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The '''Famous Poets Society''' (also known as the '''Christian Poets Guild'''<ref name="ww"/>) was |
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 [[Winning Writers]] website lists the Famous Poets Society as a place or service that aspiring poets should avoid, as it was largely a scam, and listing it on one's resume detracts from credibility.<ref name="ww">[https://winningwriters.com/the-best-free-literary-contests/contests-to-avoid Contests to Avoid] Winning Writers</ref> |
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Joseph Bergdoll's Holy Rosary School 8th grade video poem is a member of the Famous Poets Society. |
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==See also== |
==See also== |
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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.