Furry Writers' Guild Forum

Finding a home for an 18+ comedy poem?

Poetry
#1

Late last year I finally finished an adult-themed furry poem that I’ve been working on, on and off, for a while.

It has a complex meter and rhyme scheme, while still being loaded with furry gags and raunchiness. It’s also nearly 1,000 words. I’ve memorized it and delivered it live on several occasions (both an earlier version and a more updated one) and, no lie, it gets straight-up belly laughs with furry crowds, so I’m kind of proud of it.

I had originally written it with the intent to submit to a “Heat” opening, but as of “Heat #16,” it appears they have stopped accepting poem submissions (and comics). Unless they start again, I’d love to find somewhere else to submit it – or pocket it for now if there might be an opportunity down the line. Any thoughts? (Happy to actually share the poem with anyone interested!)

#2

Well, if you were aiming for Heat, nothing says you can’t sit on it until they are looking for submissions on Heat 17.

#3

I’d be happy to do that, except that, like I said… I think Heat has stopped publishing poetry. :-\

I mentioned it to Dark End at MFF, and he said something along the lines of that it had become too logistically complicated.

I don’t know if they intend to go back to it later. If they do, obviously, it’d be my first choice, but if not, I’d like to find another!

#4

There are some anthologies that have published both stories and poems – Thurston Howl has done several like that, I believe – so that might be another venue if it happens to fit a theme. (I don’t know if there’s ever been a furry erotic comedy antho, but it seems like a theme just waiting to happen.)

Otherwise, you could print it up as a chapbook (with or without art), keep doing the live readings when opportunities come up, and then either give away or sell the chapbook after the readings, depending on what the venue allows.

In the same vein of using it as a giveaway to build audience, you could also put it online (either the text or a YouTube video of the live performance, or better yet, both) and use something like Ko-fi to ask for tips.

#5

I’m sorry, I read your initial comment wrong. I was not aware at the time Heat stopped accepting poetry. My bad. Nevertheless, I know some folks have submitted poetry to other calls as Poetigress said, so that may be a viable option. I do know there was at least one comedy anthology called What the Fox that was published the THP. So there is still hope yet.