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The '''Famous Poets Society''' (also known as the '''Christian Poets Guild'''<ref name="ww"/>) was a [[vanity press]]<ref name="latimes">{{cite news |url=https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-2002-nov-24-ca-rivenburg24-story.html |title=There Once Was a Poet from L.A. |newspaper=[[Los Angeles Times]] |date=November 24, 2002 |first1=Roy |last1=Rivenburg}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |title=Acquisitions Procedures: Print on Demand |url=https://subjectguides.library.american.edu/c.php?g=175274&p=1154832 |website=American University Library |publisher=[[American University]] |access-date=30 May 2022 |location=Washington, D.C.}}</ref> that organized a poetry contest and offered self-publishing services. |
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Despite the company's claims to have awarded over $425,000 in cash prizes to selected poets over 8 years,<ref name="winners">{{Cite web |url=http://www.famouspoets.com/mn.asp?pg=Winners |title=FPS Convention Winners |access-date=September 20, 2012 |archive-date=October 27, 2012 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121027194140/http://www.famouspoets.com/MN.asp?pg=Winners |url-status=dead }}</ref> nearly all writers who submitted works were accepted regardless of artistic merit, and they were required to buy the anthology (described in one [[WRC-TV|NBC4]] story as resembling a "yearbook" and being printed on "Xerox paper"<ref>{{cite news |last1=Crenshaw |first1=Liz |title=Poetry Contest |url=http://windpub.com/literary.scams/NBC4.htm |access-date=5 September 2022 |date=25 February 1999 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070223154653/http://windpub.com/literary.scams/NBC4.htm |archive-date=23 February 2007 |url-status=dead}}</ref>) in which they appeared in order to receive a copy of it; in addition, they had to pay significant fees to attend the contests' award ceremonies.<ref>{{cite magazine |last1=Silverstein |first1=Jake |title=What Is Poetry? |url=https://harpers.org/archive/2002/08/what-is-poetry-and-does-it-pay/ |access-date=30 May 2022 |magazine=[[Harper's Magazine]] |date=August 2002 |quote=It was felt that poetry was needed now more than ever. It was also felt that there would be no full refunds of the $495 registration fee, in the event of a canceled flight or a distraught flier.}}</ref><ref name="phoenix">{{cite news |last1=Wright |first1=Chris |title=BAD ART: A verse-case scenario |url=https://bostonphoenix.com/boston/news_features/this_just_in/documents/01701729.htm |access-date=30 May 2022 |work=[[Boston Phoenix]] |date=5 July 2001}}</ref> The [[Winning Writers]] website lists the Famous Poets Society as service that aspiring poets should avoid,<ref name="ww">{{cite web |title=Contests and Services to Avoid |url=https://winningwriters.com/the-best-free-literary-contests/contests-to-avoid |website=Winning Writers |access-date=30 May 2022}}</ref> while an article in the ''[[The Phoenix (newspaper)|Boston Phoenix]]'' described it as an outright scam, stating that its presumptive founder "[had] been preying on the naïveté and vanity of poets for 20 years."<ref name="phoenix" /> |
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The '''Famous Poets Society''' is an organization that offers a free poetry contest, a convention contest and several types of publishing opportunities, offered mostly to amateur grassroots poets. Anyone, whether published or not, is able to enter and nothing is ever required to purchase for the free contest. While true, however, their convention contest does require attendance for a fee. |
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== |
==See also== |
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* [[Poetry.com]] |
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A prospective [[poet]], wishing to get his work published, visits the Famous Poets Society [http://www.famouspoets.com/ website] which displays the promise of a $25,000 prize for entering their free [[contest]]. If the submission is accepted in the [[contest]] then the [[poet]] will receive an acknowledgment letter and be offered the chance to be published in an [[anthology]]. |
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"Five exciting publishing options" are offered: |
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#Have a special [[dedication]] printed with [[poem]], $5.00. |
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#Include a [[photograph]] of [[poet]] or subject of [[poem]], $10.00. |
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#Have [[poem]] illustrated to "highlight its artistry", $10.00. |
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#Have a [[biography]] included to share facts about the [[poet]], $10.00. |
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#Include additional [[poem]]s, $10.00 each, plus a nominal fee for additional [[typesetting]], $1.00 per line over 21. And a small fee for postage and handling, $5.00. |
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To see their work published, [[writer]]s must buy the [[anthology]] for $29.95. With this also they receive a free CD recording of the book with their poem. |
