Is Poetry.com a scam?

[Ancestor]

First of all my apologies to Lassa for anything I said. This subject has me so confused due to what everybody is saying. I have heard people saying their books had their poem pasted into the front and that the text type was different from the rest of the book. My books do not have that and also heard someone paying 100 dollars more then I did for one book. I just do not know what to believe at this point. I guess I am just going to enjoy seeing my poems in the books I have and make this a positive experience and leave it at that. Again to Lassa or anyone if I said something out of line my sincere apology.

[Admin]

You know Lassa etal, with print on demand technology the cost to publish your own book is far far less than what you paid to Poetry.com for one of their books.

Cafepress for example offers such a service. Click on that link, then up on the grey menu bar "Products You Can Sell"

[KnowingThePages]

It is my personal belief that poetry.com is a scam. I also received a letter and emails stating that I had been elected to win the best prize or something like that. I never went as they wanted alot of money. But most publishing companys do indeed send you a free copy of the book in which you are published and not charge.

[kathysmom]

Hi All,

My 13 year old daughter also submitted her poem to poetry.com and after I received the book A Surrender to the Moon and saw her poem on page 1, I figured it was a scam. Sorry but in my opinion poetry.com really stinks to "scam" people and I am taking my fight to the attorney general of Maryland J. Joseph Curran , Jr. I hope a lot of people will follow me in reporting them.

[cuteasabubble18]

I also posted a poem on Poetry.com I got the letter to come collect my award, yet as soon as I showed it to mum, she said it was a scam.
Can anyone tell me if my poem is in one of the books?
It is called Skye by Melissa Shea.
Thank you much appreciated.

[jon1jt]

I posted some poems on Poetry.com for $5.00 and they guaranteed me 14 reviews, which they delivered. The reviews for each poem - consisting of no more than two sentences - demonstrated that the reviewer barely glanced the work, if at all. Has any one had a similar experience? Thanks.

[Brina_1192]

Yes it maybe a scam. I also was published in A Surrender to the Moon and I to was published on the front page. Since they have updated to Lulu Poetry I have lost the poems that had been there online.

[Destinylovesyou]

I went to Poetry.com, when i was like 12, i am currently 15. I went there, because another website, took me there instead. Well, it said too write a poem. So i did. It was one about the holiday coming up: Halloween. It was dumb and corny, and i knew i wouldn't win anything from it. Well. It was two months later that i got the letter. I was away from home at the time, with my grandparents. My mom called me and told me about my recently new talent. Trust me i was happy and thinking about all the cool things i could buy [note i was 12]. So, when i got home, i screamed and all that. I felt like i was meeting someone famous. Then. Two days later, i got another letter only this one was tan and had an award on it too. "editor's choice award presented to Destiny Vaughn December 2006 for outstanding achievement in poetry presented by poetry.com and the International Library of Poetry. Well. Then it was signed by Howard Ely. I thought it was real. I got the lettr saying it was going too be in Immortal Verses some book or something. I was even happier then they told me i had to go to Las Vegas, Nevada to get the money...well sadly my mom couldn't afford it. We sent money in for the book. I'm 15 it still hasn't shown up. I just so happened to want too look at my poem today...cause i found the letters in my memory box...and i came across everyone else saying it's a scam...and well i did cry. I thought i was actually good at something...well apparently not. ..ever since that day in December, i've written alot more songs and poems. but i ripped em up when i seen this was a scam...can anyone help as to where i can delete my poem from that horrible site. I'm quite embarrassed about it now. :/

-Destiny Vaughn, 15.

[Dinkleberry2010]

I doubt if you can delete it. If it's any solace to you, I too have been taken in (along with hundreds, maybe thousands of others) by poetry.com, and especially by the International Library of Poetry--about 25 years ago. It's been in business for a long time. Fortunately, I decided not to buy one of their books that one of my poems supposedly was in, so I didn't actually lose anything. But the bottom line is this: Both poetry.com and The International Library of Poetry are in the business of selling books and making money--that's all they're interested in--they couldn't care less about poetry.

[AdobeFlats]

It's probably of little comfort to the people who've been conned into parting with money to see their work in print, but this also happens in the UK. Probably the world over.