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  1. Stormsong07

    Stormsong07 Contributor Contributor

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    Contests Anyone entered this contest? Is it legit?

    Discussion in 'Marketing' started by Stormsong07, Nov 22, 2019.

    7F6224F4-139D-4CC9-8AAC-166DBB86030B.jpeg 8FC51D6A-315E-452C-B37A-12FD8635443B.jpeg Hey guys, got this letter from a contest I entered and it seems a bit too easy, and a bit too pushy about this book that they publish. So I thought I’d run it by you lovely people and see if it’s legit. Anyone done this one? Should I continue with the process? Thanks.

    Eber & Wein Publishing
    Poetry Nation’s National Amateur Poetry Competition.
    Www.poetrynation.com
     
  2. EFMingo

    EFMingo A Modern Dinosaur Supporter Contributor

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    They're a scam. Check out the better business bureau complaints page for it. It's a mess of the sameshit on repeat. "You won" followed by an email saying to see your work, purchase this year's anthology, which never comes outand they never refund for. Burn that paper.
     
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  3. jannert

    jannert Retired Mod Supporter Contributor

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    Yikes. Thanks, @EFMingo.
     
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  4. EFMingo

    EFMingo A Modern Dinosaur Supporter Contributor

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    I almost got sucked into one of these when I was younger. I was so excited to win, but the pricetag made me reconsider, then I found the damning evidence online. I was pretty crushed, but it was an important lesson.
     
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  5. jannert

    jannert Retired Mod Supporter Contributor

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    I think you are quite right to point to doing an online search for these contests. I know there used to be a website dedicated to writing scams, but I don't know if it's still operational. (I can't even remember the name of it now ...it'll come to me.) However, if you do a search of the specific contest/company, there should be some review of it somewhere. Also search for previous prizewinners and the publication of their work that's been promised.
     
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  6. deadrats

    deadrats Contributor Contributor

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    I don't know of any legit contest that uses the word amateur. There are contests for new writers, but they are usually referred to as new writers or emerging writers. No one is trying to be amateur, but amateurs are probably easy targets for this sort of thing.

    It's important to know where you are submitting before sending your work off. There are so many journals and magazines with writing contests. I would look at the ones that have been around for a long time. A lot of these places will publish the winners on their websites and such. Read the work of past winners. Is it good? That's a decent way to get a feel for what you're actually entering and where you are submitting.
     
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  7. MissBadWolf

    MissBadWolf Senior Member

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    Is this a poetry contest thing where you send in your crappy poetry they say you win, but you got to buy their over expensive stupid book? There was a site that I saw a few years back that did something similar but it was just a joke or a scam not sure which one as I did not do much with it and it did nothing for me.
     
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  8. EFMingo

    EFMingo A Modern Dinosaur Supporter Contributor

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    Yeah it's the same one. It just keeps recycling.
     
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  9. Stormsong07

    Stormsong07 Contributor Contributor

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    Thanks all for weighing in. It seemed legit when I entered but that letter raised red flags. I too was nearly sucked into one of these as a kid, and this seemed pretty similar.
     
  10. deadrats

    deadrats Contributor Contributor

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    @Stormsong07 -- You might want to try just submitting your poetry to literary journals and magazines. Basically, submitting to these places is still a contest. You still have to be the best, but they're not going to charge big entrance fees. And most of them will pay you or at the very least pay you in free copies. But they will have readers and subscribers already, placing your work in front of readers.

    We've got a long-standing rejection thread going because many of these places are super hard to break into. But I promise it does happen. But it's good to be prepared for rejection and expect it most of the time. I got over 400 rejections before I sold a short story. But then I sold it real big for good money. I broke in at the top. Of course, that wasn't expected, but all the less prestigious publications kept rejecting me. You just have to have a good piece of writing in front of the right editor. And, in my experience, that takes a crazy amount of tries.

    If you need help finding legit and good places to send your work, you can send me a message and I can help. Or even if you want to try a few more contests, I can give you some of those. I know a good one that will be open in early spring and a few more.
     
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  11. NobodySpecial

    NobodySpecial Contributor Contributor

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    There are plenty of legit contests out there; some offer prizes, some offer prestige. Unfortunately, these days they're a necessary evil for making a name for yourself. When trying to get published, your submission is more likely to be taken seriously if your cover letter lists a few wins. Acquisitions people like knowing they aren't dealing with a hack ameture.

    I've looked into a few of these
    https://thewritelife.com/writing-contests/
    And I'm satisfied they're on the up-and-up.
     
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