re: pch vs. poetry.com
anyone who thinks that what poetry.com, and others like them, does, isn't a hundred times worse than publisher's clearing house's actions (inclusive of the dumpster full of unopened and unchecked (no order) entries.) well, pardon me, but they just don't get it.
so, you entered a pch sweeps, or seven or twelve, and while you were at it, you ordered a tv guide or a people's magazine. how long did that take you, and how much thought did you have to put into it? and you got your order, didn't you? and what did you think of your chances of winning?
still, they were, and probably still are, quite wrong and, in my humble opinion, got, at the very least, what they deserved. me, i would have sent SOMEBODY to prison!
prison wouldn't cut it with poetry.com, et al. they deserve to have their black hearts removed with a butter knife! after all, didn't they ask us to pour ours out to them, for ONLY their own personal gain? this gain to come ONLY from us?
wouldn't we all like to make money with our work? but, truly, how many of us have that as our main purpose in putting it out there? writers write, that's simply what we do, and the form poetry takes appeals to many of us.
and when we've worked hard on it, and polished it to a T,
what burning desire then overtakes us? why, to show it to as many people as possible,naturally, but to people who might care about such things. care enough to plunk down 39.99 for it. or 19.99, or 5.99.
our cut, whatever it might be, would be nice (and useful), but more for what it represents than for the purchasing power. the more it is, the more it means someone likes our work. and, anyway, we have it coming to us. if anyone makes money on our work, and they should, if they publish and promote it, then we should too.
so, i say, let's really stir up a ruckus, and not just in here. put it out to the media, so that we can get everyone on the bandwagon and, when the time's right, take it to court.
overly litigious, did you say? well, if people weren't overly scheming, overly negligent, overly cruel and overly greedy................
sonja
p.s. stay away from sparrowgrass too.