Famous Poets Society

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. The organization and its operators have been the target of complaints of fraudulent practices.

Approach

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.

"Five exciting publishing options" are offered:

#Have a special dedication printed with poem, $5.00.
#Include a photograph of poet or subject of poem, $10.00.
#Have poem illustrated to "highlight its artistry", $10fuck yea.00.
#Have a biography included to share facts about the poet, $10.00.
#Include additional poems, $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. To see their work published, writers must buy the anthology for $29.95. With this also they receive a free CD recording of the book with their poem.

Complaints

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 scholarships 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:

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 because they had been led to believe their 14-year-old daughter was a genius.' [ [http://bostonphoenix.com/boston/news_features/this_just_in/documents/01701729.htm Boston Phoenix Article] ]

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.

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 [ [http://www.alaskaoregonwesternwashington.bbb.org/WWWRoot/SitePage.aspx?site=114&id=0927e2ab-0046-4101-9482-3ef0436b177c Better Business Bureau Report] ] .

References

* [http://www.famouspoets.com Famous Poets Society webpage]
* [http://bostonphoenix.com/boston/news_features/this_just_in/documents/01701729.htm Boston Phoenix Article]
* [http://windpub.com/literary.scams/index.htm List of Poetry Scam Articles]
** [http://windpub.com/literary.scams/famous.poets.htm "Hollywood's Famous Poets Society," affiliated organization]
* [http://www.alaskaoregonwesternwashington.bbb.org/WWWRoot/SitePage.aspx?site=114&id=0927e2ab-0046-4101-9482-3ef0436b177c Better Business Bureau Report]

Notes