There are many legitimate poetry contests in the world. Unfortunately, there are probably more scams out there than there are legitimate contests. Poetry contests scams prey on people who want to see their names in print. There are so many people in the world who write poetry, and who want to see their poems published.
There’s nothing wrong with wanting to be published and recognized, but unfortunately the market for poetry is not very big. For every successful book of poetry, there are hundreds of successful novels. This doesn’t mean that you can’t find legitimate poetry publishers and contests, but it makes the task much harder.
Legitimate poetry contests are generally sponsored by newspapers, magazines and accredited schools (such as universities). They offer small prizes and frequently the opportunity to read your poetry at local gatherings or workshops. In a legitimate poetry contest, you will never be charged to be published, and generally you will receive at least one free copy of whatever the publication is that you appear in.
Here are some indicators that a contest is a scam:
Everyone’s a Winner!
Poetry contest scams often have a large number of “winners”. This is because they make money by publishing books of poetry that are bought almost exclusively by the “winners”. In other words, they publish you because they expect you to buy copies of the book. These books generally have thousands of poems in them so that they can charge as many people as possible. Besides the book, they may offer to put your poetry on a plaque, an audio CD or even a web site for a fee.
Big Prizes
Contests with unusually large prizes are very suspicious. If you can win a thousand dollars or more, chances are that you’ll be paying more money than you’ll be getting, often through…
Reading / Entry Fees
Many contests make money by charging you to enter or charging to “read” your poems. These are contests you should be very wary about entering. Contests that charge a fee are either funding the prizes with the fee (not great, but not terrible) or funding the prizes and pocketing the difference (worse). Legitimate poetry contests generally have small prizes and no fees. If you are going to enter a contest with a fee, understand what you are doing — paying to compete with other poets.
Travel Opportunities
While it is a great honor to be asked to read your poetry in front of a gathering of other poets, be careful if a contest selects you as a “winner” and then tries to sell you a trip to a poet’s or writer’s workshop/symposium. If it is going to cost you several hundred dollars to go, and they’re the ones you’re giving the money to, then you’re probably being scammed.
Classes
One of the classic scams is that you will be selected for special poetry writing classes. These scams tell you that your poem is very good, but that you could benefit from one of their teachers. There is nothing wrong with taking poetry classes, but it is wrong to disguise advertisements for classes as a legitimate poetry contest.
Avoiding The Scams
- Always research whatever organization is conducting a contest or offering to publish your poems.
- Think carefully and investigate before you agree to pay a fee to enter a contest or to have your poems published.
- Never agree to pay to have your winning poem published.
- Avoid contests that sound too good to be true.
- Get involved in the poetry community. The more you are involved in and understand the world of poetry, the less likely you’ll be taken in by the cons.
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Hi Ismael,
“A lost memory”, “vacant look” and “lost soul” are all phrases that have been used very frequently in poetry. The images are not very specific or evocative. You also use the word lost three times in this very short poem, and the uses aren’t particularly strong. I think that you show promise as a writer, but I would not give your poem an award. Sorry.
Any advice on removing my poetry off of Poetry.com? Is the copyright a fake? does this mean they now have the copyright to my poetry? Some one Please Help
I also had four of my poems on poetry.com and they sent me a letter saying I could be published and than my friend told me it was a scam so i threw the letter away. It made me so mad because poetry means alot to me and I want to get my poems off there but it won’t let me so I don’t know what to do. I just want to find a legit poetry site and not have to worry someone is going to steal my poems and claim them as there own. Thanks this helped alot so I can avoid scams.
I would just like to find a site where they will tell me the truth if my poem is award worthy or not. I write poetry for myself but it is something I would love to get published but I get worried about people stealing my poems. Im older now and have realized theres alot of scams out there so im going to be as careful as possible. If anyone can help me find some sites that are legit I would be thankful.
i am so mad at poetry.com they only want my money and i figured it out and i quit.
did they send you awards like editors choice?
they did to me
I need help. Many of my teachers have told me that this competition was legit. Now i am not so sure. I really would like to go to the convention but i really don’t know what to do. Did any of you get an e-mail saying that you were an embassador of the poetry thing. That can’t be legit. Someone help me. I am so confused. HELP!
