Talk:Poetry.com

If Poetry.com is not a scam, then what is a scam more precisely?
Some friends and I got suspicious and submitted random junk - as predicted we were approached with emails gushing over the talent that they saw in our works. It is a cynical preying on people who - like most - wish to be understood, but who unfortunately - like most again - do not count among those with any talent to express themselves eloquently in text.

More subjectively but just as relevant I think: look at the pictures from their events. It's tragedy! You can see in the eyes of the poor recipients of their tacky prizes that they sense it's a scam. From what first-hand reports say, the nearly inedible gala dinner hardly makes things better.

Poetry.com is a well known thing. It's a scam. Hence it should be reported and describes as a scam on Wikipedia. —Preceding unsigned comment added by 85.226.169.28 (talk) 22:26, 20 September 2008 (UTC)


 * That is a naive and idealistic view. I resonate with your motivation, but you would do well to recognize what Wikipedia is, and what it is not.  enWP is not the BBB, and cannot function as such.  The end you seek is STILL accomplished, I believe, by doing what Wiki does, and did here: reporting the BBB results, the facts of the unresolved but legit lawsuit/prosecution filed, etc.  That's as far as Wikipedia needs to go, or practically CAN go, for liability reasons, and because the mandate is to be an encyclopedia, and NOT the internet police!  Thank you for your concern, and your participation.  rags (talk) 16:06, 21 September 2018 (UTC)

Neutrality of this document
This article is not Neutral in its content (this comment added by Watersoftheoasis on 2007-02-17T14:08:57)
 * Wow, that's helpful. Could you expand on that a little bit? rone 23:52, 1 March 2007 (UTC)
 * Most of the article is talking about how bad Poetry.com is. Watersoftheoasis 18:42, 4 March 2007 (UTC)
 * Well, yes. Most of the discussion I've seen of poetry.com in third party sources is about how bad they are.  Therefore this is balanced coverage. JulesH 11:40, 15 March 2007 (UTC)

Cruelty of Poetry.Com
The International Library of Poetry is a scam very close to the edge of the law. They may have edged over the line in some cases. Not quite a vanity publisher, they do not ask for money to publish a poem (at least not in the first letter) but charge an exorbitant price ($50) for shoddy copies of compilations of submitted poems. They do, however, charge to include a small blurb about the poem and/or the victim - I mean, Poet. There follows an invitation to a conference (cost around $600 per person, not including food & lodging) to read your poem and accept your award (which I suspect you will never see if you don't go.)

It is apparently impossible to get a rejection. Not only was my deliberately bad poem Storms accepted as a semi-finalist, I have found examples on the internet of absolutely ridiculous poems, including complete gibberish, that also received this high award. An entire fourth grade class wrote and submitted poems; all were accepted. Dave Barry printed his hilariously bad-but accepted poem in his column.

''While I was researching this, I did not keep info on sources. That's why this is on Talk page.''
 * wcf Facts are stubborn. Comments? 06:58, 21 August 2006 (UTC)


 * I believe the correct term for what Poetry.com does is doing is pyramid scheme, and I remember that the BBB] ruled that they are skirting the law in their actions. In other words: they may not be doing anything illegal, but that doesn't mean what they are doing is right. I can definitely vouch for that, as leading amateur poets along and making them think they ae actually getting recognized for their achievements is just plain wrong. Try to find someone that actually won money in one of their contests, you'll find it easier to locate Jimmy Hoffa. 65.54.97.153 17:42, 22 August 2006 (UTC)


 * I would agree with the negativity you both have expressed, but would add that what they seem to have done (they are shut down, now, for whatever reason) is to very carefully stay on the line at legality, while crossing the ETHICAL line BOLDLY. I fail to see, though how it qualified as a pyramid scheme.  Scam, yes, definitely.  rags (talk) 16:14, 21 September 2018 (UTC)

Doing my part
While working at a major Canadian mail institution I feel it is my duty as founder of the legitimate Canadian Poetry Association to edit and comment on Poetry.com letters back to submitters as the mail is being processed and sent through the system, Just doing my part (illegaly but with a good hearted pen stroke and fear of being fired) to let the world know of their schemes. WayneRay 15:24, 7 March 2007 (UTC)WayneRay

Question
I know of a few link that we can add to enforce the warnings about this scam (I've been a victim of this myself) Would it be all right to add them to the main article? Also, I think that the part about the pyramid scheme would also be an interesting thing to add as well.

