Summary:
- The rise in poetry sales is attributed to poets like Donna Ashworth, especially those of the Instagram age, effectively using social media and websites for marketing.
- Donna Ashworth's popularity, with her book "Wild Hope" reaching number seven on Amazon bestsellers, contributes to the overall increase in British poetry sales in 2023.
- Traditional marketability of poets declined, partly due to the complexity of modernist poetry that frowned upon easy appreciation, leading to fewer sales of high-minded imprints.
- Instagram-age poets focus on accessibility, utilizing social media platforms to engage with a broader audience and offering additional merchandise beyond books, such as tote bags, candles, and hoodies.
- The contrast between the marketability of traditional poets like Philip Larkin and the success of poets like Donna Ashworth highlights a shift in how poetry is consumed and marketed in contemporary times.
Discussion (1)
IG poetry world is different from traditional poetry in its accessibility and marketing. Poets like Donna Ashworth leverage social to engage a broader audience, creating a more direct connection with their fans. That’s largely why I follow poets, because I’m interested in them as people and the new medium by which they display their poetry. They generally have more of an emphasis on visuals and concise relatable verses.