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==Complaints== |
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Some who order the book report never having received it. [[Poets]] are invited to an [[annual convention]], at which they can win up to $75,000. [[Entertainment]] and possible [[scholarship]]s are also promised. A fee of $495 is charged to attend, in addition to paying one's own travel, [[lodging]], and meals. The [[Boston Phoenix]] published an [[article]] on [[poetry contest]] [[scams]] like the Famous Poets Society, in which they spoke with Matt Rohrer: |
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<blockquote>Matt Rohrer, publicity and events director for the [[Academy of American Poets]], is well aware of the damage done by disreputable [[poetry competitions]]. 'I get calls every day from people who have been scammed like this,' he says. One such caller was the father of a [[Mississippi]] girl who had been named a Famous Poets finalist. 'The girl had been invited to a ceremony in Vegas,' Rohrer says. 'The family was going to take out a loan on their [[trailer (vehicle)|trailer]] because they had been led to believe their 14-year-old daughter was a [[genius]].'<ref>[http://bostonphoenix.com/boston/news_features/this_just_in/documents/01701729.htm Boston Phoenix Article]</ref></blockquote> |
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The above issue is with another poetry organization, International Society of Poets (poetry.com), as they hold their conventions in Las Vegas and Famous Poets never has. |
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According to a [[report]] from the [[Better Business Bureau]], the Famous Poets Society has been in business since 1994 and since this time the report states that there have been 48 complaints filed against the [[company]], all of which have been resolved<ref>[http://www.alaskaoregonwesternwashington.bbb.org/WWWRoot/SitePage.aspx?site=114&id=0927e2ab-0046-4101-9482-3ef0436b177c Better Business Bureau Report]</ref>. |
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==References== |
==References== |
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| ⚫ | |||
*[http://www.famouspoets.com Famous Poets Society webpage] |
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*[http://bostonphoenix.com/boston/news_features/this_just_in/documents/01701729.htm Boston Phoenix Article] |
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*[http://windpub.com/literary.scams/index.htm List of Poetry Scam Articles] |
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**[http://windpub.com/literary.scams/famous.poets.htm "Hollywood's Famous Poets Society," affiliated organization] |
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*[http://www.alaskaoregonwesternwashington.bbb.org/WWWRoot/SitePage.aspx?site=114&id=0927e2ab-0046-4101-9482-3ef0436b177c Better Business Bureau Report] |
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==Notes== |
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| ⚫ | |||
[[Category:Poetry]] |
[[Category:Poetry organizations]] |
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[[Category: |
[[Category:Self-publishing companies]] |
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[[Category:Writing contests]] |
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Latest revision as of 22:03, 5 April 2024
The Famous Poets Society (also known as the Christian Poets Guild[1]) was a vanity press[2][3] that organized a poetry contest and offered self-publishing services.
Despite the company's claims to have awarded over $425,000 in cash prizes to selected poets over 8 years,[4] nearly all writers who submitted works were accepted regardless of artistic merit, and they were required to buy the anthology (described in one NBC4 story as resembling a "yearbook" and being printed on "Xerox paper"[5]) in which they appeared in order to receive a copy of it; in addition, they had to pay significant fees to attend the contests' award ceremonies.[6][7] The Winning Writers website lists the Famous Poets Society as service that aspiring poets should avoid,[1] while an article in the Boston Phoenix described it as an outright scam, stating that its presumptive founder "[had] been preying on the naïveté and vanity of poets for 20 years."[7]
See also
[edit]References
[edit]- ^ a b "Contests and Services to Avoid". Winning Writers. Retrieved May 30, 2022.
- ^ Rivenburg, Roy (November 24, 2002). "There Once Was a Poet from L.A." Los Angeles Times.
- ^ "Acquisitions Procedures: Print on Demand". American University Library. Washington, D.C.: American University. Retrieved May 30, 2022.
- ^ "FPS Convention Winners". Archived from the original on October 27, 2012. Retrieved September 20, 2012.
- ^ Crenshaw, Liz (February 25, 1999). "Poetry Contest". Archived from the original on February 23, 2007. Retrieved September 5, 2022.
- ^ Silverstein, Jake (August 2002). "What Is Poetry?". Harper's Magazine. Retrieved May 30, 2022.
It was felt that poetry was needed now more than ever. It was also felt that there would be no full refunds of the $495 registration fee, in the event of a canceled flight or a distraught flier.
- ^ a b Wright, Chris (July 5, 2001). "BAD ART: A verse-case scenario". Boston Phoenix. Retrieved May 30, 2022.