’s The Inspired Word – NYC Open Mic Joint – EVERY Tuesday Night

Hosted by the legendary Nathan P

25-30 slots, 5 minute time limit

Doors open for Open Mic sign-up @6:30pm

Showtime @ 7:30pm

Cover charge: $10

NO AGE LIMIT!

Follow NYC Open Mic Joint on Twitter – http://twitter.com/NYCOpenMic and on Facebook

Mike Geffner’s The Inspired Word Poetry & Prose in NYC – EVERY Thursday Night

Hosted by 3-time Def Poetry star Gemineye

FEATURE ARTISTS + Open Mic with 15-20 slots, 4 minute time limit

Doors open for Open Mic sign-up @6:30pm

Showtime @ 7:30pm

Cover charge: $10

NO AGE LIMIT!

The Inspired Word Blog – http://inspiredwordnyc.blogspot.com/

Where – 116 (Formerly The Gaslight Cafe or Village Gaslight)
116 MacDougal Street (between Bleecker Street and Minetta Lane)
Downstairs Lounge
Manhattan, NYC 10012
Phone: (212) 254-9996
(917) 703-1512

http://116macdougal.com/

Directions – By subway, take the A, B, C, D, E, F to West 4th Street-Washington Square.

For more info on The Inspired Word series, please check out: http://inspiredwordnyc.blogspot.com/ or http://inspiredwordnyc.com/

Mike Geffner’s contact information:

* Facebook – http://www.facebook.com/michael.geffner
* Twitter – http://twitter.com/inspiredwordnyc
* YouTube – http://www.youtube.com/nycinspiredword
* Mike’s Writing Workshop – http://groups.yahoo.com/group/mikeswritingworkshop/
* The Inspired Word Blog – http://inspiredwordnyc.blogspot.com/

“The Artist” Collective presents “Anatomy Of An Idea” every first Sunday of the month for Poetry, Spoken Word, Musicians, artists, fans of the arts and all creatives. “Anatomy of an Idea” is an Open Mic Showcase & Open Forum where “Art, Activism and Philosophy Co-Exists.”

“The Artist” Collective presents “Anatomy of an Idea” – Every 1st Sunday of the Month

Hosted By: Andre Rainey aka N00dle

This Month’s Featured Artist(s): Christ Is & Prophet

Doors Open at 5pm – Open Mic Starts at 6pm

Cover: Donations Accepted (all donations go towards supporting “Sistas On The Rise” & “The Artist” Collective)

When: Sunday, December 4, 2011
5:00pm until 8:00pm

Location: 835 Dawson St., Bronx, NY

Directions: 2 or 5 Train To Prospect Ave. Exit near intersection of Longwood Ave & Westchester Ave. Head South East on Longwood Ave towards Hewitt Pl. Make Left on Dawson St.

6 Train To Longwood Ave. Exit Near Intersection of Southern Blvd & Longwood Ave. Head North West on Longwood Ave Towards Fox St. Make Right on Dawson St.

For more information about “The Artist” Collective and “Anatomy of An Idea” Open Mic & Showcase, contact Ibrahim “P.O.E.T” Siddiq at: FreedumbMovement[at]gmail.com OR http://www.facebook.com/FreedumbMovement

Latanya DeVaughn is a Spoken Word New York favorite due to her diligent work in the NY Spoken Word Poetry scene. If you are deep in the scene, then you know or have heard of Latanya DeVaughn. She has been the force behind many standing-room-only Open Mics and has had a hand in the successes of many upcoming artists.

Bronx Talks: Bronx Stories has invited Miss DeVaughn to share her Bronx tale and to shed light on what most are not aware of – the beauty of art that comes from the Bronx. This is a FREE Open Mic event that welcomes EVERYONE to come out and enjoy a great night of storytelling.

What is Bronx Talks: Bronx Stories?

“The goals of Bronx Stories are four-fold: to challenge stereotypes about the Bronx and promote positive images of the borough; to provide a platform for voices from the community and space for the community to come together; to create a welcoming and inclusive atmosphere in the museum; and to encourage deeper engagement with the arts.” – Bronx Stories

Who Is Latanya DeVaughn?

Professional. Dedicated. Driven. Latanya DeVaughn, a native from the Bronx, has quickly established herself as one of the premiere event curators of open mic showcase events in New York City. In addition, she has also brought a sense of unity to a community of artists that was largely disconnected outside of their individual boroughs. By creating Urban Voices Heard – a traveling showcase that hosts an open mic and features artistic talents, she created a platform for artists from all 5 boroughs to share their art. In doing so, she also provided exposure to both well-known and novice artists that had yet to be discovered in other areas of New York City. With her vision as a Bronx native to Keep ART in the Bronx, she packed up the showcase from Manhattan in late 2008 and headed home.

