How to Avoid the Poetry.com Scam

Poetry is competitive. It's hard to get published. But, there's a website that will publish nearly anyone, in fact, maybe everyone -- Poetry.com. This website runs monthly poetry contests. If you submit, you are almost guaranteed to be a semi-finalist. Sadly, it's a scam. Instead of getting paid for your poetry, you have to pay them to publish it, buy a copy of the anthology, and even purchase your own plaque at the award show you might get invited to attend. Don't fall for it.

Difficulty: Easy

Instructions

Things You'll Need:

• patience
• perseverance

1. Years ago, I entered a monthly poetry contest. I was excited when I checked the mail and got an acceptance letter. I was getting published, me, published...right after I sent in $50.00+ (I don't remember the exact amount). My gut said no, so I didn't do it, but many others do.

2. Poetry.com is a vanity press, publishing an author's work at the expense of the author. Virtually everyone gets accepted, unless there are racial/ethnic slurs or swearing in the poem. There is no age limit. The website does a great job at luring writers wanting to get published. Their rating with the Better Business Bureau is unsatisfactory.

3. To avoid the Poetry.com scam you have to also avoid the other names they do business as including Watermark Press, International Poetry Hall of Fame, International Library of Poetry, International Society of Poets, The International Library of Photography, Watermark Media Group, Watermark Media Group, Inc., Picture.com, and International Library of Photography.

4. Be cautious. They are now doing the same thing with a photography website.

Tips & Warnings

• self-publish your poetry - for the money you'd spend for one poem to be published in their anthology, you can self-publish your own chapbook
• never give up writing
• this article may generate advertisements for them, but doesn't advocate for their site

Resources

• Better Business Bureau
• How to find a place to publish your writing.
• How to get rid of your inner writing critic.
• How to get ready to write a book in a month - NaNoWriMo time.
• How to start writing eHow articles.

[ianmoore111]

on 7/25/2009 lol i fell for this as well. Fortunately I didnt pay for anything. 5*

[stevemar2]

on 1/29/2009 Interesting article! I am a beginner when it comes to poetry and certainly not good enough to win any contest. You can check out my work on my homepage.

[derbyka]

on 11/1/2008 We've all been there. I actually paid the money back in highschool because I didn't understand how those things worked back then. My parents helped with it I think because they didn't want to break it to me. Hopefully this article will prevent others from falling for it.

[listenhere101]

on 10/30/2008 Great article. thanks for the tip.

[AudreyBrown]

on 10/29/2008 GOOD for you for exposing them for what they are!