A Friendly Warning for All Poetry Lovers

[Savage Kitten]

I'm sure at one time or another most of you have heard of the website; POETRY.COM.

About a year ago I submitted a couple poems to that site and was over-joyed when I recieved notification in the mail that one of my poems had been accepted for publication. I was a bit weary though when they asked for money, to pay for a copy of the book the poem would be published in. I never sent in the money but held onto the letter just incase I decided to at a later date. About a month later I recieved another letter informing me my poem had now been accepted for an audio poetry CD. As before, they wanted me to pay for the set of CD's. It all sounded very stranger to me so, as pleased as I was, I didn't send in any money.

Tonight I was browsing the net and came across this report from Writer's Weekly. Come to find out, I was not the only one who recieved the notice and from some accounts... I got off lightly.

Read for yourself and warn your friends.

WritersWeekly.com Warnings Report

Sk~

 

[smithpeter]

yes

I have submitted to poetry.com but not received the invitations. I have lied to the required questions asking for info that I do not want to give. Any place that asks you for your home address should be considered suspicious.
I see that site as an avenue to a mailing list and our money.
If you want more offers in your snail box that are laughable then go for it.
It is not publication.

 

[Whispersecret]

Any agent or publisher who asks for money from you as a fee or to buy the book is full of shit. They are preying on your yearning to be published. Don't fall for it.

 

[KatPurrs]

Me too

SK,
Jeez, where've you been girl? I've missed seeing you!

Thanks for the warning. I received the same letter. I have to admit I was tempted at first. I liked the idea of having a book of poetry on my coffee table with some of my non-erotic poems in it. Who wouldn't? That's what they're relying on. BUT the flag went up when they wanted money, so I trashed it.

Then, I received this invitation to go to a poetry seminar in Orlando. Anybody get that one? I forget now how much they wanted but it wasn't cheap. Trashed that too.

I wonder how many fall for it? Would probably scare us.

Kat~

 

[smithpeter]

It should be noted

that all poets on the internet are not naughty in the respect that we want your money and hard jewels.
Soft, amorous shoulders
captured through words
or carelessly latched windows
are fuel for the mature
blonde thinning strands
whispering, rarely grunting
then tumbling to the
thorn ridden gardens below

escape, escape dear fellows
seducers of the tender flesh

 

[KatPurrs]

smithpeter

Damn, you're good.

 

[daughter]

Savage Kitten

You've been missed. You haven't answered my mail not that I'm all that important but nobody likes feeling ignored.

I know about the scam. I'm surprised it isn't known more widely. I'm with smithpeter. For future reference, publishers sometimes will require an submission fee if there is a contest, but they do not ask you to buy a publication. In fact, many modest operations can only pay you in product. Being published with them means one more clip in your portfolio and receiving payment acknowledges you're a professional.

Peace,

daughter

 

[Savage Kitten]

Re: Savage Kitten

You've been missed. You haven't answered my mail not that I'm all that important but nobody likes feeling ignored.
daughter

You, of all people, are never ignored by me. Are you referring to PM or email? The last PM I recieved from you was about judging, I replied to that one. I have yet to recieve an email from you, Daughter. I sincerely apologise for the fact you felt ignored. Speaking from expierence, I know it's not a very nice feeling.

Sk~

 

[daughter]

Sk, it's not that serious

And child, you can't hold water? LOL

Judges are anonymous so folks don't send bribes to SK, she declined.

Glad you're back. You were missed.

Peace,

daughter

 

[HomerPindar]

Re: Me too

Ah, my favorite fan ...

Thanks for the warning. I received the same letter. I have to admit I was tempted at first. I liked the idea of having a book of poetry on my coffee table with some of my non-erotic poems in it. Who wouldn't? That's what they're relying on. BUT the flag went up when they wanted money, so I trashed it.

Then, I received this invitation to go to a poetry seminar in Orlando. Anybody get that one? I forget now how much they wanted but it wasn't cheap. Trashed that too.

I wonder how many fall for it? Would probably scare us.

Kat~

Oh, one better, I recieved the email saying how sorry they were I wasn't shelling out a few hundred bucks to waste time in Disney Land for their poetry event ~ like any poet worth their salt would consider disneyland poetic? but I digress ~ they wanted to know if I would have my poem recited by a poet of their choosing at this big shin-dig and they'd mail me my little notice of congrats...catch, $169.00 fee.

delete!

HomerPindar

 

[KatPurrs]

Re: Re: Me too

Ah, my favorite fan ...