In 2008 she took her traveling showcase from the Spoon Theater in midtown Manhattan to Books in The Hood (the only black owned bookstore in the South Bronx). From there she landed at Z’Novia Restaurant, providing exposure to a starving business. Finally, ending her travels in 2011 at new and unheard of at the time, El Fogon Center for the Arts in the Bronx. There she was given room to explore other avenues to encourage art. Avenues including curating writing workshops and visual/performance art showcases. This has proven to be a very successful recipe for her, as she has now organized dozens of open mics throughout the tri-state area.
Latanya is now known for her ability to conceptualize, organize and then execute events. Her unique skill sets have not gone unnoticed, instead, they have allowed her to seamlessly transition into a multifaceted brand. A brand that now represents event planning, entertainment management, event curation and youth education across New York City.
Currently she encourages the youth to explore their artistic talents by facilitating four (4) Spoken Word writing workshops a week at an alternative High School in Queens and an after-school program in Manhattan. Even as a High School student, she encouraged her peers and hoped to work with High School students one day. She is and always has been a firm believer of: speaking your future into existence.

Featuring alongside Latanya DeVaughn at Bronx Talks: Bronx Stories will be Skye Cabrera and Craig Tindal – hosted by Charles Rice-Gonzalez. There will also be a FREE Open Mic for those who’d like to share their stories through storytelling, poetry, music and ART.

Be there to LISTEN, go there to LEARN!!

Bronx Talks: Bronx Stories – Featuring Event Curator – Latanya DeVaughn

Friday, December 9, 2011
6:30pm until 8:30pm
FREE! FREE! FREE!

The Bronx Museum of the Arts
1040 Grand Concourse, Bronx, NY 10456
http://www.bronxmuseum.org/

GET DIRECTIONS

For more information on Latanya DeVaughn, contact her at:www.urbanvoicesheard[at]gmail.com

For more information on Bronx Talks: Bronx Stories, check them out on Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/bronxmuseum

Bronx Stories is made possible though the support of The Leona M. and Harry B. Helmsley Charitable Trust, Deutsche Bank Americas Foundation, and the Simón Bolívar Foundation.

For more information on Yenny Love, see her on Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/#!/pages/Yenny-Love/180098058687508

For more videos from Mike Geffner Presents – The Inspired Word: http://www.youtube.com/user/NYCInspiredWord

Then, on top of that, the one spoken word poet that understands the importance of self-promotion is often not going to get the results the seek because they don’t know what they are doing.  From what I have seen, poets – specifically spoken word poets, struggle more than most other writers when it comes to building a fan base and getting their words into print.  I aim to change that.

In this article series, I am going to show you the basics of effective self-promotion.  If you want to build a huge following of thousands of people, I will tell you, step-by-step, what you must do to accomplish this goal.

Step #1 – Get Organized

Effective self-promotion begins with organization.  You need to have a very firm grasp of the following:

What you are doing
Why you are doing it
How you are doing it
Where you are doing it
When you are doing it
Who you are doing it for

Now I know this might sound simple, but once I outline the specifics for each of the items in that list, you will quickly come to understand why pretty much no one is properly doing this stuff.

What You Are Doing

Your goal is simple; you want to expose your work to the more than 35 thousand people that are searching for your work every month via the Internet. (Yes, you read that number right, but more on this later)

Why You Are Doing It

You are doing this because it is both the most effective and cheapest (in many cases it is free) way to find people who have already shown an interest in what it is that you do.

How You Are Doing It

You will use a simple funnel, you will allow people to find you on the Internet, and then you will allow them to connect with you and get to know more about you and your work.

Where You Are Doing It

You want to connect with your fan base on YOUR OWN WEBSITE OR BLOG or at the very least, on your Facebook FAN PAGE.  Notice that I did not simply say “on Facebook”.

When You Are Doing It

Self-promotion should be seen as an extension of writing.  First you write, and then when you are finished you let your fan base know that you have new material for them and you also tell them how they can gain access to it.  Sometimes you will publish this material on your site and other times you will publish a snippet and then let them know that they can see you perform this piece at an upcoming event.

