Aspiring Poets: Read Poetry Contest Rules Carefully Before You Enter!
Posted on | December 23, 2008 | No Comments
It’s well known that poets have the hardest row to hoe in the literary world. Sure, talent is essential, but even the most talented poets find it difficult to sell their work. It’s somewhat like being a painter. Most poets are passionate and dedicated to their work. You wouldn’t dream of doing anything else.
In recent years, the net has afforded previously unknown opportunities for poets to be published and recognized, through the poetry contest forum. However, poetry contests are sponsored by both legitimate organizations and scam artists alike. The question is, how do you differentiate between the two? Here are some guidelines to help you sift out the losers.
If you do an online search for poetry contests, you’ll find thousands of such opportunities. At first glance, inexperienced aspiring poets will be thrilled at the apparent size of the market. Point one: first, consider the source. Does the organization you’re considering appear to have literary roots or is it patently commercial? As a poet, this should be an easy determination. Literary organizations typically fill their site with articles, resources, products and services geared to writers. If the page you’re looking at is confined to this particular poetry contest and nothing else, you’re well advised to go back to your search page and type ‘scams organization name’ and see what turns up. If nothing comes up for the organization, it still doesn’t mean they’re legitimate.
How about entry fees? Legitimate poetry contests do sometimes charge an entry fee, but the rule of thumb is that the fee should not exceed 4-5% of the dollar amount of the top prize offered. Remember that poetry contests can attract tens of thousands of entrants. A scam artist can make a substantial living off of exorbitant entry fees.
Some contests advertise no prize money. Instead, they entice the hopeful poet with publication in an anthology of the best entries and a free copy of the published book. This is really a losing proposition for you. Poetry does not command a large segment in the publishing industry. The sponsor of the contest may sell the books in a ‘pre-publishing price’ offer, with all the profits going to the sponsor. This will not bring you fame or fortune. In fact, you may lose some or all of your rights to your own work, by not reading the fine print.
This brings us to the last point of scrutiny. No matter how exciting the contest may seem, read the terms and rules carefully. Writers and poets are notoriously lacking in business acumen. Be sure you understand what rights you’re giving over before you enter any poetry contest. If you’re not sure of some of the legal language used, consult a friend in the business or a writing website with articles advising you of what it all means.
In the meantime, good luck and write on!
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