What do you think? Bookbat_98 22:17, 17 May 2007 (UTC)


 * Post the links here and we can discuss what is and isn't appropriate. As for the pyramid scheme, we'd need to find a reliable source that had made the comparison before we could include something like that.  I'm concerned that while the comparison is evocative, the similarities aren't great enough for it to truly work. JulesH 23:08, 17 May 2007 (UTC)

Writing Scams- http://www.eliteskills.com/writing_scams/poetry.com.scam.php is the main link I was thinking of adding. I like this link because it offers detailed information about the scam and it's inner workings. The 'show me proof' and victims stories pages are also very informative.

20/20 Excerpt- http://windpub.com/literary.scams/abc-nlp.htm I could be wrong, but I think that this was what WCFrancis was refering to.

Please let me know what you think so far. Bookbat_98 02:50, 18 May 2007 (UTC)


 * Both of those sound like a good idea. I've included them in the way I think is best; do you have any comments? JulesH 08:13, 18 May 2007 (UTC)

Another Question
On its website, the organization claims to award a $1,000.00 monthly and a $10,000.00 annual prize. Does anyone know if these monies are actually given out? If that were the case, the contest would technically be legitimate. It would be a sham in that all contestants advance to the semi-finals, but a genuine competition in that there would be real winners selected on the basis of their work.

There is a list on their site of supposed "past winners." Were these people truly given checks, or is this part of the scam? And if certain persons were selected for prizes, were they done so based on the poem they submitted or simply at random?

That kind of information could greatly improve the article.


 * I've never heard a suggestion that they don't; on the other hand I've never seen a source that confirms that they do either. I think we can assume, due to absence of evidence otherwise, that they really do give out these prizes.  I believe there is some evidence, also, that the prize winner's poems were selected according to merit.  I don't think there's any evidence, however, that all submissions were considered for these prizes -- that, at least, is heavily implied by their low standards of what they consider a semi-finalist.  JulesH 09:56, 23 May 2007 (UTC)

love
i feel like i got hit in the head, by cupids' arrow in bed.

i feel so much pain, near my heart. i just cant exclam, it felt like a realy fast dart.

love is near, love is far. love is clear, love is hard.

BY Gaia Carrigan and Winter Kornfield —Preceding unsigned comment added by 24.44.22.44 (talk) 21:33, 2 October 2007 (UTC) I had won but was gifted a trip and to recieve the money that was won but never went cause after all the poems I submitted i found out it was not real,also ordered a book for 80.00 never recieved it. —Preceding unsigned comment added by 24.125.182.151 (talk) 18:08, 8 January 2010 (UTC)

Love is the source of life Debabrata khan (talk) 22:05, 22 June 2018 (UTC)

Hate
I though I was in love but I'm not in love I'm in hate I hate you!!! —Preceding unsigned comment added by 24.44.22.44 (talk) 21:46, 2 October 2007 (UTC)

How do we get our poems back
what needs to be done to get our poems back? —Preceding unsigned comment added by 69.171.163.106 (talk) 09:04, 11 October 2009 (UTC)

Please someone e-mail me at gotogo2002L@aol.com   and tell me how to get my poems back cuz i never got the chance to catalog them....I am heart broken

Lynne Saya —Preceding unsigned comment added by 96.33.164.168 (talk) 20:12, 26 October 2009 (UTC)


 * My name is Joseph Francis Fendt ive written many poems and put them on this site and i still

have all my copyrights on what ithought is your official paper work i dont care who but sombody better contact me at vorlon2000@yahoomail.com about how to retrieve my poems. The only one idont have a copy of is the last one called what is the meaning of life dont let me find out that this stuff hasd been stolen


 * i couldn't understand that was i love you or hate you.. Debabrata khan (talk) 22:08, 22 June 2018 (UTC)


 * If no one has told you, this article is not written by Poetry.com. They seem to have ceased operation.  Unless you are willing to hire an investigator, you are probably SOL.  That would, as well, be an exercise in futility, I fear.  Write it off to experience, I'd say.  As with ALL things electronic, in future, always back up everything, and a hard copy is advised.  rags (talk) 16:28, 21 September 2018 (UTC)