Yep, I have a poem on there too, and after years of them offering the chance to buy all sorts of awards, books…etc that I declined as I do not have a credit card….I figured it maybe a scam, yet still holding onto the wee hope that, yeah maybe my poem is really good….then they invite me to the 22nd annual convention which sounds really exciting, and I want to go, even though I am in n.z.and it would cost me heaps to attend….But…do I really have chance…or does everybody get this same letter….I mean how many finalists are there…and…..if my poem is soooo great, they should be paying me???….but I still have to wonder….”what if?”…..has anyone actually attended 1 of these…does anyone know any winners…..or are they made up too..?Im so confused…but I’d love a trip to America….
Hi Ana,
Feel free to come to America. We’re nice people (really) and the dollar is cheap these days. Just don’t fool yourself into thinking that the trip is a reward. It is simply a way for these people to make money. That doesn’t mean you can’t have a good time, just that they aren’t inviting you because they love your poem.
well i did get that embassador thing
and im not going to go to that convention because
all they’ll do when you get there is
probably try to get your money
like buying accessories
and others like that
well i have to agree with John Hewitt on all accounts, poetry.com is in business to make money, i too as well as probably 4000 people all over the world are semi finalists, but trust me i am not buying their propaganda or going to their convention. My best audience and critics are myself and my family, i think i am brilliant, he he, and i try to convince my readers of my writings that i am too, but there is room for improvement in all of us, except me, he he. I certainly dont need poetry.com blowing smoke up my pant leg just to get to my money. it does shock me, however, that poetry.com does not care about the pains and sacrifices that some people have gone to in order to get to their previous conventions just to be terribly let down, i have done other research on them and have read some nightmares.
i say about 96% of competitions and sweepstakes are a scam on the internet…poetry.com=a big scam i went through the same thing everyone else did…how can so many people be a semi-finalist???? riiiight…its so many scams on the internet that its not safe to do anything.even publishers clearing house is a scam and they been around for years..theres nothing to protect the people against scams…. so to be honest with yall…on the internet look at everything as a scam..better to be safe than sorry
Drew,
I think your percentage is a little high, but you may be right. I would say that virtually every contest that advertises heavily through adsense or other services is in it for the money. Legitimate poetry contests don’t waste their resources like that.
I have an entry in poetry.com. I noticed everyone is saying it’s just a scam, but I’m not 100% convinced because you don’t HAVE to pay anything or go anywhere if you don’t want to. What mostly worries me is, are the self-copyrights legit? Because if they are not, it is urgent that I remove my poem. I couldn’t even submit the whole thing because of their stupid line limit, and there’s no way I am going to let them steal my precious work. I intend to use the complete poem in a book I am writing. That’s what I originally wrote it FOR, after all. Thanks.
TCD,
They aren’t going to sue you over your poem, and they wouldn’t win if they did. Feel free to publish your poem in your book. Don’t worry about whether or not they publish it. They publish thousands of poems each year. Even they probably don’t keep track of the poems they have published. The only people who read them are the people who buy their books and the only people who buy their books are people who want to see their own poem in print. Nobody will notice yours.
There is a poetry contest I found in a magazine (can’t remember which one) that is based in New York City and is strictly mail-in (i.e. hard copy). It is an Open Amateur Poetry Contest on any subject, 24 lines or less. Entry is free and they give a deadline for entering. Claims that $100,000 in prizes are awarded annually and all who enter will receive a personal critique.
Anyone know if this is legit?
Hi Shelly. No. Not Legit.
