Complaint Review: Famous Poets Society

I entered a poem in response to an ad in our local throw-away newspaper. The ad requested a poem on a spiritual theme, and promised to pay the winner $1,000.

A couple of weeks later, I received a letter congratulating me on being a semifinalist. The letter also said the poem would be included in "Great Poems of the Western World" and asked for $39.95 for the book, along with various amounts of money for various special enhancements.

The letter was signed Lavender Aurora, Poetry Editor.

A friend suggested I get in touch with the Society and determine whether my poem would revert to them if I agreed on their publishing it. I called, but got no answer.

I am not only totally disgusted that people go to so much time and effort to rip off their fellow human beings, but I am very concerned that I may have unknowingly given them legal rights to my poem simply by sending it in.

I will not, of course, send them any money or additional poems.

It occurs to me that, if these people spent half this amount of creative energy on something honest, they might be very rich indeed, and respected too.

Joan M..
Culver City, California
U.S.A.