Poetry as Commodity/Horror Story
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Angeline
Poet Chick
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- Mar 11, 2002
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The poetry scams are just sad, sad, sad. I can only imagine how stressful it must have been for you to be unwillingly stuck in the middle the way you describe. I don't know what I'd do in the same circumstances. Probably the same as you--stress out but get the grade I needed. After it was over, did you talk to anyone at your school about this "company"? I'm assuming this was part of an externship-type program. My alma mater has that, too, and I doubt they do much checking into how kosher the companies are before the student go off to work with them. So you learned some lessons that were not part of the intended curriculum, so to speak. 
We've had people come here occasionally over the years and talk about such scams. I think the "Read this First" sticky thread has some info about what to watch out for when you want to publish or enter a contest. I know that if you Google "poetry scam," you get a lot of linkage about it. We've always said here that any place that wants you to pay for them to publish your poetry ain't on the up and up. Contests are somewhat different; many of them do charge a reading fee, but that's one-time and usually nominal. The most I've ever seens is 50 bucks for a contest entry.
It's so seedy, I know. And some people are taken in by it. They have no experience with publishing and don't realize that it's way cheaper to self-publish than any of these scammers charge. And keep charging as they put your poems in antholgies and hold confernces. Ew. Just ew.
We've had people come here occasionally over the years and talk about such scams. I think the "Read this First" sticky thread has some info about what to watch out for when you want to publish or enter a contest. I know that if you Google "poetry scam," you get a lot of linkage about it. We've always said here that any place that wants you to pay for them to publish your poetry ain't on the up and up. Contests are somewhat different; many of them do charge a reading fee, but that's one-time and usually nominal. The most I've ever seens is 50 bucks for a contest entry.
It's so seedy, I know. And some people are taken in by it. They have no experience with publishing and don't realize that it's way cheaper to self-publish than any of these scammers charge. And keep charging as they put your poems in antholgies and hold confernces. Ew. Just ew.
L
LadynStFreknBed
Guest
Many years ago, before it was common knowledge that it's a scam, I had submitted a poem to poetry.com. When I got the letter-- you know the one-- that says, "You won! For $x you can have an anthology with your poem..." it was obvious it was a fraud to me. But, I can understand how people get suckered in by these scams. I don't know of a writer of any kind who doesn't like to see their name in print. Shit.. when I had my first solo art show, I saved the program even though it has little more than my name.
With my art and all my writing, I consider it more as something for myself.. to retain some semblance of sanity than as a means to a financial reward or publication. I consider this a time of learning. And when I do sell a painting, it's just icing. Ya know?
With my art and all my writing, I consider it more as something for myself.. to retain some semblance of sanity than as a means to a financial reward or publication. I consider this a time of learning. And when I do sell a painting, it's just icing. Ya know?
Angeline
Poet Chick
- Joined
- Mar 11, 2002
- Posts
- 27,379
I remember reading some poet, might have been Billy Collins but not sure, saying something like "I've had a very successful year with my poetry. I earned dozens of dollars." Lol, that about sums up my expectations for ever making any dough from it. I've always written because I love to write and am compelled to write. Any earnings, however small, from publication is totally icing on the cake--and sort of even beside the point.
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