Poetry Contest Scams

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Poetry Contest Scams

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Scammers have found a ready target in poetry writers who are eager to

have their work published.

 

Although there are many sites involved in this scam, the opening move

is the same for each. You'll receive an email inviting you to submit

your poetry for free to their contest.

 

Soon after, you'll receive a second email praising your poem and

letting you know that it's going to be published in a beautifully

crafted anthology.

 

You can buy this anthology for 'only' $50 (or somewhere in

that range).

 

But wait -- there's more! <g>

 

Maybe you'd like to have a short biography inserted with

your poem -- that'll be $25. Or join the prestigious society

of poets that has sponsored the competition -- only $125 a year.

 

Perhaps your poem is the best they've ever read and you're

now in the running for 'Poet of the Year.' It's only $495

(plus travel expenses) to attend the gala event in

Washington, DC where the lucky winner will be chosen.

 

Strangely enough, one of the best ways to pick out the scams from the

legitimate contests is that the scams are usually free to enter.

 

Real poetry contests often have entry fees ranging from

$15-$40 to cover the costs of judging, administration, and prizes.

 

Other things to investigate when evaluating an online poetry contest

are:

 

- Who is the sponsoring organization?

 

Is the name of the publishing house, magazine or academic institution

sponsoring the contest one that you can verify either through online

or traditional resources (i.e. phone

book) or is it a post office box with no physical address attached to

it?

 

- Who were last year's winners?

 

If the contest is an annual one, ask for information about

last year's winners. You should be able to look at winning entries

from previous contests and perhaps even contact winners.

 

If the work is mediocre or information is not forthcoming,

this can be a sign of a scam. Of course, this only works for

recurring contests.

 

- Who are the judges?

 

Legitimate contests should be up front about who the judges are.

Research the judges to find out if they have suitable credentials for

judging, and be aware that scam sites may 'borrow' the names of

judges.

 

Consider checking with a judge's publicity organization to verify

that he/she is, in fact, a judge for a given contest.

 

- What are the contest rules?

 

Rules should be clear and concise with information about how

to submit your poem, entry fees, deadlines, prizes, what

your rights are, and how judging will occur.

 

Action: Don't let the excitement about having your poetry published

or winning a bogus contest overrule your better judgment. Follow

these guidelines to make sure you're entering a real contest.

 

~scambusters.org