After reading all of theese comments i now know that i’m getting ripped off
by poetry.com here i thought it was a legitmate site but i love to write can you tell me where i can write my poems and just get them on the internet so i can share my poems and have a copyright of my poems thanks for giving me a headsup about poetry.com i have an illness and i just want to contribute my feelings on the internet
I was the person that just gave the last comment could you email the info on a site where i can write my poetry and not be scammed thanks katmit917@yahoo.com
The contest that Shelly was talking about seemed legit to me so I entered it. Since the deadline isn’t until July 30th I guess I won’t know for sure. They say that “all those who enter will recieve a personal critique of their poem.” But how I came upon this site is because I got an email from poetry.com telling me that I’m a nominee for Poet of the Year. Which is funny since I don’t even recall giving them any of my poems… It would be nice to find a list of some REAL contests (college students are so desperate for money…), but until then I use allpoetry.com. There you have peers read and critique your poems (if they happen upon it). Hope that helps some ^^
Hi Arukas,
I was hoping my “no, not legit” was clear enough. I guarantee that at some point you will be asked to purchase something. My bet is that you’ll either be selected as a “winner” and asked to go somewhere, or your critique will suggest that you train with one of their instructors. Those are just two ways they might try to sell you. You never know what inventive idea they’ll come up with next. Best of luck to you though. I’ll hope for the best. Rest assured though, that when the “prize” is $100,000, they’re going to find a way to make at least that much from the entrants.
do not submit to white oak press either. i am glad i started researching this before i paid for anything else. i did submit to poetry.com but havent paid for anything. i submitted it to famouspoets.com and figured out that poetry.com has a lot of names including this one. do not be fooled. go to a search engine and search for whatever company and the put scams after it. this might help you find scams. you can also just search poetry scams and will come up with a load of stuff.
i dont think poetry.com is a scam because they said my poem was going to be published but i didn’t order a book because i don’t have any money cause i am only 11 years old i was really excited about this i thought they actually liked my poem when i found out that it was a scam i started crying i was crushed that is why i wrote this sad poem
its called:
Sorrow In My Soul
I sit there on my bed crying,sighing
And inside i feel like i am dying
I lay there crying while my face is in a frown
Cause no one ever wants me around
I always sit there in the blues
And on my heart i feel like there is a big purple bruise
I feel so bad
Because everyone and everything makes me feel sad
Sometimes i feel like if i die
No one would even care to cry
To you i am revealing
All of my small thoughts and feelings
Cause there is no one i can really open up to
And everything i am telling you is true
i was so crushes i was crying while i wrote this comment i thought they really liked my poem
i should have known better. the worst part is my dad was really proud of me and then i let him down.
Same thing happend to me a.g
I am 14 and when I got the letter I was jumping for joy… Then when I started looking up information I stumbled upon the hoax and swindle… They can all go to hell for giving me false hopes…
hey i have some poetry that i have been told was good, and i want to try my hand in poetry contests, anyone know anything lagit
i want my poetry to be published but not in some scam
plz if you have any advice notify me
plz if you find a lagit site email me at RobBob3rd@aol.com
I have just self published a book of poetry called “Mama sewed buttons on it’s face..And I thought that it could see” I also make a CD that is in the back of the book of me reading the poems with soft music behind it. Now comes the fun of trying to get it “out there” visit me and listen at http://www.patpoet .com
In march of 2006 i recieved an Editors choice Award for my Poem from poetry.com and as with most of you i did not buy the Book that my Poem was supposed to have been written in and i did not attend their convention,but i would like to go on record with the rest of these poor souls as just another victim of Poetry.com May they all choke on their ill gotten gain!
Hi out there to you all. I won a medal from poetry.com which was the size of a half dollar. Pure silver worth 75 dollars. I also won $100.oo in the poetry n motion contest years ago, and it took me about 3 years to win again. I figured it was because I wasn’t buying anything. I didn’t go to the awards or pay any out of pocket monies to them. I recently won this year 2009 On February 24th. They didn’t pay me. I have still been looking to get it, but the website has changed now to Lulu.com. I wrote to the new purchaser of that site and they have not answered. You used to be able to call poetry.com, but now the recording says to respond to Info@poetry.com. What a joke on all of us. They got underwater and left us all hanging, and the new site does not allow you to play poetry n motion. Is AMERICA corrupt or not? YOU bet it IS!!!!! People care not anymore, and use others to do deceive for money. Lucky for me I got something before they stiffed me on my win this year. I would suggest putting all your poems in a folder at home where no one can steal them. Then if you can..find a publisher to help you print your own real BOOK for your enjoyment. Leave your poems to your grandchildren to remember you by. They will love your poems when they grow up.
