Is Poetry.com a scam?

Alvah · Apr 27, 2007

Twice this year I have received paper mail from Poetry.com. The letter says that the poem I submitted has been accepted for publication, and will be printed in a large volume with other poems.

I never submitted anything to poetry.com, so I assume this is some kind of scam. I don't even know how they got my address!

Has this happened to anyone else?

Alvah

Lyra Jean · Apr 27, 2007

scam scam scam scam scam

I saw their advertisment in the back of a magazine. They accept everyone's work. Then they charge you $75 for each book. The books can not be found in any bookstore. I bought three books. The horrible thing is it doesn't even tell you if your poetry is any good since they just take anyone.

Stay away from Noble House as well. They work with poetry.com and I believed they are based in England.

It's a scam scam scam scam scam

pink lily · May 7, 2007

YES. Huge scam. I sent something less-than-stellar to them, and they snapped it right up, and I could have bought my very own copy for the low low price of $69.95, and OMG I WON AN AWARD and all I had to do was fly to Florida and pay $600 to attend the convention to receive my award.

Poetry.com is a real scummy scam. Steer clear.

Angelinity · May 7, 2007

Lannie · May 23, 2007

Worst sort of scam, run by larcenous con artists.

For a decent site, visit: http://www.shadowpoetry.com/ :Sun:

McGill · May 29, 2007

My niece was just a victim of this scam, unfortunately she didn't find out until after she had sent in her money to order a copy of the book. She says that they say they will refund your money if you're not satisfied with the book once you get it. Does anyone know what the odds are of that happening? Will she just end up returning the book, but never getting a refund? Has anyone ever gotten a refund from them?

Woof · May 31, 2007

Stay away from Poetry.com-- you can send them anything; your laundry list, a phone number scribbled on a post-it note, a crude message written on a banana peel, it doesn't matter. They will respond immediately, and with effusive praise tell you how remarkable your piece is; that it is profound, incisive, lyrical and reveals a depth of feeling and imagination that is both rare and unique. And in exchange for your valid credit card number, they will publish your masterpiece in a gilt-edged, leather-bound limited edition, suitable for display on your coffee table. What Poetry.com practices is disgraceful. They deceive, flatter and fleece vulnerable and naive people who have always dreamed of having their writing published. And while they con people out of their money, they also contribute to the dumbing down of writing standards. If that swinish and disreputable website ever contacts me, I shall mail them an unedited sheet of used toilet paper and wait breathlessly for their glowing feedback.

Ama · Jun 6, 2007

It's unfair that such scam has such great name as "poetry.com".
I've also heard some unpleasant stories about them. The only problem that it's hard to distinguish their essence from the first glance.

Woof · Jun 8, 2007

Ama said:
It's unfair that such scam has such great name as "poetry.com".
I've also heard some unpleasant stories about them. The only problem that it's hard to distinguish their essence from the first glance.

Not just unfair but sad when you think that the most obvious domain name for a poetry site is poetry.com and that con artists were the first ones to snap it up. And of course it's hard to detect their true motives, because their slick presentation is designed to deceive. Nevertheless, red flags should immediately pop up the minute that they or anybody else asks you to pay to have your own work published.

Lyra Jean · Jun 8, 2007

Woof said:
Stay away from Poetry.com-- you can send them anything; your laundry list, a phone number scribbled on a post-it note, a crude message written on a banana peel, it doesn't matter. They will respond immediately, and with effusive praise tell you how remarkable your piece is; that it is profound, incisive, lyrical and reveals a depth of feeling and imagination that is both rare and unique. And in exchange for your valid credit card number, they will publish your masterpiece in a gilt-edged, leather-bound limited edition, suitable for display on your coffee table. What Poetry.com practices is disgraceful. They deceive, flatter and fleece vulnerable and naive people who have always dreamed of having their writing published. And while they con people out of their money, they also contribute to the dumbing down of writing standards. If that swinish and disreputable website ever contacts me, I shall mail them an unedited sheet of used toilet paper and wait breathlessly for their glowing feedback.

Mine wasn't bound in leather. They didn't even get the page number that my poem was on correct. I don't have gilt edged pages either.

Was I ripped off worse than other people since I obviously got the cheap copy. lol.

davids · Jun 8, 2007

Is the pope German?

Woof · Jun 9, 2007

rosemerry said:
Mine wasn't bound in leather. They didn't even get the page number that my poem was on correct. I don't have gilt edged pages either. Was I ripped off worse than other people since I obviously got the cheap copy. lol.

Or maybe you didn't pay as much as the people who bought the deluxe edition. Even scam artists offer discounts.

Rich · Jun 9, 2007

Odd, Alvah. You didn't even send a poem. The upside of it is that you didn't even waste paper and stamp. You got nothing to lose.

Perhaps it was your muse sending in something she thought you would've written. I think these scams also put the poems online. Check it out.

Is Poetry.com a scam?

Alvah

Life is what you make of it.

Lyra Jean

Two years old now.

pink lily

I regret everything

Angelinity

absent

Lannie

McGill

Woof

Outward Hound

Ama

Woof

Outward Hound

Lyra Jean

Two years old now.

davids

Woof

Outward Hound

Rich