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In Memoriam
Karl Kroeber
1926-2009
VANITY ANTHOLOGIES
Links checked/Page updated: 8/12/09
Overview
Unlike true anthologies, where writers are paid for their contributions, contributors to vanity anthologies pay the publisher. Iliad Press, Sparrowgrass Poetry Forum, The Amherst Society, The Poets’ Guild, Poetry Press, Poetry Unlimited, The National Archives, and JMW Publishing are just a few of the many anthology companies that either charge for publication or require purchase of the anthology.
Most vanity anthologizers target poets, but there are also anthologies for short stories, nonfiction articles, and photography. Though vanity anthology companies are principally based in the US, vanity anthologizing is an international phenomenon–for instance, the Poetry Institute of Africa, the Poetry Institute of Australia, and the Poetry Institute of Canada.
Here’s how the scheme works. The vanity anthology company places ads in various publications (including writers’ magazines) announcing a free writing contest, with cash prizes for the finalists and guaranteed publication for finalists and semi-finalists. There are no entry fees, and writers can submit as many poems, stories, or articles as they wish.
The contest isn’t a real contest, however, but a ploy to draw in paying customers. Everyone who submits is declared a semi-finalist, no matter how good or dreadful their entry. The company then asks for money: $40 or $50 for the anthology, plus anywhere from $20 to several hundred dollars for extras–adding a biography to the anthology, having a poem or story read onto audio tape, having a poem mounted on a plaque or embossed on a coffee mug…the list goes on.
The International Library of Poetry, known online as Poetry.com (a.k.a. The International Society of Poets, The International Poetry Hall of Fame, and a number of others) was the Godzilla of the vanity anthology world. Its methods were the model for dozens of other, less prolific vanity anthology schemes. The ILP put out two or three anthologies every year–big, thick hardbound books that contained thousands of poems crowded together on thin pages–and its contest ads were ubiquitous online and in writers’ magazines. It offered poets dozens of ways to spend money, and was relentless in its solicitation of those who entered its contests, encouraging them to enter yet more contests, offering opportunities to join poets’ societies (which demanded $100 or more in annual dues) or attend poetry conferences (which cost as much as $600, travel and hotel not included). Often, celebrities and professional poets gave these events a misleading veneer of respectability.
In April 2009, the ILP went out of business, and its notorious Poetry.com URL was acquired by self-publishing service Lulu. Lulu is continuing the contests, but has gotten rid of the anthologies and other vanity-style activities. (There’s a more detailed discussion of the changeover at Writer Beware’s blog.) This is certainly good news for writers–but, unfortunately, there are more than enough vanity anthology companies still in business to take up any slack created by the ILP’s demise.
For the most part, vanity anthologizers do publish the promised anthologies, and writers who pay do get their entries printed (or embossed, or put on a plaque, or whatever). So the vanity anthology scheme doesn’t quite qualify as a scam. But it is deceptive and misleading–especially since so many anthologizers portray their anthologies as a real literary credit that writers can be proud of. In reality, the anthologies are available by special order only, with most sold to the contributors themselves or to their friends and families. Anthologies never see the inside of a bookstore, and, contrary to what some anthologizers claim, aren’t routinely purchased by libraries. Because of the poor quality of most of the poems, anthology credits are not respected by publishing professionals–no matter what the anthology companies’ literature says.
Sadly, many authors are taken in by this deception, which is aided by magazines and newspapers that report on local writers’ inclusion in the anthologies as if they were a genuine literary market. I’ve heard from people who’ve spent $1,000 or more on books, merchandise and conferences. Elderly people are a particular target, as are teens–some vanity anthologizers specialize in soliciting teachers, who don’t realize that the anthologies aren’t a legitimate venue and are very willing to recruit student participants.
Vanity Contest Cautions
- Poetry Contest Scams and Rip-offs, a webpage maintained by Charlie Hughes, editor of Wind Magazine, provides general info on vanity anthologies.
- Contests and agencies to avoid, from Winning Writers.
- The Worst Poetry Contests page lists some of the contests you should avoid.
- This helpful article by Kristin Johnson lists the Seven Deadly Signs of Poetry Scams.
- Of Contests and Cons, from the League of Canadian Poets. (The League’s website includes links to a number of legitimate contests.)
- An interview with Charlie Hughes, who has exposed numerous vanity anthologizers and poetry contest scams.
- Johnathon Clifford offers warnings about vanity publishing in the UK, including UK-based vanity anthologies.
- Poet Beware, my own article on the many scams and pitfalls that lie in wait for poets (originally published in the 2004 Poet’s Market).
- From Writer Beware’s blog: a new vanity anthology company rears its head.
- You can find many links to articles about the now-defunct International Library of Poetry (and some examples of the truly awful poems that have been declared semi-finalists) on this page, also maintained by Charlie Hughes.
- PoetryNOTcom: One poet’s personal experience with Poetry.com, a.k.a. the ILP. There are some examples here of the flattering letters the ILP sent to poets who entered its contests.
- The Wergle Flomp Poetry Contest, sponsored by WinningWriters.com–awarded for the best parody poem sent to a vanity poetry contest.
- The sidesplitting exploits of the real Wergle Flomp (poet David Taub) and his (futile) efforts to get rejected by the International Library of Poetry.
- Wergle Flomp couldn’t get a rejection slip from the ILP, but editor Teresa Nielsen Hayden could and did. How did she manage it? The answer is as funny as the poem (and check out the poetic stylings of the many people who’ve commented on her blog entry).
Publishing Poetry Legitimately
- From Writer Beware’s blog: Why poets shouldn’t waste time looking for literary agents.
- Excellent tips on how to sell poetry legitimately, from published poet Neile Graham.
- A helpful writing and publishing FAQ, from the Academy of American Poets.
- A comprehensive FAQ from the UK’s Poetry Society.
- Submitting Your Work for Publication, an article by Charlie Hughes on legitimate alternatives to vanity anthologies.