Complaint Review: SPARROWGRASS POETRY FORUM - Sistersville West Virginia

There are many aspiring poets, who let's face it, don't have the talent their friends and family tell them they do. Therefore what is wrong with a company that's willing to help someone see their name in print? They are not lying about anything. Most, (Only because I'm sure there are others I've not yet researched),of these "free poetry contests" send letters telling you that to insure publication you must purchase a book. Is there really any difference between this and subsidy publishing? I do think it is sad and unfortunate, but think of how much joy it can give to an author to see their work in print. If they are willing to pay to see it, then I believe that is their choice. For the others who feel they have been scamed, read the fine print! Should you have to pay to be published, no. But we all have to start somewhere.

I have also had a poem published in the Poetic Voices of American (Spring 1999.) I actually recieved my book pretty quick and with no hassles. I'm sorry to hear that some of you have been ripped off and jerked around with. I hope it your situations get solved and things settle down. I just wanted to note that some of us have had a good experience with them. And by the way while some people have stated they've sent in poetry that was a 'joke' and it was accepted IT amazes me a great deal. My writing has excelled a great deal with a publisher in New York taking intrest in my work and willing to pay to publish it. I am still thinking about it all but I don't think that they accept everything and anything that was sent to them.. I really do believe my work is worthwhile.. it's obvious now. Good luck again with your situations.

I like many others sent in a pem to Sparrowgrass Poetry with hopes of winning a contest. I to received a letter back telling me that I had a dramatic foreboding poem. I too was asked to send money to have it published in the 1996 "Treasured Poems of America." I didn't send in the money, but have always wondered it they published it anyway. From reading one "Rip-Off" rebuttle from Kathy in Ottumwa, Iowa, she had hers published in the same book I was to be published in. I don't know if she comes back in and read these, but I would like to know if a Poem titled "Tumbleweeds" was published in the above book. I will check back from time to time. Thanks.

I am a published author. I was published by Van Nostrand Reinhold in 1974. My book was successful and I enjoyed the benefits. I love to write poetry. I am aware that my poems delight my friends and neighbors, but, I wanted to see them in print. I am one of the 'suckers' who published with Sparrowgrass Poetry Forum in 1992. I was aware of who they were before hand. However, I stayed on them and I demanded an extra copy of "Poetic Voices of America" at their expense. I had no hopes of winning anything from them other than the pleasure of having a new coffee table book, with the works of everyday people with a little dream come true. Nothing is for free. I have since published a private anthology. I may not have done so if I hadn't seen my poems in print and liked how it looked. It's important to be aware of scams and if curiousity sucks you in-just remember you've volunteered.

The last rebuttal is right. I am a poet. I have had run ins with companies telling me that I'm being published, but I need to send so much for a copy, blah, blah, blah. I have been published by a repertable company, to get my foot in the door. Yes, as a writter of any type, you have to have patience to find a publist that will publish your work, but anyone that you have to pay to either be published or to get a "Copy" of your published work is a scam. As one of the rebuttals, there will be a person once in a great while that gets these books they've paid for, but try actually finding that book ANYWHERE. I garentee you that you will never find another one like it anywhere. This report sonds so much like Poetry.com. We all know they've had so many names, maybe this is another one. Scams like this will continue somehow. My advise, don't ever pay for anything, if they like your work and they want to publish it, they won't ask for money, they'll give you their honest opinion on your work, and they'll be knocking your door down to publish you. I'm very sorry you got screwed over by this company. Best of Luck!

...to have your work published.

These companies will accept anything submitted & will publish it regardless of quality, as long as you buy a copy of the book. (A friend of mine submitted the results of his cat walking across the keyboard - complete gibberish - and was sent a "personalised" note saying how wonderful it was.)

A reputable publisher will never:

1. Make you pay to have your work published. The exception to this is "subsidy" or "vanity" publishing, in which the author pays part of the production costs. This is agreed upon up-front and spelled out in a contract.

If the publisher is reputable, it will pay you for the right to publish your work.

2. Make you buy copies of the book containing your work. When we use authors' work in anthologies, we not only pay the author a fee to reproduce his/her work, we also each author a complimentary copy of the book. (Of course, if the author wants additional copies, he or she must purchase them, but most publishers offer authors a generous discount.)

If you are pressured to buy copies of the book, plaques, or other things before the book has gone to print, you can be sure your work will not appear unless you pay up.

3. Make you pay for editorial corrections/changes to your work, adding biographical material to your listing, adding a dedication, etc. An author should ALWAYS be given the opportunity to edit/proofread his or her work and make changes. (On occasion, authors are charged for the production costs of making such changes, but ONLY once the book has been put into proofs - at that point the author has had at least one, usually two, opportunities to make changes; and making changes at that stage adds significantly to the production costs.)

Remember: Your writing is YOUR property. If a publisher is legitimate and the book will appear in bookstores, you would be paid for the rights to your work - or at least given a complimentary copy of the book. If a publisher makes you pay for "extras" and buy copies of the book in which your work will appear, it's probably the only money the publisher is going to make off the book.

I am a published poet by Sparrowgrass.I had one poem that was accepted and published. I'm not sure how long I had to wait to get my book "Treasured Poems of America"-Fall 1996 ed.,
but I did get it. I am very satisfied with my product; and I think the service was good.

As writers must learn, patience is a virtue that
must be exercised when waiting for publishers/
editors to contact us.

I'm aware that there are "a few" bad apples in the world in all industries, and good companies
can go bad. But I think we owe ourselves and others the space to "be patient" when we don't know the full story. After we find out the whole truth, then we can take the action that we feel must be taken.

I am a published poet by Sparrowgrass.I had one poem that was accepted and published. I'm not sure how long I had to wait to get my book "Treasured Poems of America"-Fall 1996 ed.,
but I did get it. I am very satisfied with my product; and I think the service was good.

As writers must learn, patience is a virtue that
must be exercised when waiting for publishers/
editors to contact us.

I'm aware that there are "a few" bad apples in the world in all industries, and good companies
can go bad. But I think we owe ourselves and others the space to "be patient" when we don't know the full story. After we find out the whole truth, then we can take the action that we feel must be taken.

I am a published poet by Sparrowgrass.I had one poem that was accepted and published. I'm not sure how long I had to wait to get my book "Treasured Poems of America"-Fall 1996 ed.,
but I did get it. I am very satisfied with my product; and I think the service was good.

As writers must learn, patience is a virtue that
must be exercised when waiting for publishers/
editors to contact us.

I'm aware that there are "a few" bad apples in the world in all industries, and good companies
can go bad. But I think we owe ourselves and others the space to "be patient" when we don't know the full story. After we find out the whole truth, then we can take the action that we feel must be taken.