One more thing to watch out for. If they do not have a phone number so that you can ask questions, or ask for the poems you submitted on line be removed, WATCH OUT!!!! Also the email is never answered. REMEMBER THIS….SCAMS!!!!!!!!!! are out there and those people are laughing at us all. AND..SHOULD I get the 100 dollars for my last win on Feb.24th 2009, I will let you know. If you would like to see my poems on Lulu.com, where I didn’t give that website to have them from poetry.com, look under Deborah Kaye Perry!
I have not yet published any poems. I am a fourteen year old who is searching for an honest site that will truly appreciate my passion for poetry. I have been wanting to published them already, but I was worried that some of these sites may be lieing about what they are preparing to offer. I got to this site, (thankfully!) and I have read these various comments and I appreciate for your input on these scam sites (now I know which ones not to go to!
)
If anybody is aware or a hundred percent certain of sites that are available to canadian residents, are not a scam, have a good reward, please feel free to post for my benefit and others. Thankyou.
Hi…I said I would be back and let you know if I received my $100 for winning this year on Feb.24th. I did not, and the LuLu.com website said that poetry.com went out of business,a nd that LuLu.com has nothing to do with what was owed to people fro prizes, YET they do have the url http://www.poetry.com as a website for LuLu.com. PEOPLE…do not post on this sight. You will only be letting them have your poems, and anyone can copy them ans use them anywhere, even though they are copyrighted. KEEP your own poems and share them with firends and family. Save them for your grandchildren to read one day. You get nothing for free on these places. It’s a joke, and I have written them to remove my poems, and they wrote back and said they would. So here’s to waiting to see what happens!!
this very true there are poetry scams out and I’ve been scammed one a long time, but unitedworldpoets poetry contests are free to enter which means their anti scam. But in all seriousness I know how you scammed poets which is why I run free poetry contests.
.-= Nat´s last blog ..UNITEDWORLDPOETS-MYTHIC POETRY =-.
I don’t know how my comment got all screwed up but what I was trying to say is that I know how you feel if you’ve ever been scammed by the host of a poetry contest. At unitedworldpoets we always run free cash-prize poetry contests and I plan on running our next one at the end of this month.
.-= Nat´s last blog ..UNITEDWORLDPOETS-MYTHIC POETRY =-.
I also was caught up in seeing my poems being published and acknowleged as a competent writer. Years ago, I’ve sent poems to the International Library of Poetry, received the letter that I was a finalist, and come to the convention in Washington,D.C., to win your award. I met a lot of really talented writers. But we all got swindled by these various organizations. I say to all of us writers, never stop believing in your gift . Take the time to develop your craft, always check your sources.
I am a dummy who got scammed by poetry.com . I did buy the book which is a pretty little book, I also bought a plaque which is also pretty. I was invited to Vegas to a convention at my expense, and that is when I became suspicious. I kept getting e-mails from them, but ignored them. They finally quit. They really know how to knock the wind out of you. I even checked the BBB and did not find out anything about poetry.com.
I am so glad people are speaking up about poetry.com. I felt so cheated. I feel for Vickie and others who have been scammed–the moment I had to pay for my medal, plaque and my blue trophy when I didn’t attend the trip and workshops I knew I had to stop. I was a junior/senior in high school at the time and poetry was my world. They crushed it.
Now that I know poetry.com went out of business, I still feel bad about being trick like that. I am trying to forgive myself and start over–writing again.
By the way, does the new site, Lulu Poetry, have the legal right to still have a hold on my 2 poems that I foolishly gave to Poetry.com? If they don’t I swear I will find a way to get my poems back.
Hi Tonya,
I’m sure Lulu acquired the rights when they made the purchase.
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