I love to write poetry, it’s a passion of mine. I keep a folder on my hard drive with some of the poems I’ve penned.
Some time ago I entered a "free poetry" contest, I was told how wonderful my poem was and how much they want to publish my writing! My poem was going to be in a special book, “The Best Poets of the Year”.
You can imagine how ecstatic I felt; my poem, they want to publish my poem! But guess the clinker….to have it published I have to pay. And not just pay a simple fee, no, it’s paying a pretty sum by the time I'm done!
If I wanted to havemy work publish in their wonderful book of anthologies, I have to pay a tidy sum (about $60 for each copies). And if I don’t want to purchase the anthology at that time, then of course I won’t get published!
Well I never, no thank you! You can publish your lousy anthology and keep my poem out of it!
Since then, I’ve had more than a dozen emails about my poem (s). (I’ve only entered two (2) of them at different times).
I get an email about my wonderful poems and my unique vision quite often. They tell me I’ve been accepted into the “International Society of Poets”. But there’s a catch! Of course there is… for the wonderful cost of $150 they will induct me into their esteemed society!!
How can they go around fooling people like that? I’m sure that there are people out there who have fallen for their trickery!
I even did an Internet search on them once. I spent more than an hour researching the company and the name on the emails and letters I’ve received. I even called the numbers listed as a contact. No such person at the company!
Now the poetry scammers have become even smarter. There is now a website, I guess they think that makes them legit. While they continue to be the scam artists of the century!
They’ve now resorted to having annual symposiums where you will get awards and win large sum of monies. And of course you have to pay through the teeth. A paltry $1,000 will get you occupancy at the hotel of their choice for a couple of nights to attend the symposium. And if you can’t attend to accept your esteemed award, then you’re out of luck!
Or you can do one better (they think of everything!), you can pay a mere $300 and they’ll have someone accept the award for you and read your poem! Then they’ll send your award to you! (oh my side hurts from laughing!)
Who do they think they’re kidding?! I'm going to pay and then let some stranger accept my awards on my behalf?!!
Don’t fall for it my fellow poets. If you should receive their email, just press the delete button, or if they should send you a letter by mail, just dump it. It’s not worth the read!
You shouldn’t have to pay to have someone publish your work, they should be paying you!