I was quite excited to have a poem accepted in the National Poetry Institue of Canada's annual contest... I've since heard that such contests are a scam to trick you into buying the anthology, paying for "typesetting costs", etc. The possibility that I was scammed is very upsetting... does anyone know if they are legitimate? Has anyone seen any of their previous anthologies in print anywhere?
2006-12-19 20:30:45 · 3 answers · asked by Mike M 1 in Arts & Humanities ➔ Books & Authors
The only way your poem gets in is if you buy the anthology. Anyone at all can get published in one of them as long as they are willing to pay the price.
2006-12-19 20:34:48 · answer #1 · answered by Hillaryforpresident 5 · 0⤊ 0⤋
I think that a lot of the contests out there are just to make people feel like winners and want to buy the very expensive book. I have entered a few contests (for poetry, pictures I've drawn, and photographs) like that and have apparently been published in about 5 coffee table books which I will never see because they're too expensive! I'm sure the book is legitimate, but maybe everyone was accepted into it, making it so that it isn't very exclusive as you might think. Hope that doesn't burst your bubble, it's just my personal opinion :)
2006-12-20 07:54:44 · answer #2 · answered by jennabeanski 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋
True. These companies are "Vanity" publications. They use your need to see your words in print to sell you crap like typesetting fees, etc., to pay for the printing, then they try (hard) to sell you a copy of the book, Plus one for your Mom, and your brother and your sister and your cousin elmo, because you want all them to know you are a published author too right?
You are right. A S-C-A-M. Save your money. But don't give up writing. when its good enough it will sell.
2006-12-19 20:40:12 · answer #3 · answered by messier 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