Wednesday, April 15, 2009

Poetry.com Out of Business?

Further to Cheryl's post about Lulu taking over the Poetry.com domain I looked up the url on the Better Business Bureau. And it seems the original poetry.com is out of business? Poetry.com (a.k.a. International Library of Poetry, poetry.com, poets.com, International Society of Poets, National Library of Poetry, Poets Workshop, Watermark Press, Watermark Media Group, Inc) was a boil on the face of self-publishing second only to Publish America. So I thought it worth pausing to mark their passing and let out a sigh of relief.

See also:
The BBB

4 comments:

Shannon Yarbrough said...

Thanks for pointing this out. I fell victim to the National Library of Poetry scheme many many many years ago (I was in high school). It's not really fair to call it a scheme though since they do deliver what they promise; it's just ridiculous how much they charged for it.

Back then, I paid $50.00 each for a HUGE dictionary size book of poetry with my poem buried deep in it among about twenty poems per page. This was followed by Editor's choice awards, invitations to submit poems to other special edition volumes, invitations to have my poem engraved on plaques or recorded on audio...all for more fees, I might add.

I only invested in the original volumes, which are very nice these days for pressing flowers!

Cheryl Anne Gardner said...

Oh don't worry, I have made some bona fide boneheaded missteps as well. I blamed it on my naiveté then, but think of how much wiser we are now; purse might be a bit lighter too, but in the long run, knowledge is priceless.

Anonymous said...

yes i paid $50 for a book to get my poem in it any where you go you will spend money, i thank GOD for poetry.com a blessing will come out of this , Pray for the people .

veinglory said...

Strange because I published a poem with Evolving Editions/Ten Speed press and they paid me, and sent me a free copy of the book. Perhaps that is not "anywhere"?