Who You Are Doing It For

You are promoting to find people who are NOT POETS and have expressed an interest in finding spoken word poetry online.  I need you to really understand that.  You are NOT looking to find people that do what you do, you want to find people who simply appreciate what you do and want more of it.  Many poets make the mistake of promoting their poetry mostly to other poets.  Then they wonder why their fan base isn’t growing and get frustrated.  The reason is simple; most of your promotion efforts are not targeting the right people.
Once you know all of these things, you will be well organized and ready to move on to the next stage in the self-promotion process, which I will cover in the next article.  I chose to break this article into a series so that you would have time to absorb the information and go through the process of actually implementing it or seeing what it will take for you to implement this plan.  With that being said, if you like the information that I am covering, let me know by commenting on the article here on my blog.  I am going to reader-feedback determine the release schedule for the rest of the articles in this series…so the more comments that I get from my readers will force me to post the next article that much quicker.

William Faulkner said that “the poet’s voice needs not merely be the record of man; it can be one of the props, the pillars to help him endure and prevail.” I take this to mean that each and every poet has a duty to share their work and insights with the world so that we can all be lifted by it.  To share your work in this day and age means that you put it online so that other people can be moved by your words.

As humans, we have a unique ability to create intense mental connections across large distances of space and time. Poetry written years ago is still helping people to learn to embrace their spirit or letting them know that they are not alone.  Every month, thousands of people in the tri-state area search for that light that only you can provide and still they come up empty.  They come up empty because most spoken word poets don’t publish their work online.  They can’t find you because you have no site, no blog and no online presence outside of your Facebook account, which just happens to be filled to the rim with other people who do the exact same thing that you do – write poetry.

Take a moment and close your eyes and let that sink in.  Imagine a world where the number one activity engaged in by poets is marketing their events to OTHER POETS.  Now open your eyes.  Did you notice that nothing changed?  Nothing changed because this is not simply a figment of your imagination, you really do live in this world, which makes this your reality.  The irony of this is that you are actually helping everyone except yourself.  Your competitors love you because they are able to consistently compare your work to theirs and see where they stand.  Oh, and it gets even better for the event curators because the ones who have no idea what they are doing (and this is more than a few), can simply target the same features as the events that appear to have a decent following and expect to see some degree of success.

This is copycat marketing at its finest and it only makes things worse for the true fans of poetry.  They don’t want to see the same features at every event.  They don’t all share the same opinions on who is their favorite poet, so many of them see the “hot” features and think that they are lackluster at best.  People have their own issues and tastes in poetry and since there are so many to choose from, you would think that this is not a big issue….but it is.  Every month, 35+ THOUSAND people who are interested in poetry but are NOT poets or event curators searching for your work online and either find that there are no new poets to discover or find nothing at all because you are spending your time promoting to the competition.

The most frequent complaints that I hear from die-hard poetry fans are “why don’t the spoken word artists publish their work more often?” and “why don’t the spoken word poets do interviews so we can find out what inspired them to write that piece?” The Spoken Word New York site was created as a way to address these and many other issues in connecting the poets to the true fans of poetry.  My site has but one goal, which is to enhance the New York Spoken Word community by connecting the people who are looking for spoken word poetry to the people who are creating spoken word poetry.  But what happens most of the time when I reach out to a poet to interview them and put it on my site, I do not hear back from them and my services go without render.

Here is the bottom line – you could perform at a sold out event every week for a year and still not even be close to the amount of exposure that you can have on the Internet in one MONTH.  It is because of this that I say just writing good poetry is not enough. You need to share your work, so that the people who will benefit the most from it can actually find it.  To do this you need to stop marketing to other marketers and start tapping into the huge amount of people that are desperately seeking the light that only you can provide.

However, before you get started, you will need a few things to make sure that you are able to make the most of your participation.  Those things, in order are:

1. A Gravatar – a gravatar, also called an avatar, is an image that follows you from site to site and always appears beside your name when you post comments on a blog.  Your gravatar allows people to start to recognize you by face, which is very important if you are a writer.  Studies have shown that when a person knows you by face, they feel connected to you and this is precisely what you want if you are trying to gain more exposure.  Gravatars are free and only require that you have a picture of yourself to upload for use with the service.  Once you upload your picture, you will be given the option to crop it and then save it.  After saving it, any blog that you comment on that supports gravatars will show your face next to your comments.

2. A Destination – most of the time, when you comment on a blog, the blog owner will allow you to place a link back to a destination of your choice.  For writers, this will usually be a link to your Facebook profile or another site where the user can learn more about you and what it is that you do.  I do want to stress that in almost EVERY case, you will want to use your Facebook profile because it will allow them to friend request you which in turn allows you to send them messages in the future.  Using a regular website link will not give you those capabilities so make sure you always use your Facebook profile unless you have a very specific reason not to.

