Back in September I entered two poems (
@£7 for both) for a competition called 'Culpepper's Remedy Mid-Year Poetry Competition' with a closing date of November. (There were other comps running at the same time, e.g. a pamphlet comp) The judge was a Brian Spenser/Spencer (I've now seen it written two ways). I thought I recognised his name... 'thought'. I also looked at the background of the competition which seemed to have been running for a few years.
The results should have been out just before Christmas - Dec 20th.
This is the email I got after the closing date for submission.
[Strange a)how it was from the 'poet' judge himself
and b) how his literary skills leave a lot to be desired]:
'Dear all,
Can I please confirm that if you receive this mail then your poems have been entered into our poetry competition. Aparently our automatic responding system did not respond to everyone who entered.
The entries are now closed and the shortlist will be published on our blog and sent to all entrents before the 20th December 2013. The winner will be anounced as soon after that as possible.
Good luck to everyone who entered and than you for suporting our competition.
Brian'
I've checked and checked the blog where the results were supposedly to be posted, but there hasn't been a peep from it since November. I wrote a general email query to Culpepper's to which I had no response. Then I emailed Brian directly, using the Reply option to the email of his I just pasted. There has been no response at all.
I've Googled him, but there doesn't seem to be anyone of any note in the world of poetry by that name. I've just sent out a tweet in case anyone else is interested/concerned. Please RT!!
So, in conclusion, it seems that I have been scammed and robbed. I cannot let him get away with this. Does anyone know how/where I should report this?
Comments
There should be some sort of comeback for this type of scam.
Maybe it's time for there to be an officially recognised body that genuine online competitions can join so that writers know they won't be defrauded?
Something that Writers' News could flag up to the writing community, perhaps?
Quote Claudia:'Maybe it's time for there to be an officially recognised body that genuine online competitions can join so that writers know they won't be defrauded?
Something that Writers' News could flag up to the writing community, perhaps?'
Yes, I agree, Claudia.
I'm not sure where I found this particular competition, possibly in the Writing Magazine Competition Special 2013. It was advertised about August time, I think. I no longer have my copy. Maybe Webbo knows whether it was in there.
The online link to the comp is still there so I copied it and sent it with my complaint.
I looked at the blog (assuming it's this one: http://culpeppersremedy.wordpress.com/) and I have to say it's the kind of competition I'd avoid. It doesn't make it clear who the judge is or what his credentials are, previous winners aren't published, and the whole thing looks like it's been put together with no money and minimal effort. It certainly doesn't look good when a writing competition promises to send the results to all its "entrents"!
As you say, it seems to have been going a few years, so there's always a chance that something's happened to Brian and he's innocent of any wrongdoing but unable to respond to emails or update the site.
Still, it's very frustrating. I hope you get it resolved quickly.
AFAIK Paypal only open disputes within a certain timeframe (90 days?), so that might be a dead end too.
I hope I haven't disturbed a hornets' nest!
'The nice people at Poetry Kit have been in touch to let me know that some of those who entered last year's competition did not receive the results. My appologies for this and also for resending if you have already had these.'
Then there's a list (although not sure that they are 'Art' poem results).
Then:
'Thanks also for the many good wishes. Brian is doing very well and should be up and about within the next few weeks. The next edition of the magazine is due in March, but due to Brian's enforced "holiday", it will not be ready until late in April. Our appologies in advance for this.'
Signed by someone who is not Brian (who can't spell)
Now I shall have to work out how to withdraw my complaint from the ASA...
]
Don't worry too much about it - from his speellling erooors I doubt he was strictly above board.
In my previous carnation as a jewellery maker I was ripped off quite elegantly by someone who said they represented a charity. He said I could send my stall fee as a friend (on PayPal) so they wouldn't incur costs. Yes. I was fleeced. The chair person got in contact several months after and clarified all this and said I could get a refund by sending my details, (I didn't - I'm too soft), but there will always be Karma, I'm sure.
Unless you've won, s*d 'em.
Libby x
I've subsequently had another email from people (who can spell) at The Poetry Kit:
'I have managed to contact the organisers of the competition and they have promised to resend the result in case anyone else has missed them. Brian has been very ill since Christmas so things slipped a bit for them.'
Now I feel sorry for Brian.
:-((
I have also contacted the ASA to withdraw my complaint.
