Poetry Scams and the Birth of Wergle Flomp
Poets hope to get paid upon publication, not have to pay to see their work in print.
One author decided to test the waters of a questionable poetry contest. He suspected that most everything that was sent in was accepted for publication. And why not? The vanity outfit had a perfect, profitable cash cow selling books containing the hopes and dreams of would-be poets.
David Taub submitted a nonsense bit of fluff that no sane editorial panel would have accepted. In fact, he tried his damndest to get rejected. Instead his poem, Flubblebop:
flobble bobble blop
yim yam widdley woooo
oshtenpopple gurby
yip yip yip
nish-nash nockle nockle . . .
and signed “Wergle Flomp” touched a seeming chord with the editorial panel. “Wergle” (David) was informed that his poem, after careful review, had made it to semi-finalist status. What followed was the sales pitch, the usual drivel touting a “highly acclaimed” anthology where the work would appear-all available at David’s expense.
Following on the heels of this the Wergle Flomp Humor Poetry Contest, via the Winning Writers site, was established. Poems that have been sent to vanity contests as a joke are judged and can win actual prizes.
If you are looking for information about Contests to Avoid and the Warning Signs of a Bad Poetry Contest, check out the site offerings.
It pays to be forewarned so you don’t waste your time or talent chasing after expensive dreams.
Our thanks must go out to the enterprising “Wergle Flomp.”
Further Reading
Winning Writers is one of the 101 Best Websites for Writers
- 20 Online Writing Sites that Pay for Content–Start earning right away by joining these legitimate paying sites.
- The 5-Paragraph Article: A Time-Saver for Busy Writers–Shave hours off your writing time.
- Search Engine Keyword Placement–Want more article views? Knowing where to place keywords can make your articles search-engine friendly.
- Why You Should Set a Goal of Writing 10 Triond Articles Each Week–Can you make a decent part-time income by creating a number of articles?
- Article Marketing: Put Your Articles in Front of Hundreds and Thousands of Readers–Use these tricks to increase article views.
- How to Come Up With 25 Article Ideas in Mere Minutes–never be stuck for article ideas.
I discuss tips and tricks about freelance writing at Write and Earn a living.
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July 25th, 2008 at 12:14 pm
How could I not be drawn an article with Wergle Flomp in the title?
- Ken
July 25th, 2008 at 12:30 pm
This is very important information. I got roped in by poetry.com some time ago and have been getting spamed from them ever since. They offer me plagues, proof copies, etc. I thought it was strange that they were asking me to pay for merchandise so I did a little research and found out it is a scam. I actually read some where that an individual wrote a poem with a bunch of “blah” stanzas and got entered in. There was not other word but “blah” – I mean, C’MON!!!
July 25th, 2008 at 1:23 pm
Hah hah, Ken, good point.
Hi Anthony,
Yes, when someone is just starting out, it can be confusing separating vanity ventures from legitimate.
I got a bang out of “Wergle Flomp’s” antics–kind of the reverse approach: trying NOT to get published. By doing this David Taub showed just how far vanity outfits will go to make a dollar.
July 26th, 2008 at 9:36 pm
I tried some of these poetry contests years ago and I still get mail from them. Every publisher that tries to sell you the book is a scam. They will publish anything if you will buy the book.
July 27th, 2008 at 10:36 am
Hi Ruby,
Yes, it’s an outrage to writers everywhere. Some of these outfits hold “feel good” conventions, where writers end up spending even more.
August 8th, 2008 at 8:35 pm
So, if I had understood correctly, they will publish any nonsense if I buy a book, and then who will buy my nonsense?
I am about to try the web page to see what is this about, thank you for your article and for sharing it.
August 8th, 2008 at 8:56 pm
The claim is made that the anthology will be highly esteemed. Hmmm . . . editors do not view inclusion in these as valid publishing credits. I’m not aware of book sellers who carry these items.
September 25th, 2009 at 3:30 pm
I just got one of these poetry scam emails. I’m going to copy it here so everyone can see what these things look like and avoid them:
We are currently publishing a special edition of our poetry anthology series entitled: “Whispers – A collection of short works.” This series has been very popular among our audience and we would like to publish your poem “79 Cent Dreams” in this new book.
This anthology is a collection of our better works, and we think your poem would make a nice addition. Your poem will be prominently displayed on its own page in the appropriate chapter. The book will feature approximately 200 poems.
Aimee, we have arranged special pricing of only $19.95 + shipping for this unique anthology. Additional copies are further discounted. Hurry, space is limited. If you are interested in obtaining a copy containing your poetry please see the enclosed order form.
Hurry, Aimee, TO TAKE ADVANTAGE OF THIS SPECIAL LIMITED TIME OFFER
(1) Click here to place your secure online order now or type in browser https://www.poetryamerica.com/poetry_order_form.asp?id=%%AccountID%%
(2) OR Print this order form and fax or mail the completed author’s proof & order form to the address above along with your payment.
(3) OR Call 410-764-7471 between 9am to 5pm Eastern Time to place your order over the phone today.
September 26th, 2009 at 9:48 am
Hi Write,
Well, at least they are only including 200 poems. I’ve seen “highly esteemed” anthologies crammed with thousands of low-quality poems. Huh, guess they are highly esteemed by those who stand to profit from them!
Now, some smaller genuine literary journals may charge a small reading fee but these are not scam outfits and a publishing credit from one of these is recognized by publishers.
Generally, though, if you receive glowing praise and then are hit with a hard-sell, the only real scenario is that you will part with your money for a book of low-quality poems that will become a doorstop or fill a recycling bin.
Thanks for sharing your experiences.
May 15th, 2011 at 4:01 am
There used to be a newspaper out of Benld, Illinois called “L&C” that published some of the godawfullest poems ever. Of course the would be poets paid L&C sizable sums to get their works included. I worked at a radio station that would receive L&C every other month or so, and we had a chuckle over its contents.
Ads in L&C were for the above mentioned poetry “competitions,” vanity presses, and song sharks.