3.  A Plan – depending on the blog and the amount of readers that it has, making comments on a blog can dramatically increase your exposure to people who are looking for places to see writers perform their work.  And all that you need to do is look at the articles on the site and think of them as conversations.  You need to participate in as many of these conversations as is reasonably possible.  To participate, you will need to read the entire article and make an intelligent and useful comment.

For example, if the blog has an article about another poet, read the article and then use your comment to congratulate the poet on the article and let them know that you will look forward to seeing more of their work in the future.  If you are familiar with the poet, you could also use your comment to give other readers your recommendation of why they should take the time to check out this poet in person.

Doing this will encourage other poets to do the same for you, which not only builds a connection between you and other poets, but between you and the other readers of the blog because you are helping them separate the good from the bad when it comes to spoken word poets.

A word of caution though, NEVER use your comments for self promotion or any sort of unnecessary negativity when it comes to another person’s work.  You do not want people to see you as someone that goes out of their way to tarnish another person’s reputation.

4.  Consistency – being consistent means that people will start to want to hear your opinion on certain topics along with the writer of the article.  It is not uncommon for blog readers to value the opinion of specific regular commentators as much as or more than the writer of the content.  In many of the top blogs, the commentators are more responsible for the growth of the blog than the content writers are.  The reward for being consistent is conversations and traffic.  People will feel connected to you, want to know more about you and will also want to talk to you more.

I hope that everyone reading this will take these four steps and put them into action right away.  Not only will they prove to be extremely valuable, but they will also put you on the road to running your own effective blog if you choose to do so.  As always, if you have any questions or feedback, I’d love to hear it.

For the most part I’ve witnessed great artists who come out to Poetry Open Mics – they come on time, they read within the 3-5 minute time limit and they make an effort to not say or do anything too inappropriate. But, you must remember an important factor of what the Open Mic is all about. Open Mic is a way for people to recite, perform and/or act out their particular piece of art. It is a way of expressing oneself and using ones freedom of speech – the freedom of expression.

Because of some of the things that I have noticed at various Poetry Open Mics, I’ve taken it upon myself to give my opinion of some of the positives and negatives that I’ve seen at these Open Mics. You can think of this article as “Poetry Open Mic Etiquette”, but I’ll just call it “Poetry Open Mic Dos & Don’ts.” Remember, this is just my opinion as a spectator…nothing that I say here is law.

Poetry Open Mic Do’s

If at all possible, let the host or curator know you are coming in advance of the event. And be sure to sign up for the Open Mic upon arrival.

Practice reading your work beforehand so you’re not to run past your allotted time.

Let the host or curator know ahead if you have any specific requests for your performance – audio needs.

Try to keep it as clean as possible. Rated R at best – sometimes there are children in the audience. Yes, there is a way to keep your piece true to its originality by doing so. Take into account that the piece will not lose its luster if you resist throwing the P word and F-bombs every which way. Cursing is not disapproved of. But do keep in mind that you can be openly expressive without being insulting. Ask the host or curator what the standards are. Not all Poetry Open Mics are going to be THE place for all types of written/spoken art. For erotic poetry, look for an Open Mic that caters to erotic poetry. There are many to choose from in NYC.

Do try to stay till the end of the Open Mic. People sat through and applauded your performance. Do show the same respect of theirs.

Do keep in mind that audience participation is vital to a Poetry Open Mic. So, clapping, finger snapping and positive verbal appreciation for an artist is always welcomed.

Tip generously and patronize the bar, coffee shop, restaurant, bookstore or wherever the Open Mic takes place.

If the Poetry Open Mic is a FREE Open Mic, ask if the curator accepts donations. $1 or $2 dollars adds up when trying to raise funds or keep an event going.

Poetry Open Mic Don’ts

This is not the time or place to get on your political or religious soap box. Reciting your political or religious piece is fine. But try to make it so it educates people. People like to be moved; be uplifted. So, fewer attitudes and more altitude – inspire.

Don’t take up the majority of your time at the mic with an introduction to your piece. In most places it is okay to have an intro, but try to keep it short.

If the host has motioned you to stop, don’t take another 3 minutes to finish.

Don’t shuffle papers or chit-chat while others are at the mic. Try to keep conversation to a whisper.

Don’t come in late. If joining the event after the show has begun, try to come in as unnoticed as possible and quietly. If the mic is close to the entrance of the building, wait until you see the performer exit the stage before entering.