Thanks, everyone, for your support and advice.
I wasn't even on the shortlist. Bah!
Go in for big well-known competitions. Your writing is in a bigger league.
I think quite a lot of these smaller competitions are often run by just one person. There's always a risk that some other aspect of life will get in the way and mean they're forced to neglect the contest for a while.
It happened to a friend of mine who runs a literary webzine - halfway through the first competition he ran, he had some major problems with his landlord and had to find somewhere else to live. For several weeks he was trying to keep things ticking over by using the free WiFi in his local McDonalds, on his mobile phone. As a result, he wasn't able to do half the promotion he'd planned and the contest attracted only a handful of entries - nowhere near enough to cover the prize fund. Fortunately, the fund had been underwritten by his writers' group, otherwise he'd have ended up seriously out of pocket. Still, I don't think he has any plans to run another one - it's a lot to take on if you're going to do it properly.
The competition our club ran recently, we sorted a system of back-up so that one of us could deal with messages if the other person was unable to for any reason.
danfango said: I think quite a lot of these smaller competitions are often run by just one person.
Yes, you're both right. I think I was seduced by the fact it was advertised in a reputable place and I happened to have two poems already written that fitted the brief. I always use the same three sources for finding out about comps:
our own WM :x , The Poetry Kit and Prize Magic - and it was in The Poetry Kit.
Carol, how did I guess that your club would have had it covered?!
*thinks Carol is very efficient*
Liz said: Your writing is in a bigger league
Aww, bless ya!
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Are you sure Brian was really ill, if he exists at all?
This from a woman who has just sent off a story to Scribble magazine, AND subscribed for a year!
I've heard of Scribble, Lizy. I think you'll be alright there.
I'm almost ready to submit to the Buxton Poetry Festival. I've sent to them before, so I think it's a safe bet... isn't it?
Any advances?
I got ripped off a few years back,entering a comp advertised in WM. (not the Competition Special) It was a private address; never had any feed back, follow up etc. I suppose I should have reported it, but put it down to experience.
I have my suspicions...
I wrote some advice about SHOW DON'T TELL.
Thank you all for sounding so genuine and friendly, I'd like to introduce myself here, if I may . . . I'm still a very much unpublished person, that's all you need to know about me, except that I'm male, and just over 40 !!!
Before I tried novels, I got into my head alot of original funny light-weight poetry. I wish I hadn't bothered . . .
In fact, if you think getting a book published if difficult, then poetry is just about impossible.
TINY NELL - you sound a true professional poet, so I'd only advise to deal with the very best . . .
Yet, from what I have learnt - there is NO professional outlet of poetry in the WORLD. But that was in the middle 1990's. NO agent or reputable publisher will except poetry. You only need to read - ARTISTS AND WRITERS YEARBOOK to discover that.
Most poetry places advertisied in writing organisations are scammers. People who sell a monthly magazine at £7 a go. You can send in your poetry - but YOU pay that £7. They will NEVER pay you an advance.
I was told back in the 1990's, that they are professionals - from people who got paid £40 per poem - but those people NEVER told me who they used.
GOOD LUCK TINY NELL . . . I'd still advise you use your poetry idea to turn it into fiction, or even publish your poem in a novel, which is set around it !
Wasn't that the idea of DOCTOR ZHIVAGO ?
And didn't that book get a top literary prize, just because of the poetry ?
BEST WISHES.
And I also happen to know a former poet laureate, who has an agent, who would obviously disagree that no agents will touch poetry. As for poetry publishers themselves, they do exist. Try looking up Bloodaxe.
But yes you have to be careful of scammers. Although most writing competitions (for short stories, too) come with an entry fee. Sometimes it's hard to know what's legitimate if it appears to be on the surface.
If you are a good poet then you will get published - and a poet getting published has researched and found their own outlets - why would they give you that hard-won information?
I've never gone in for a competition, but know many people who have. And who have won.
What on earth do you mean, no reputable publisher will accept poetry? How do you think poetry books come about?
Artists' and Writers' Yearbook contains many 'reputable' publishers.
It's true that agents usually do not accept poets - because they don't earn enough to make it worthwhile - but you don't need an agent to be a poet.
And I have also been accepted by a 'reputable' poetry publisher and had my own book published.
You have nothing to fear. All the best.