I also had some poems on the site i would like back they were under two names one is my married name of Annette Hammon other is my real name Annette Terwilliger,So what happens now and is my hard work and writing these poems ever get repayment of what was stolen? Please e-mail me back peppina110276@yahoo.com. —Preceding unsigned comment added by 24.125.182.151 (talk) 18:06, 8 January 2010 (UTC)


 * I also had 2 peoms published on this site...And I want them back my name is Violet Peattie please e-mail me back on this matter....thank you so much (midnite6656@hotmail.com) My poems were printed on Poetry.com...I want them back...  —Preceding unsigned comment added by 24.36.21.121 (talk) 05:09, 12 February 2010 (UTC)


 * I also submitted 5 or more poems that I'd wrote from 2002 thru 2007 under several internet providers.I even was sent a document for Editor's Choice Award from Howard Ely/managing editor in Jan 2004 for one poem.I still have all my letters from them and all copywrited copies of my work.I've gone to the new owners site of LULU and tried every possible way to log in and claim my work with no success,nor do they have a contact address to e-mail them.I'm just waiting to see my work pop up somewhere,I could use the money.LULU ,you can contact me, at swosr45@insightbb.com;dated this 03/01/2010. —Preceding unsigned comment added by 74.132.0.71 (talk) 16:52, 2 March 2010 (UTC)


 * I cannot access my poems ,I have several over the years.

I tried to retrieve them from LuLu. I just want my works. I want to view them .Lu Lu has all poetry.coms works .If They are honest they will return what is ours. Otherwise they are just as guilty, Email My Poems To Me Tenierenie9801.net Poetuknowit@comcast.net I.L.Meack We should not have to pay for what is ours. Thank you!


 * So has anyone found out how to get our poetry back? I did purchase one of their published books but that was many years ago and it only has one of my peoms in it. If anyone can find a way please contact me at shelleyliloia@yahoo.com. Poems written under Shelley Liloia or Shelley Sue Liloia — Preceding unsigned comment added by 68.196.50.198 (talk) 12:38, 27 March 2010 (UTC)


 * Please, if anyone found out how to get the poetry back I'd be grateful to hear how. Do they still own the rights to my poetry? Could I publish my poetry again elsewhere? LULU.com really needs to have a contact person to help with this stuff. If anyone has any helpful info please email me. Ashley

naturechild91384@yahoo.com —Preceding unsigned comment added by 75.110.94.130 (talk) 03:06, 15 August 2010 (UTC)


 * See previous section. rags (talk) 16:33, 21 September 2018 (UTC)

ISO: Titles of books released by the former Poetry.com
im in search of a copy of the book my poem appeared in back in y2k. I know im not the only one trying to find this information, so if anyone could list titles with dates, that would be great, thx! Jordan - zombie_rdc AT hotmail DOT com - Poem: Forever Pain

They changed to LULU When we lost msn but all published poems are archived on loulu DELLICA9 (talk) 06:05, 10 December 2018 (UTC)

Why Did Poetry.Com Disappear?
Does anyone have any ideas as to what is going on? These people have been online for years and ALL of a sudden they are gone.Something is fishy,for sure HonBee777 (talk) 01:20, 20 May 2018 (UTC)

The Poetry.Com anthologies were appreciated by myself.
I read through a small amount of the poems. In honest assessment they were regular poems from normal poets in society - everyday folk. There was some decent work in the various anthologies. It wasn't really a scam, as you could buy a decently produced hardback which featured your poem alongside the works of other poets. In reality it was a self-publishing sort of thing, but a lot of people who have those anthologies with their poems in them are quite happy to have an anthology with their work, and probably read some poems from other poets, and also probably enjoy some of them. There was likely sub-standard poems, but there were good ones as well. The critics of poetry.com are too harsh in their criticism. It was just a business, and it gave a service for you to have a decent anthology with your work in it if you got featured. I was happy with the amount of money I had to pay for my anthologies - I was featured with 'Cats' in Treasures to Discover and 'The Next Day' in The Best Poems and Poets of 2001, so I don't have problems. Poetry.com did acceptable work, and I wouldn't object to them returning online at all. It's a great way to get some of your work featured in an acceptable enough anthology. Daniel Thomas Andrew Daly. June 20th 2018. My Website - http://noahidebooks.angelfire.com