Turn off your cell phone!

Most of all have fun! Poetry Open Mics are meant to support writers and give artists a forum to present and practice their pieces before a live audience. There’s always a special energy in the room during an event like these and it’s due to people being there because they want to be with other like-minded creative’s. Enjoy!

HOT! MONTHLY POETRY SHOWCASES & POETRY OPEN MICS:
1st Sunday of the Month – YaniDo Presents Sunday Spoken Word Showcase at OOba Lounge
617 Grand Street(L or G to Lorimer)
Brooklyn, NY(Williamsburg)
7pm-10pm
FREE! FREE! FREE!
**For more info “LIKE” Ooba Lounge on Facebook

Every Tuesday & Thursday of the Month – Mike Geffner’s The Inspired Word Poetry & Prose in NYC

One and One Bar & Restaurant (downstairs Nexus Lounge)
76 East 1st Street (corner of 1st Avenue)
Manhattan, NY
$10
Doors open for Open Mic sign-up @6:30pm – Showtime @ 7:30pm
**For more info – The Inspired Word Blog

4th Wednesday of the Month – El Grito De Poetas’ “No Intros!” at The Bowery Poetry Club

The Bowery Poetry Club
308 Bowery (Btwn Houston and Bleecker)
Manhattan, NY 10012
$10 for 1 person or $15 for 2 (Bring a friend!)
6-9pm
(F train to 2nd Ave, 6 to Bleecker)
**For more info – El Grito De Poetas – elgritodepoetas[at]gmail.com

Every 1st & 3rd SUNDAY of the month – The Brooklyn Renaissance

The Sakhu Healing Arts Center[top bell]
8 Revere Place (between Bergen and Dean)
Brooklyn NY 11213
718-791-7962
$5(Donations Appreciated)
Doors open: 6:30pm (for writing prompt) Showtime: 7:30pm
C train to Kingston(less than 4 blocks from the train station)
**For more info – Chris Slaughter on Facebook – pohetic[at]gmail.com

Every other TUESDAY of the MONTH – CentricSpotlight Tuesday Open Mic Night at Voodoo Lounge
Voodoo Lounge
138 5th Avenue
Brooklyn, NY 11217
Doors open at 7:00pm
Last Sign-Up at 7:30pm
Showtime at 8pm SHARP!
$7 Cover Charge before 9pm(INCLUDING PERFORMERS)
$10 Cover After 9pm(INCLUDING PERFORMERS)
18 and Older – 21 to Drink(BRING I.D.)
(In-house Drink Specials ALL NIGHT)
Official Site: http://www.centricspotlight.com/
**Trains: 2,3,4,5,B,D,M,N,R,Q or LIRR train(s) to Atlantic Avenue, and we’re right off St. John’s Place and 5th Avenue
**Be sure to ‘LIKE’ CentricSpotlight Open Mic on Facebook

CentricSpotlight is an Open Mic showcase which gives a platform to all talents including: Poets, Musicians, Singers, Dancers, Rappers, and Comedians. It is a nurturing environment for artists to display their talents and to network. During Open Mic sessions, complimentary gifts are rewarded occasionally for best performances.

Great Music! Affordable Drinks! Great Talent!

CentricSpotlight Open Mic Night’s at Brooklyn’s Voodoo Lounge is sponsored by Telfair & Co. and UrbanWritten – Bringing you the Open Mic every other Tuesday of the month. Come out to share your talent or be entertained with New York City’s most intimate crowd. Enjoy a night of music, economy friendly drinks, and most of all, TALENT!

***CentricSpotlight is currently seeking acts – Poets, Singers, Comedians, Musicians, Rappers and Dancers. Please contact info@centricspotlight.com or info@urbanwritten.net for more info. Or call Kim: 347.326.1013 or Tee: 646.546.7526 to sign up.

CentricSpotlight Presents Tuesday Open Mic Night at Voodoo Lounge

Every other TUESDAY of the MONTH

Doors open at 7:00pm
Last Sign-Up at 7:30pm
Showtime at 8pm SHARP!

