Poetry Scam Watch

Received 12/6/03I got the link through an online game called utopia
which is a respectable game. So trusting the game I
went to poetry.com and submitted a poem and WOW! I was
selected fortunately I didn't have the money at the
time to waste on the book. the I submitted a poem which
I was very proud of them WOW I was a winner again
but this I was an editors choice. Then I received an
email from them saying they wanted to publish me in
the UK and I am like sure... No now furious for
perverting the point of my favorite poem I submitted
this:

The first time I tried submitting it they wouldn't
allow me to put the word "SCAM" in it. OH SURPRISE, now I
wait for my letter to come saying I have been
published for this poem. I am truly furious at them
and believe that they should not be able to disgrace
the work of respected poets everywhere ANYMORE!HobbitReceived 12/7/03I just want to know what I could do to stop it. I tried emailing them of course it isn't an actual email. And I spent my parents money for a book with one of my so called "published" poems in it. And now I want the money back and am really angry about it. I was looking forward to having one of my poems published and my parents are still waiting for a book that will possibly never come. It's been two months and I haven't received this book with my poem in it. ::sighs:: It's www.poetry.com, I just recently found out about the scam. HopeReceived 12/11/03Poetry.com, also known as the International Library of Poetry, or the International Society of Poetry, recruits famous poets to preside at their annual conventions. These poets, according to the poetry.com website, are "professors and PhDs in literature" at leading universities. These respected poets are used by the ISP to lend an air of legitimacy to an organization that victimizes thousands of people each year. One can only specualte why these poets prostitute themselves to such an organization. It might be a good idea if folks were to e-mail these professor poets to let them know their opinions regarding the ISP, poetry.com, and ILP, also opinions regarding anyone who would lend their talents to assist such an organization. [Please write me for] the names of the professors who appear at the ISP conventions....

I got these e-mail addresses off the internet. So I don't believe I'm invading anybody's privacy. If these poets are proud of their connection to Poetry.com and the ISP they should be glad to hear from those who've entered their contests.CharlieReceived 12/16/03Oh, the winner should definitely be poetry.com.
They have themselves connected with www.emode.com now, and a couple of months ago I clicked a link to 'test my poetry IQ.' Before I got my results, they wanted me to submit a poem. So, I slapped down something from a school assignment--I'm only 17--hit 'submit' and waited for my test results...which I never got. What I did get, however, was an email tonight telling me my poem had been selected for an anthology called 'Eternal Portraits.' (The bad title alone should have clued me off.)
My first reaction was to be very excited--any artistic ego would love to believe that their poem was a semi-finalist in a competition--but as soon as they asked me for money, I knew there was trouble. Then I noticed how easy the forms asking for 'verification' that my work was original were to fill out. Too easy. I was convinced it was a ridiculous scam by now.
I did some poking around on their site and found some awful poetry being displayed, and noticed that they'd published something like one anthology a month for the past four years. Ha. I decided to do some quick research to see how many other people had been scammed, and laughed out loud at the 954 web results for 'poetry.com scam.'
Of course, when I realized that I couldn't get my poem off their site, I wasn't so pleased. You can't just delete it...they want you to call some long-distance phone number, which undoubtedly is perpetually hooked up to an answering machine that automatically deletes all its messages at the end of every day. I won't even bother. I've now read enough testimony to know it won't get me anywhere.
I did go to their site and edit my poem for them though, because you can do that. It's now a very long insult with a tacky rhyme scheme, that ends with me asking them to remove my poem. I even changed the title to 'F*** Off'...
The language is called for, I believe. Con artists who take advantage of hopeful writers are the scum of the universe. I really hope they send me another email, this time about the glories of my poem, 'F*** Off.' Wouldn't that be hilarious?
~May Received 1/28/04Late last year, I sent in a poem on Poetry.com for a contest. All of a
sudden I get these papers saying that they want to publish my poem in a poetry book, that I can buy the book for 49.95, and I can also get my poem printed on a plaque for 40$ I also was a semi-finalist. Yesterday, January 27th, 2004, I just received papers inviting me to the annual Poetry Symposium at the Walt Disney World Resort. It said that I would get a silver cup award, and if I won the grand prize of 20 000& that I would also win a publishing contract etc. Well, I'm in Gatineau, QC and all of the money that I have spent so far (for the plaque) has been in US$..and now they want me to attend this symposium in Florida which I would have to pay for hotel accomodations (167$ US per night) plus the flight etc. Let me tell you, I couldn't go either way but I was very excited and would have gone if I had the money, that is until I came to your site and read all of the reviews for Poetry.com. Thanks to all who posted them and thank you for having this site.

