without a steady income, his financial situation worsened. riley began submitting his poems to more prominent literary magazines, including "scribner's monthly", but was informed that although it showed promise, his work was still short of the standards required for use in their publications. locally, he was still dealing with the stigma of the poe plot. the "indianapolis journal" and other newspapers refused to accept his poetry, leaving him desperate for income. on the advice of a friend, in january 1878 riley paid an entrance fee to join a traveling lecture circuit where he could give poetry readings. in exchange, he received a portion of the profit his performances earned. these circuits were popular at the time, and riley quickly earned a local reputation for his entertaining readings.