Poetry Scams

[Amidala]

Poetry.com is one of them, post the ones you know of in here.
They stole my work for what I thought was for a competition published it and made loads of money of me and other poets where we just got a nice cheers seeya around type thing!
I was Livid! the only consalation is maybe someone who reads it will enjoy it but still its annoying that my work is a nice little earner for someone.
so shop em guys

 

[Brian G Turner]

Isn't Poetry.com a vanity publisher, that just brings lots of peoms into a big $50 books for the poets to sell to their friends and family?

 

[Foxbat]

If your work is being published by a third party, you should have been asked to sign a temporary transfer of copyright (or at least, your permission should have been sought). Did you read any accompanying small print? My guess is that they covered themselves there.
If neither is the case, then the law has been broken as you, being the originator, own copyright to your piece. The problem is enforcement of this law. The best advice is never to deal with them again. If they treat all their writers in this fashion, they will soon go out of business.

 

[Amidala]

well the thing is I just did a general search to read some poetry saw a contest and signed to enter it so yeah I guess they have got me there, how can these people not realise it utter...*thinks of a polie word*...*fails*

 

[Foxbat]

We all get caught out at sometime. That's why self protection is so important. My advice to you is to learn about the law regarding copyright and also Libel. These two areas will give you enough information to make judgements both about your content and your rights with regard to that content. A good starting place for info is the Writers and Artists Yearbook - it always carries advice and information on the rights of writers and publishers.

 

[X Q mano]

Yeah Poetry.com is a scam in my opinion. Everybody gets an announcement that they are semi-finalists in the competition, and get the chance to be poet of the year if they pay a humongous fee to join their seminars in the US.

My advice is to not fall for it again. I've entered too many of my poems there...

 

[Amidala]

Dogma publications, same crack wanting my poetry yet also wanting to charge me 12.99 for the privalige of them making money off my work!