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Contest Cycle of Abuse Continues


Poet Stacey Lynn Brown begins her new blog, Ten Fingers Typing, with a contest story from hell. Tony Hoagland selected her manuscript, Cradle Song, for the Cider Press Review Book Award. What happened after that is a nightmare. Moral of the story -- don't submit to Cider Press Review, and while you're at it STOP SUBMITTING TO CONTESTS in general. It's a lottery that less than one percent will ever win. Find open readings periods from good presses or those that allow year-round submissions. If you want to support the press, write them a check, buy their books or subscribe. Hell, start your own press. The contest cycle of abuse must end. 

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Rachel Mallino said…
I have never and will never enter a contest. There are a number of excellent presses who very obviously publish for the love of it.
2:26 PM
Kate Evans said…
Do you ever read this:

http://literaryrejectionsondisplay.blogspot.com/

?
4:04 PM
Collin Kelley said…
I've never read it, but just did. Sadly, what happened to Stacey is far more than rejection. There's rejecting poems, and then there's fleecing poets of their money, which is what it appears CPR was doing.
6:03 PM
Maggie May said…
suck! to be eloquent.
10:09 PM
wondermachine said…
That whole story is so enraging and sad. I just read the "part two" of the story on her blog. If that press thinks it can get away with this and not have the word go out to future contest entrants, then it would seem that "CPR" is aptly abbreviated. They're gonna need it.
12:44 AM
Pris said…
This is horrible, horrible! I just commented on her blog and posted a link to your blog on my today's post. I hope the word gets around!
11:02 AM
Reading the Signs said…
Thank you, thank you for saying this - and I will have a look at the "contest story from hell."

What you say is so true, yet people who ought to know better (me!) keep colluding and submitting. No more, though - have been discussing this very thing during poetry week.
11:27 AM
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