Poetry Writing Services -

Individual Poems & Poetry Books | Mentoring, Co-Writing & Poetry Ghostwriting

All poetry writing services; feedback, support and specialist advice for publishing collections with professional tutors and established poets.

Wordsworth famously defined poetry as “the spontaneous overflow of powerful feelings.” The emotions are yours. The ideas and experiences, yours. The inspiration, yours. Shaping that material into poems and, eventually, a book, however, is an arduous process that comes with many questions: When to use fragments? When to go with complete sentences? When to use the “slant” approach? When to bring what is latent to the surface?

With the proliferation of MFA programs and literary workshops, the writing of poems has become, in many cases, a collaborative process. The poetry ghostwriters at LGC can help you fine-tune and polish your creations and, when the time comes, shape your collection into a book that, like a Gestalt, means more than the sum of its parts. We have experience working in the full array of formal possibilities, including, for example, the traditional sonnet, the much-loved ghazal and free verse made up of what Wallace Stevens calls “sounds passing through sudden rightnesses.”

Whether you are a novice just coming to poetry or an established poet who needs a sounding board, we have services to provide what you need—everything from the perfection of an individual poem to the recommendation of presses for a finished collection.

Aaron Poochigian is head of the poetry division overseeing development, mentoring and editorials with aspiring poets

Aaron earned a PhD in Classics from the University of Minnesota and an MFA in Poetry from Columbia University. His thriller in verse, Mr. Either/Or, was released by Etruscan Press in the fall of 2017. A recipient of an NEA Grant in translation, he has published translations with Penguin Classics and W. W. Norton. Other works include the winner of the Richard Wilbur Award, American Divine (2021) and poetry collections Manhattanite (Able Muse Press, 2017), winner of the 2016 Able Muse Book Award, and The Cosmic Purr (Able Muse Press, 2012). His work has appeared in such publications as Best American Poetry, the Paris Review and POETRY. Aaron has taught writing (expository and creative) for twenty years and has published eleven books and written prose pieces for major magazines. He works as a ghostwriter, editor and book coach as well as a translator of works in very diverse voices. Aaron’s immersive tour of Central Park, Four Walks in Central Park: A Poetic Guide to the Park combines poetry, guide book and travel literature with the intention of helping readers find solace in nature.

The Process

1. We first approach your poetry on a poem-by-poem basis in order to bring each one to its own unique ripeness. This stage can involve several rounds of revision in which a tutor gives suggestions and you engage in the process of review and revision.

2. When a sheaf of poems reaches 45 pages in length (the usual minimum for a book), we can start working with you to shape the collection in such a way that individual poems “talk” and “respond” to each other. These pairings or groupings then go on to be the building blocks of the collection.

3. The next step is to arrange the clusters of intercommunicating poems into a collection in such a way that it has development and an arc. We feel a book of poetry should be more than just a random gathering of poems. It should be as artfully arranged as the poems that make it up.

4. Finally, we can identify appropriate presses for your collection and write a pitch that sums up the virtues of your book for them. Fortunately, there is an abundance of poetry presses ranging from the boutique and zine-like to Farrar, Straus and Giroux.

Frequently Asked Questions

Do I need to have more than an idea for a poetry book?

No. After working with you to define the project, we will co-write with you or ghostwrite poems that make your idea a reality.

What if I need help winnowing the poems I should keep from the ones I shouldn’t?

Separating one’s keepers from one’s non-keepers is a difficult process, and many poets at that stage bring in second and third opinions to help them decide. With our experience working as both poets and editors, we can provide trustworthy advice on the merits of individual poems.

Do I need an agent to find a press for a poetry book?

No. The rules that apply to fiction and non-fiction do not apply to poetry. Most poetry presses do not require representation by an agent, though there are a few elite ones that do. Many successful and well-known poets do not have an agent.

What if I need a poem written for an event?

We have experience writing poetry for occasions such as wedding receptions, retirement parties, and funeral receptions. The poem will be tailored to your voice and your specifications.