LouiseReceived 1/29/04I too have listed my poetry at poetry.com but only to copywrite it. I
have also called the long distance phone number and got an actual person. I have gotten only 2 poems asked to be submitted for their anthology series called A Friends Calling and I am a Black Woman. I would like to know what and how to get my poetry published. without the DRAMA.
Thanks SDW Received 2/5/04I have been receiving many ongoing mailings via US Mail as well as in my email from Poetry.comAt first I was allured to the possibility of having my poetry published, but then when the first letter came in and said we need $25 for the Author's Profile and $49 for one book and $89 for two, I was beginning to be skeptical... I did it anyway, just to see what would happen... I had my first poem published and I even got an Editor's Choice award for it too... I paid the $50 to buy the Poetry on cd too... And because the Poem was very special and sentimental to me I even bought the $89 poem encased on a walnut plaque so that I could give it to him for a wedding present... Then the big scam came...... They sent me a letter stating that they wanted me to come to some awards ceremony claiming to have some big stars there to give out the awards, but I needed to send them $179 for my award... Of course I didn't fall for that and I soon began to discard the emails and the mail after that.... My english teacher and also the Editor with whom I work with informed me that if you have to pay for an award that you really deserve, then there is something wrong with this picture.. So I felt pretty good about that. and then the little girl down my street also started getting stuff from Poetry.com too and was so excited that she was going to have her poem published.... I later informed her mother about the Poetry.com scam and to please not get discouraged over her daughter's ability, but don't fall into the trap of paying out money they really didn't have....SO, if there is anything else I can include, please feel free to email me and I will do so.. I am a free lance writer and also a good poet and have been published in the past long before Poetry.com and really hope that there is something more that we can do to bring about awareness of these types of scams.Sincerely,De AnneReceived 2/6/04Hi the ISP spring poetry symposium. It is with the national poetry society and they tell you that Bob Eubnaks will be there (former game show host), and they invite you to FLorida. The cost is outrageous. Please check this one out for me.

Thanks,CarlReceived 2/25/04I would like to know is there such a thing as the Nobel House of Poetry. I have not received the books that I order. It has been serveral months now. There is no phone number listed for them or there flyer just addresses.

My e-mail address is LareeshaHall24@hotmail.comReceived 2/26/04Yes, the list goes on and on of the complaints of Poetry.com. They certainly fooled me into sending $49 of my hard earned money.
My poem was going to be published so I thought this was great ..I was flattered.
I became concerned about this SCAM organization this month when my 12 year daughter received two semi finalist letters.
One for each poem she submitted to the site. One poem is on Poetry.com but the other one isn't ... Now isn't that odd.
Knew right away that the whole thing was a rip off.My gut feeling and prediction happened. Now I'm left wondering if I'll ever receive the book with my poem in and if I do receive it ...Will they ever give me back a refund on the book? I tried to call a phone number on their web site at Owings Mills but it has endless music but no answer.
Who is this W.D.Snodgrass character ? Also this Spring Convention or Symposium costs too much money.
Dose Bob Eubanks know that these are a bunch of con artists ? The Trophy is a mantel place disaster that if it really dose cost $200
worth. Spending so much of ones own money on their own artistic work to be published is a crying shame.
So I bite the dust this time. Hope something will be done in future that will stop corrupt Poetry.com from ever operating.
The young and the old are the ones that are getting hit worse in their pockets.

Sincerely,

NeilReceived 2/27/04

I wanted to give you all an update concerning my poetry.com scam report on January 28th. I recently received an e-mail from poetry.com saying that they were ‘sorry’ that I could not attend the symposium and that I had to be there to win some kind of trophy then they proceeded to tell me that although I couldn’t get the trophy unless I was there, they could still send me the other prizes (cup, award, ability to send my poems to certain people blah blah blah) as long as I still paid the ‘participation’ fee of 167$ U.S. funds, which would be approximately 225$ Canadian. Go figure. I’m really disappointed in poetry.com and I hope that other poetry writers realize that poetry.com is a scam before it’s too late for them.

Louise (see 1/28/04 entry, above)
Received 3/29/04 This one is the best! After reading your site, I did check poetry.com, only to find my name there as one of their published poets.... With a poem that I never wrote!!!! HAHAHA!!!!
From the moment I received their first letter, I knew they were criminals, but imagine having accepted to go to DC to accept the award for a poem that isn't mine!!! I wonder where mine is though.... Maybe someone else did receive the award for my poem after all. Congratulations!

