How to List Poetry Publications on Your Resume or CV

Most writers start their journey into writing with a passion. Some may keep doing it as a hobby, but others evolve and find publications to get their work out for a mass audience. If you are one of those successful writers who have had their work published, you may understand the pain and struggle it took for your work to get where it has. Now that your work is published, it only fits that you wish to share it with your potential hiring manager. But should you? All top rated resume writers will tell you that you should include publications on your resume.

Resume Format

Inspiration can come anywhere for writers. Take, for instance, how Nomi Stone wrote, ‘In the hot tub with my wife, waiting for the vet to call.’ But that’s now how it works with CVs. Top resume writers in 2021 follow a specific resume format that helps their clients’ CVs look polished and professional. If you aren’t entirely sure of your skills in that area, you may wish to seek professional help.

When working with the format, you may want to list your articles down in a chronological format rather than in a functional format. In chronological order, you begin by mentioning your latest publication at the top and go down history from there. In a functional resume, one showcases their professional competencies, making it challenging to incorporate publications in chronological order.

Top resume writers often include their clients’ publications under their job titles. Here is how you can add your own.

Journalist – California – 2018 – Present

I have bylines in publications, including [publication name 1] [publication name 2]

Or

Self-Published Poem Author – California – 2020

“Title of your book” – [Description of the book]

It may be best to read up on some reviews of books by other writers, such as ‘Decolonizing the imagination’ by Christiana Castillo. It helps give fellow authors a sense of what critics are looking for from book authors.

Separate Portfolio of your published work

If you wish, you can create a separate portfolio of your publications and link it to your resume for the hiring manager to read. Most CVs are sent to potential employees through the internet these days. One can easily find such portfolio examples on popular sites.

It may also help if you include a statement in your resume wherein you introduce yourself as a published author. You may wish to add an opening comment that summarizes your publications and the books you wrote or co-wrote.

Should you include everything in your resume?

If you are one of those writers who has had many publications under their belts, like Annelyse Gelman, poet, and artist, it can be overwhelming to put it all down on paper. A resume should not read too long since the hiring manager can only hold their attention to your qualifications for too long. The shorter the CV is, the better. Since the slot gets filled easily, it may be best to include only relevant publications that match the job you are applying for.

When you have poems that have been published in national media and have earned you accolades, it may be best to include them regardless of whether they are relevant to the job. If you apply for a job as a literature teacher or mentor, poems on casual subjects may not need to be added. But if you have nothing to mention on your resume, check this article, it covers what to write about if you have no experience yet.

Must you include your poetry publications on your resume?

But just because you have been published does not mean you should include it in your resume, though. The top rated resume writers in 2021 suggest that if your article is not relevant to the job you are applying for, you may not necessarily include it in your CV. For instance, if you are applying for a managerial position in a firm, they may not need to know about your poetry at all. However, you may be able to mention it under a small sub-section and not highlight it for your hiring manager.

 

Jayron Baldwin

Jayron Baldwin is a creative writer, poet, and sports fan. He is currently compiling material to publish his very own poetry blog.