Since so many Dopers are of literary and poetical inclinations, I’m hoping someone can quiet or confirm my suspicions.
My daughter has entered several poetry competitions through school and two of her poems have been selected for publication by two different groups. Naturally, I think she’s amazingly talented and I look forward to that talent providing me with comfort, nay, LUXURY in my golden years… but I digress…
The letters announcing her selection always include a permission slip for me to sign and an order form to purchase the volume in which she is to be published.
My question: Are these legitimate or merely a ruse to sell books of high school angst in poetic form? The first contest was sponsored by Creative Communications, Inc. I went to their website: http://www.poeticpower.com and it seems to be authentic. Another arrived in the mail today from Young Poets Collection in Evanston, WY - no web site provided.
So, does anyone know anything about these or other such “contests”? Doting motherhood aside, I think my kid does have a gift - some of her poems have reduced me to tears - in a good way! Her prose is quite imaginative as well, and I encourage her to write. And when you come right down to it, $15-$20 is a small price to pay for such encouragement. I guess I am looking for reassurance that someone besides me recognizes her gift…
I don’t know much about poetry contests per se, but if the cash is an entry fee (that’s a normal amount), and you’re not being forced to buy the book in order to be published in it, then it sounds legit.
If your daughter is really that good, perhaps she should think about publishing in magazines, and getting paid, instead of paying. Writer’s Digest magazine has a selection of useful publishing guides.
I think songs are the best poems.
When I fall in love it will be forever
Or I’ll never fall in love
In a restless world like this is
Love is ended before it’s begun
And too many moonlight kisses
Seem to cool in the warmth of the sun
I don’t know if it’s genuine, but it looks a lot like similar programs that are scams. I suppose that’s why they have the Better Business Bureau icon on their page. And in fact, the BBBOnline site does back them up, and the main BBB Page does seem to be affiliated with this BBBOnline. But if you check BBBOnline’s requirements, it doesn’t look like they’re that stiff.
Perhaps you’ll consider it worth getting rooked for a little cash to show your daughter you care. This is the way my own mother felt about it when I almost let her get taken by such raconteurs on my behalf. But if you want to show support for your daughter’s pursuit of the art, I suggest you’d be better off buying her a copy of the Poet’s Market, and help her submit her work to legitimate literary journals.
Oftentimes the contests won’t actually pick the best poems- they’ll select most everything they get, publish it, and then attempt to sell you the book.
Suo Na - Thanks for the link. I’ll certainly take a look at that. It’s difficult for me to be objective about my kid, but I do think she’s got talent.
Johnny Angel - near as I can figure, Creative Communications seems to be legitimate. Regardless, I already bought that anthology. This other one has me a bit concerned - I called their office and got a machine. The letter they sent with the permission slip had a very short deadline… almost as if they don’t want anyone to investigate them before sending a check. And my daughter didn’t even remember entering that particular contest, although she remembers the poem.
andygirl - THAT was my biggest worry - dating back to when I entered a lyric writing contest and “won” an Honorable Mention. Maybe it was for real, but I was very young and not inclined to research as I should.
Any publication that accepts any kind of writing (poetry, short stories, whatever) and then offers to sell you the book, magazine, etc. is essentially a vanity press. If it makes you feel good to see your daughter’s writing in print, go ahead and buy it, but don’t pretend it’s some significant acknowledgement of her writing talent. An amateur publication always gives its writers a free copy. A professional market always pays its writers.