Antonio

I hated admitting that Poetry.com was scamming me, but it's true. They will publish anything you want, for a price. You could send them any combination of letters, and they will not only publish it, they will award you "Poet of the Year". I should know, I've just been nominated for 2005. It is a shame that Poetry.com is allowed to deceive people like that. I personally am requesting that money I paid for my book be refunded. Also, I contacted the BBB and filed a complaint. Fraud is still a federal offense in America right? I mean, I know that there are many real poets who are defending Poets.com, and that is okay, maybe they would change their minds if they realized that if everyone were honored, it's not really an honor. April

When I recieved an e-mail for their 'poetry competion' at disney world, i got suspicious. they required you to buy registration for over $500 a person! That was when I found out it was all a scam, and now I want to do something about it...

favorite poems to their site. Shortly after, they sent me a letter saying that I was a semi-finalist in their competition. Ok, this seemed great and all. But, if you read their User Policy thing, it says that

they’ll OWN your poetry after you submit it. Great! Now that great poem you wrote is theirs. I didn’t send anything back, but a few weeks later, in some miraculous way, I had been selected as a Semi-Finalist. I could enter the contest (which is totally stupid because if you’re a

Semi-Finalist that implies that you’re already in the contest). I could get a plaque and all kinds of things at the banquet’for $595. I so did NOT buy that package. I didn’t trust it for one thing, and I didn’t

their’¦ownership of your piece. We should bond together and sue them. But then again, we did agree to the thing on their site. So, I guess we’re cooked.To sum it up, I’m 98.5% certain poetry.com is a scam, don’t fall for it because you’ll regret it. You may lose the most valuable thing you’ve ever written. Take it from someone who knows.

Received 1/13/06I was absolutly disgruntled and ashamed that I let myself be so gullible to a flimsy internet scam like poetry.com. I am a very modest writer that doesn't openly share my work with anybody, but I figured that since I saw poetry.com in Seventeen magazine it couldn't be a scam. I sent a poem out to them a few months ago and today I just got a letter saying that I was a semi-finalist in their contest and my poem would be published in an upcoming book. LUCKILY I came across this website and I've seen how many people have been fooled by this over the years. Its just an awful thing to do. Somebody needs to file a lawsuit and shut these people down! I mean really, is it even legal to do these t things to honest writers that are just trying to get by?!Received 2.4.06

I too was scammed by Circle of Poets. I had a poem accepted in 2004 and paid for the book, The Best of 2004, yet here it is 2006 and never received the book. They gave me excuses then runarounds, yet never delivered. Now, the email of; help@circleofpoets.com comes back "denied"... Also, it won't acknowledge my login....as though I've been "blackballed" on the site! Jannie

Received 4.11.06

This is the letter I sent to the Maryland Attorney General.

Dear Sir or Madam:

I am writing in regards to a purchase made by myself to League of American Poets (online). I submitted my check for 57.95 to the company in question for a book bearing an original poem written by myself. The check was cashed on October 4, 2005. I have only been able to actually talk to the company once and all voice mails I have left were unreturned. The one time I spoke with a person, she spoke very broken English but told me that she did not like me questioning her and that it would take longer for me to get my book because of this. I still have no book to show for my efforts. I do work for a publishing company (directories) and we must turn multi-volume books around in no more than 3 weeks. I realize this is not the case in all instances, but I would think that 5+ months would warrant the merchandise being delivered or at least a contact explaining when I might see it. I also contacted the Better Business Bureau of Greater Maryland, Inc. They responded with a letter stating that after several attempts to contact League of American Poets, they were unable to obtain a response and the file will be closed to reflect this and that they have been given an ‘unsatisfactory’ performance record (#23044304).

Because I wrote this poem when my father died, I would really like the book. I am tired of the games and if this isn’t possible I want my money back.

R. Received 3/20/06The site www.lifeforchange.com has
turned out to be a fraudster. They were simply alluring
innocent young writers to contribute and canvas their
site for getting votes. As one such writer came near to
winning, citing some flimsy grounds they took him
out; planted their own stories. It is clear two of their
planted stories gathered as much as 28 votes each in
two days flat. Fraudsters gain, advertising revenue and
even the prize money. We are on the job to alert authorities. JG

Received 4/5/06

I saw a web site “League Of American Poets” and sent a poem I had written, into them for judging. I received a nice letter saying that it was a very good poem and offered a nice plaque for $50.00. I ordered it and months later still had not received it although my check had been cashed. I checked many web sites and saw that this particular group was known as a scam. Yesterday I received my plaque with my poem on it and I must say, done very professionally. It’s beautiful. I still can’t figure out why it took almost 9 months to receive it. Maybe someone “talked” to them. Anyway, I guess all is forgiven. The plaque was well worth the money.