Oh, one better, I recieved the email saying how sorry they were I wasn't shelling out a few hundred bucks to waste time in Disney Land for their poetry event ~ like any poet worth their salt would consider disneyland poetic? but I digress ~ they wanted to know if I would have my poem recited by a poet of their choosing at this big shin-dig and they'd mail me my little notice of congrats...catch, $169.00 fee.

delete!

HomerPindar

Hey Homer!

That's a good one! I didn't get that one! I'm crushed! LOL

Double Delete!

Kat~

 

[karmadog]

Not a bad idea, actually

What if you got say, Leonard Cohen or Alice Walker or somebody (maybe a famous actor--Liev Schreiber, maybe. That dude has a great voice) to read 100 short poems. You could charge admission, have a competition for the right to have your poem read. Hmmm.

 

[*ladylove*]

I hear ya ya all! Got the invite, the e-mail telling me I was "really missing out", and the cd and book thingy too. Trashed them all! Hope others aren't being conned by them. So sad, I'll be sticking with posting poems here, where the readers are "real".
*ladylove*

 

[HomerPindar]

Re: Not a bad idea, actually

What if you got say, Leonard Cohen or Alice Walker or somebody (maybe a famous actor--Liev Schreiber, maybe. That dude has a great voice) to read 100 short poems. You could charge admission, have a competition for the right to have your poem read. Hmmm.

This idea I may readily attend, had I the door charge. The difference being, the audience is supporting the artist, not the artist is supporting a vague corporate idea of art.

A similar thought motivates poetry slams, where in the audiance reaction to the poetry, and poet, decides the winner. I'm not that big a fan of commercialization of poetry to that extent myself... but I still would support a poetry slam over poetry scams.

Alright, enough cliches from me,
HomerPindar

 

[ibreath4u]

re: Poetry.com

haa i did not know i could post, silly me
just a little note: i wrote a poem to them, when i was in my teens, (early 80's shhh : ) and got the same run around, before they went .com i am shocked and appalled, that they are still being permitted to do this to people.

By the way hello everyone : )

 

[HomerPindar]

Re: re: Poetry.com

haa i did not know i could post, silly me
just a little note: i wrote a poem to them, when i was in my teens, (early 80's shhh : ) and got the same run around, before they went .com i am shocked and appalled, that they are still being permitted to do this to people.

Ah, but do we really want a law that outlaws the ignorant... hold it, that would put politicians outta business!

By the way hello everyone : )

Howdy, and welcome aboard!

HomerPindar

 

[Guest]

Re: re: Poetry.com

haa i did not know i could post, silly me
just a little note: i wrote a poem to them, when i was in my teens, (early 80's shhh : ) and got the same run around, before they went .com i am shocked and appalled, that they are still being permitted to do this to people.

By the way hello everyone : )

I just got suckered in, too. Unlike some of the people in the other posts here, I wasn't asked to pay anything in order to get my poem published. But I did get a lot of ads asking me to buy the things in which my poem would be appearing, and to purchase the CD on which my poem would be recorded. I was told I got a silver cup of $200 value, etc, etc, if I would only come to the meeting in D.C. (which I'm not attending). I was just at the point of wondering if poetry.com was a scam when I read all these posts. It makes me wonder if they really do put any poems into print, or any on CD's. It could be that they claim they do, accept money from a few people for that, and then take the money and don't send anything. Has anyone actually bought anything from them????
--Xtaabay

 

[Angeline]

Poetry.com

has been cited time and time again by legitimate poetry publishers and associations for being a major rip-off scheme. They are essentially a very expensive vanity press (that is to say if you send them something, it *will* be published, but they will try 1,001 ways to separate you from you cash). They'll sell you the volume in which your poem appears (last I heard for about 60 bucks USD), a cd, various stuff related to the awards ceremony, and on and on ad nauseum. Poetry.com is not reputable, folks. Don't bite!

 

[KatPurrs]

worm hole

wow...I felt like I was in an Isaac Isamov time warp, worm hole....deja vu all over again kinda thingy...Then I realized this was dug up from 2002!

At first sight, I thought....YES!!!!!! My sweet little Savage Kitten is back!!! but.... *sniff*...no such luck....

And Homer, you sexy thang...you still hanging in here? It was nice to see your name and read some of our dialogue. How are you?

Kat

 

[Rainbow Skin]

Publication:

Company puts your work in their volume. They give you money.

Scam, rip-off, rort, fraud, swindle:

They want you to give them money.

I, too, will publish your poetry if you give me enough money. Hint: Don't take up my offer.

 

[jeutsler]

poetry.com

It's nice to know I'm in esteemed company when I say that I, too, was suckered by poetry.com. I never had the money to buy anything but I'll admit...even though I knew the whole thing was a scam, it was nice for a minute or two to recieve letters praising my work! (OK, so I was hoping it might be legit...jennifer)