April 2003

(if you drop in here straight, you need to read the previous parts first to get the whole picture. Start reading with Poetry scam(s), Part I.)

Last night I checked at poetry.com and I found no record of my poetry anymore. My name has been erased from their database as it seems.
After I posted some posts on www.writers.net and Adam Cohen of www.winningwriters.com put my link up on their site I received loads of messages and e-mails about the issue. It's amazing how many people are involved with poetry.com.
It made me feel good that my little reports here had been of help for people to decide not to buy anything or not to put more poetry on their site or even to have their stuff completely removed from their site.
And it made me feel good to know that I wasn't the only one who had been naive enough to think that I could actually break through in the real world as an awknowledged poet.
But for all the people out there, I would like to try to comfort you with the thought that it doesn't matter what other people think of you or your poetry. It is YOU to whom the poetry means something. It's nice that you want to share it with other people, but don't pretend that it means the same to them as it does to you.
I think what we (wannabe) poets try to do is capture a moment in which we lived something important. Try to capture the emotion we felt at that specific time. And no one else out there knows exactly how it felt except for yourself. There might be people who feel some similarities, but that's where the resemblance stops.
But the poetry is invaluable to yourself and perhaps to the one you have dedicated a certain poem to, so don't let anyone try to convince you that you are a lousy writer, because you are not. You are unique. All of us are unique!
That's my personal message to all you fellow writers.

There's something else I would like to put here:
I got some other mails from people wondering why poetry.com hasn't been legally charged yet if everyone says they're a scam.
I'm not a lawyer, but I can try to clear things out a bit, using my views and opinions (don't feel obligated to support them).
The reason why I think that poetry.com or Noble House or any other vague excuse for a publisher has not been legally charged yet, is because basically they've not been doing anything illegal.
They post the poetry that you submit on their site, they organize free contests and they tell you that you are a great poet and that they want to publish your work. And they do.
And they don't FORCE you to buy their anthologies. Everyone who's bought the anthology has done that out of their own free will. I did so too. And I received the anthology and it was in good state. Regardless the fact that there's 30 poems per page and the book doesn't look half as good on the inside as it does on the outside. And even if the production of the book itself might've been only some 10 $. It is still you and me and all the other naive wannabes who voluntarily ordered that book.
They even seem to give a refund if you are not satisfied with it and return the book. Now I've heard stories about them being a pain in the ass when it comes to refunding the money, but I can't judge on that (because I kept the anthology as a trophy to remind me of my stupidity). But if they start making trouble about refunding, then you would have a basis to take legal steps. Just make sure that you keep a record of everything you do and save all the receits concerning the matter.
So basically the only way to stop this, to stop poetry.com and Noble House and all those other ripp-offs is to not post your poetry on their site anymore. And to not buy those books anymore.
I'm not sure in how far it would be called fraud when they say that you are one of few people who are selected to be published when basically they send those letters to every one who submits their poetry. It sure is misleading.
And the fact that there is a lawyer who's compiling material against them in order to get the case in a courtroom does indeed suggest that there really is something illegal going on. So...
Do you want to publish somewhere? Do you want to post your poetry online?
There's loads of sites that you can put your site on. Sites that don't work like poetry.com to get money over the backs of people like us, but who post poetry, because it's poetry, because it's art and because we put our heart and soul in it.
Or then you can do as Anna and I did: make your own webpage. It doesn't have to look fancy, you can have a plain white background with black text, but the main thing would be that you have it out there to share with other people. If people are interested, they don't care how it looks, they just read your poetry and they will love it.

Just do me one favor: please, remain yourself and do not become what poetry.com or Noble House wants you to become...

I made you people a list of dubious companies that you are to approach with caution. I don't have personal experience with all of them, but posted them here, because of reactions I heard about them along the way. Click here (it's a little pop-up window). If you know more companies that would fit in this list, let me know and I will have a look at it.
There's an even bigger list, AND information on poetry.com and other scams, at http://windpub.com/literary.scams/endall.htm.

TO BE CONTINUED!
Continue with Poetry scam(s), Part VI.