"Use the Press" Workshop at the Individual World Poetry Slam

Whether you're a seasoned poet or a rookie, you want audiences to attend your shows, especially when you're on tour. Beyond relying on your host or social media network, use the press -- newspapers, radio stations, television stations and other media outlets -- to generate buzz about you before you arrive and cover your shows for their local audiences.

Rock bands have big followings because of their talents but also because they know how to generate news coverage. Slam poets should be no different.

Through the Use the Press Workshop, free and open to the public, poet Christopher Fox Graham will offer slam poets and poetry organizers tips on how to craft press release, deal with the media, and entice reporters, bloggers and others to write about your impending show, cover your slam or feature, and promote your as an artistic celebrity.

Graham is a 10-year journalism veteran and the managing editor of Larson Newspapers, a family-owned newspaper chain based in Sedona, Arizona. Graham has hosted the Sedona Poetry Slam since 2009 and been a member of the National Poetry Slam family since 2001.

He has hosted more than 30 national touring poets at his venue and home in Sedona, generating front page coverage for their featured performances at newspapers and magazines throughout Northern Arizona, both drawing in larger audience and helping touring poets increase sales of their chapbooks, CDs, DVDs and our merchandise, keeping them fed and fueled on the road.
Even if you have no plans to tour, the workshop will show how to work with the media outlets in your home city to attract reporters to regularly promote your poetry slams, interview feature poets who perform at your slam, attend and cover your Grand Slams and help promote your fundraising efforts to send your teams and individual poets to national competitions.

The workshop will include information for reaching audiences for other general events and activities you promote outside of slam as well.

This workshop is free and open to the public.

The workshop takes place at Jobot Coffee and Diner, 918 N. 5th St., Phoenix Arizona at 11 a.m.