“A poet! Nice, but what do you do for a living?”
Sounds familiar?
Don’t worry, we’re here to help.

If you’re stuck between an audience that adores your poetry and people who don’t believe it’s possible to make a living from shows, courses, or selling books, with SLAM IN… you won’t solve this dilemma (hey, we said we could help, not work miracles), but you will have something to show. You’ll have a place where all your work comes together, a tool to connect with potential “customers” and “employers.”

“Help me to help you. Help me to help you…”

Your profile page will function like a personal site, allowing you to showcase everything you’ve got: videos, poems, images, and shows. People will be able to follow you, receive updates, or contact you directly to invite you to their events. We believe this feature will be incredibly useful for creating connections and organizing activities.

For instance, if you’re organizing a poetry night (a reading, an open mic, or a slam) and you need poets, you’ll be able to create an event on SLAM IN and open slots for interested participants. Then, you can select your candidates and add them to the lineup; their names will appear on the event page. (If you already have your lineup, you can simply search for your stars and add them. The platform will handle notifications.) If you’re one of those stars, having your name on the event page will help people who don’t know you discover your work.

It’s all about community.

What we can and cannot do

A little behind the scenes: we initially tried to establish this platform as a nonprofit organization. But in this capitalist society, if you’re not using money to make more money, it seems suspicious… so you can’t. That’s why we had to launch as a company and find ways to enable economic interactions within the platform.

One way to earn money on SLAM IN is through courses. We’ve mentioned this before, but let’s dive a little deeper: at launch, the Learn section will feature a form where you can submit your course ideas. We’ve already connected with some of the world’s best poets and performers to provide top-notch learning opportunities. However, our ultimate goal is to open this section to as many talented individuals as possible. If you’ve got what it takes and people love what you have to share, we’ll help you set up your course with the best possible infrastructure.

Another major way to make a living through SLAM IN is direct support.

One more behind-the-scenes note: we attempted to create a crowdfunding section where anyone with a poetry project could request financial backing. However, if you’re not a bank, an insurance company, or another type of financial institution… you basically can’t allow people to support one another. (Trust is one thing; money is another.) So we opted for something simpler, fairer, and more direct: you like someone ➔ you support them.

We’re implementing an open-source system that will help you track every transaction, issue invoices, and do whatever it takes to keep things hassle-free. This feature is still in development, but if it’s not ready on day one, it will be one of our first major updates. So yes, we believe you can make a living from your art, and we’ll do our best to help you achieve that.

Pro, as in “in favor of,” but also as in “professional”

Where does your poetry come from?
Isn’t it something you wrote (or performed) after experiencing something and interpreting it in your own way? We could say the original poem is what you experienced and what moved you; and what you write (or perform) is your way of making others feel what you felt when you “lived” the original poem (reality can be an incredible poem). That’s why a poem is only a poem when it’s a poem of a poem…

This leads us to a simple conclusion: you will be a poet when others recognize you as one. Those people (the ones who are pro-you) will be the ones who make you a professional.

But to be a professional poet, there’s one fundamental rule: respect (thank you, Aretha!).

Isn’t this the core question about art?
Is it still art when it becomes a commodity?
The best answer is: if you respect others, nobody will question your art or your actions.

Getting paid means having a job. Being professional means delivering your best to those who respect you because you respect them. Money has nothing to do with being professional.

SLAM IN will help you earn the money you deserve. Just do your best to live up to it.

Published: Dec 25 – 2024