Jim

Received 5/4/06

im not sure if this page was added to your poetry scam list but www.circleofpoets.com is one that scamed me i entered there poetry contest i wrote what i thought was a very good poem they said it was picked for publication but i had to buy the poetry manuscripts for 45.00 $ that my poem was published in i thought that was a rip off but i sent the 45.00 dollars anyway just to see my poem in the book they said at xmas the book will be sent an gave me notfication that they recieved my money well my book never came every time i emailed them i got a new date that the manuscript will be sent untill enventualy they changed there email address i tracked down the new one an they no longer respond from that one at all so not only was i ripped off my poem is most likly stolen an i didnt even get a book from them this happened 2 years ago an there page is out dated but they may have set up a new one an are running there scam again.Received 6/2/06Is the League of American Poets Legitimate?

I got taken at poetry.com & now am leery of all sites. Is
poetryamerica.com a scam? Thank you for your service to poetry-loverslbReceived 6/23/06

Yes, Poetry.com is definatly a scam. Being naive, I sent in a poem to their contest and was excited when they sent me a letter back saying it was in their semi-finals and that they wanted to publish it. The sad thing is, I didn't care that they wanted something like $50 for me to buy the book I had been published in. I was just happy to be published. But I was disappointed in the book, which was quite large with the poems in small print, packed together on each page. Then they sent me another letter a few weeks after that asking me to attend a convention in Orlando, FL with supposedly famous guests and hundreds of other "poets". But, I would've had to pay for my own travel expenses. They also told me that if I did win that contest at that particular convention, that I'd have to pay close to $40 for shipping and handling, for my own trophy! That was when it finally sunk in that this was a scam. Ah, but there's more. Another company supposedly based in London called Noble House Publishing sent me a letter also. They said they had heard of my recent publishing attempts in America, wanted to congratulate me and all that. They too wanted to publish one of my poems in a book. I did send in another poem to them, because they seemed legitimate. After I got the "artist's proof" back from them, it too had a form to fill out for the purposes of buying a book I was to be published in. Still being naive I bought it. Then about 6 months after that I read on the internet that this company is a scam too. So, watch out for Noble House Publishing too. Althought their books are a much better quality (one poem to a page, and a nice cover), they're disguised as a legitimate company until you find that they want money too. What I've discovered from former aquaintences is that it's best to send poems to contests sponsored by colleges, and hope that an agent will find your work and want to publish it as a serious and non-profit chap book or something along those lines.

Here is something else I forgot to mention. In the book I bought from Noble House, I found that some girl had plagiarized one of Jim Morrison's poems which had been published in a post-humous collection. This angered me, since I'm a fan of his music and poetry. I made a copy of the page from his book and a copy of the page from Noble House's book, and sent it along with a letter explaining my find to them. I never heard anything from them about it. They probably let that kind of stuff go on all the time.

Thank you for warning others of these scams, hopefully they won't have to learn the hard way like I and others have.

Steven E.

Received 7/2/06I was very dissapointed in finding out poetry.com could be a scam.I had written several poems and submitted then recieving information in the mail from them saying i had the chance to have it published for $50.00 when it should be the writer that recieves the 50.00.It has been a long life dream of mine to have my poems published and then porty.com crushed it.hopeing you can guide me in finding a publisher who is interested in my poems.Thank You .

J.L.K.W

Received 7/8/06hey, i am yet another ripped off client.
i had not idea that something like this would happen to me already. the first poem i sent into poetry.com got "published" in there book. i paid the fifty dollars they were asking. i am sooo dissapointed in myself for believing that something like this could actually happen to me, like they say, if something seems to good to be true, it probally is. i also recieved the editor's chice award, like so many others. and i used this acheivment to help myself get into the national junior honor society at school.i was so proud that my poem was published. but i guess i will find my way somehow. i also looked at another scam website involving the international society of poets, and discovered that a letter written by them was almost exactly like the one written to me telling me how i should write a new poem and record it, and pay 169 plus 18 dollars for shipping of everything that i was to recieve. i can't believe the isp lets dreamers like me be let down because all the nice things that they say is nothing more that bullshit.