$7 Cover Charge before 9PM (INCLUDING PERFORMERS)

$10 Cover After 9PM (INCLUDING PERFORMERS)

18 and Older – 21 to Drink (BRING I.D.)
(In-house Drink Specials ALL NIGHT)
Official Site: http://www.centricspotlight.com/

Voodoo Lounge
138 5th Avenue
Brooklyn, NY 11217

**Trains: 2,3,4,5,B,D,M,N,R,Q or LIRR train(s) to Atlantic Avenue, and we’re right off St. John’s Place and 5th Avenue
TICKET PURCHASE AVAILABLE HERE:
http://centricspotlight.eventbrite.com/

***CentricSpotlight is currently seeking acts – Poets, Singers, Comedians, Musicians, Rappers and Dancers. Please contact info@centricspotlight.com or info@urbanwritten.net for more info. Or call Kim: 347.326.1013 or Tee: 646.546.7526 to sign up.

Be sure to ‘LIKE’ CentricSpotlight Open Mic on Facebook – http://www.facebook.com/CentricSpotlight?sk=app_200193303353101

“No Intros!” offers more than just your ordinary open mic. Not only will you witness a unique style of poetry, you will also get to see some of NYC’s and the surrounding areas’ HOTTEST poets and artists. You can expect HOT feature artists; spotlights on the members of El Grito De Poetas; musical guests; comedians and much more. So, for the arts enthusiast’s out there, you will definitely be entertained at the “No Intros!” Monthly Poetry Open Mic & Artist Showcase.

Are you that poet who needs to explain your piece before you recite it? Are you a poet that can go straight into spitting your piece without having to tell a story about your story…your piece? It is true, though. Some pieces require an intro, right? Either way, come out EVERY 4TH WEDNESDAY OF THE MONTH and show El Grito and The Bowery Poetry Club & Café what you are made of. Let the audience figure out the meaning of the piece by its delivery and message. That will give them a reason to inquire about it after the show – allowing you to connect with your audience and new fans. Challenge yourself and spit your piece with “NO INTROS!” Tell them SPOKEN WORD NEW YORK sent you!

“NO INTROS!” MONTHLY POETRY OPEN MIC & ARTIST SHOWCASE

EVERY 4TH WEDNESDAY OF THE MONTH
6pm – 9pm
$10 for 1; $15 for 2
**Bring a Friend**

Hosted by: John “Chance” Acevedo

Curated by: “TRUE”

The Bowery Poetry Club & Café
308 Bowery (Btwn Houston and Bleecker)
NY 10012
(212) 614-0505

http://www.bowerypoetry.com/

**F train to 2nd Ave, 6 to Bleecker

For TIMES AND MONTHLY DATE on “No Intros!”, email:
True_poetess[at]yahoo.com
Elgritodepoetas[at]gmail.com

Before Simply Rob laces up to take on his 26.2 mile ING NYC Marathon run, he and his fellow El Grito members will be hosting a fundraiser affectionately titled “From Running the Streets to Running the Streets.” This will be a performance showcase held at the Harlem United El Fero in NYC to aid Simply Rob in his efforts to raise his goal set amount of $2,500. Some of NYC’s hottest talent has come aboard to perform along with the exceptionally-poetic stage presence of El Grito De Poetas. Performing will be: Bomba y Plena sensation Machete Movement, NYC’s premiere Latino Spoken Word troupe El Grito De Poetas, HBO Def Poet Vanessa Hidary aka Hebrew Mamita, Actress/Comedian Marilyn Torres and Singer Jeannie Sol. Hosted By Caridad De La Luz aka La Bruja. And as a bonus treat, you will be welcomed and greeted by the lovely Boricua Goddess. Donations will be greatly appreciated at walk-in and throughout the night.

Please come out and support Simply Rob’s “From Running the Streets to Running the Streets” – Fundraiser. Show your caring and understanding to people who live and love just as you and I. Show your appreciation for life by supporting the lives of thousands in New York. Make sure to get there early and stay late for a pre/post-show reception where you can speak with members of Harlem United, the performers of the night and Simply Rob himself.

“From Running The Streets to Running The Streets” – A Fundraiser for Simply Rob’s Harlem United Marathon Run

Support: $10.00

Wednesday, October 5, 2011

6:30pm – 9:30pm

Harlem United El Faro
179 East 116th St btw 3rd & Lex
New York, NY

**Dinner will be available for $7

Read more about “Simply Rob” Vassilarakis’ story at his Harlem United Marathon page. Here, you are also welcomed to make donations and learn more about what Harlem United is doing for the New York communities: http://www.harlemunited.org/teamharlemunited/runner.php?marathon_date=201111&runners_number=300

For more info on Simply Rob as a poet, you can find him at the following links:

http://www.myspace.com/robvsimply

http://www.myspace.com/elgritodepoetas

http://www.youtube.com/user/elgritodepoetas

http://www.facebook.com/robvsimply