I think Eats Crayons has it right. Finding out it’s a scam is going to make that poor girl feel terrible. Congratulate her and point the family in the right direction. Hunt up legitimate poetry contests, etc, and give them to the family so they can pursue this properly.
I think in this situation, telling the truth will hurt more.
Personally, I’m a novice poet who has sent in a few poems to poetry.com and yes I admit I bought the book. It wasn’t a lot of money to me at the time and I must also admit that I do read the other poems in the book. It gives me encouragement, that my stuff isn’t that bad, an idea of who else is out there, and generally I like that I see my name in a book, even if for now it’s only all the other people in the book, that also bought it, that actually see it.
I guess for me it was worth it to see my poetry in a book, I didn’t expect to get a deal out of it and knew that only my family would ever relish this as an accomplishment, but I didn’t think it harmful, nor did I consider myself scammed. It seemed clear to me what it was. Just my $0.02.
I’d be hesitant to say anything, especially if the $30 wouldn’t impact her finances much. A co-worker once mentioned his son had a book of short stories published and I spouted off about it being a great accomplishment, and how impressive it was to to without it being some sort of vanity press deal. Of course it was a vanity press book. I felt pretty stupid about saying anything.
What an awful situation. I would e-mail the links to the mother. And if you are worried about what she will think, have someone she doesn’t know e-mail her.
This is genius. I am going to submit the poem below:
Yellow leaves in autumn
Over the dying grass
Under the crimson sky
Reminds me of my youth
Sounds of chirping birds
In nests of golden brown
Telling all who listen
Each will have their time
I wonder to myself
Should I think these things
Always on my mind
Read the first letter of each line! I shit this out in two minutes. I will let you know if I win.
Haj
Awww, never mind. You have to give them your home address to see if you won. Someone else is welcome to submit my drek.
Haj
I wouldn’t tell them just yet. Maybe in a few months, when it’s cooled down, I’d lead them to the truth. But I really wouldn’t tell 'em right now. Let them bask.
Do eventually tell them, though. Right now, I’m working on getting published in a reputable-yet-modest magazine. It’s really irritating when you get on the subject with poetry with someone and they proudly proclaim, “I’ve been published!” When you ask them where–hoping to find the name of a decent literary magazine that accepts students–they say something like “poetry.com.” I mean, if you want to see your stuff in print, that’s cool. I can relate. But know it for what it is, you know.
Plus it makes me annoyed, 'cause I’m too nice to point out that it’s a scam at that point, and I look like a total yutz for not having been published in anything more than a school literary magazine (even though I’ve been paid for my writing, which, honestly, I’d prefer to being published most days).