tessReceived 7/23/06

Hello everyone, Writing about poetry.com. I had no clue they were scaming me really thought nothing about the money they wanted. (I never sent them any). Then I found this site and starting reading everyones letters. I couldn't find an email address for poetry.com. Does anyone know it or do they even have one? I've tried calling them but no answer. I want my poems taken off their site Brenda

Received 8/14/06

Well I too sent a poem to poetry.com and yes they said that i was a semi-finalist and so on. I paid for almost half of the book and after that i didn't send them anymore money. Not because I didn't want to but because i couldn't afford it luckily. Or else i would have been drawn in closely to the scam. Well i was really glad they had considered to publish my poem. I thought they actually read it and evaluated and thought it to be superior tham others. Well later I found out they published everybody's poem. I read through some poems and they arent all that great but ohters were really good. I guess that if there is an upside to this poetry scam it is that other people get to enjoy your poetry. But if i were you i'd be careful and not send them any money. I guess then this way you could profit instead of them. I guess? Oh yes and throough out this whole time they never questioned my age which could of been under 18. I could have even been a 9 year old.

- Rosa

Received 9/8/2006

My daughter also wrote a poem, and I thought it was very good, but I did have a feeling that it was a scam also. I had to let her down, because she was so excited that she had “won”. I was waiting for the second letter to see if they asked for money, (as they did, and then got on the web) and found your site. Thanks for putting this out. This is so obviously a scam, why is Our GOVERNMENT letting this happen? Tara Received 9/9/2006 Sept. 10,2006. I had sent in a poem a few years ago to Poetry.com, and Ireceived a letter about how good it was. I would have bought the book, but other things happen the time to make me forget. This year I sent in another poem, it also came back saying it was good. I was as happy as the first time. So I bought the book. How happy I was to see my poem on the first page. I was so excited, I went to look it up on the internet, and found it said someone else's poem was on the first page. I looked through my whole book and found their poem not in my book. I have even tried to find the book on internet. I have not found it as of yet. I am getting frustrated trying to find anything about my book or if I can find in any store. I am not sure but if anyone knows, but do they publish more than one book, with the same title. It is sad to think that it is nothing more than money maker for
poetry.com.

Mel
Received 9/28/06 So, I take it that the League of American Poets is a scam? I too received a letter in the mail. I probably should have tried to verify the authenticity of the letter before shooting off my bigmouth. Stan
Received 10/12/2006

I think you should check out the "league of American Poets" I submitted a poem and paid about $50 for a copy of "A Treasury of American Poetry II". It has 250 pages with three columns per page, and over 1200 contributors.In my humble opinion, my poem is the only good one in the book. It is not that mine is so great, but that the vast majority of the others are really, really bad. I wouldn't mind paying that much for a copy if my poem was on its own page and if the other poems were in some way enjoyable to read. Thanks for your website, it is very enlightening.

Harold

Received 10/15/2006

I'm hearing so many negative things about poetry.com.  This is a site for amatuer writers.  How many times have you got a rejection slip for things
you sent to magazines and books that you knew where just as good or better than a known writers.  There are things I'd ask like where are these books
that they sell the authors that are suppose to be in stores months after the you bought from them.  Let me tell you many many years ago...I sent in
stories to a comic book company.  We are looking for talent.  Tryout.  (hint) Send us your inkings, drawings pencilers,  I was young and never
heard of copy righting so I sent in about five stories...what happened...a few changes to it... and it was published...they made millions on story.  No
way I could prove it..since it wasn't copyrighted..the only proof...two owner's of a comic book store read the story and laughed when I changed a
character's costume.  It will never happen they told me his costumes a trade mark.  Now that company got rich and i'm leaving with my mother.  This
caused me to stop writing which I loved to do for a very long time...Yes I marvel at my stupidity..(another hint)
anyways back to poetry.com  after seeing it on the web it has started me writing again mostly for my own enjoyment so...A scam...doubtful...It needs improvements...like not randomly choosing winners for their contests.  The
event this year was held in vegas at the mgm that's not
cheap...entertainment was tony orlando and ruben studer.  I didn't go because I can't afford it..Poetry.com should also help getting your work sold.  At least you get the copyrights to your own work..I have searched
other poetry sites which doesn't state who gets the copyrights after you send it in.  Also how many times have you sent something in...rejected and
months later a similar thing is written by someelse about the same thing...hhmmm..I wonder where they got the idea for that story..Poetry.com a scam...don't know...Pricey...Yes....but I rather spend alittle money
onseeing my stuff in print and owning the copyrights then seeing a company make millions on my writings while I get nothing.  Would I be willing to take a lie detector test..YOU BET!

Philip

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