Writer Beware

[stephmcgee]

Okay, not sure where this should go, so if the PTBs think it should go somewhere else, please move it.

Twitter's all abuzz with it. So is the blogging world.

http://jetreidliterary.blogspot.com/201 ... ntest.html

That is Janet Reid's blog post about it. Colleen Lindsey tweeted this link: http://suricattus.livejournal.com/1342214.html

In short, it's not a contest to enter. This should likely be on Preditors and Editors.

In this day and age, where digital is on the rise and the entire publishing world stands at the edge of a cliff where they'll either continue to walk the ground or plunge into an entirely new reality, it's becoming so seemingly easy for the naive and novice to be taken in.

Always, always read the fine print.

[Sommer Leigh]

Oh I heard about this! Thank you for posting it here. It really makes my skin crawl because I know how easy it is to skim over the fine print. We are a people who love to skim over the fine print. And before we know it we've given away control of our entire world.

We are lucky to have each other here on these forums, throwing up red flags, giving advice, sharing our mistakes. I worry for those out there without such a great support system. The ones likely to sign up and sign it all over.

[stephmcgee]

There's a huge thread about it at the absolute write forums. Complete with the one who runs the contest trying to backpedal out of the clear-cut language of the rules.

It's really quite humorous. That, and the organizer calling Janet Reid unfair in the comments thread of the post Janet put up.

[Watcher55]

I was put on alert before clause 13. $149 entry fee? I've never entered a contest (I'm inherently suspicious of contests that don't require my prescence), but it I would think $149 is awfully high. Add to that promises, promises and more promises, and the cat was out of the bag.

I think I spotted another scam months ago when I started my search for an agent. They claimed they had helped many new authors by helping them polish their work before submitting it to publishers. I'm still not sure how it worked, but I suspect it was a bid to seize the lion's share of the proceeds. The first red-flag was that their submission guidelines seemed to skip a lot of steps. They asked for a completed manuscript in the form of an email (no query, no synopsis, and no sample pages). They claimed they "have no prima donnas" and that their services would only be effective if the writer did as they advised.

Do y'all think they're just trying to build a stable of writers they can control?

[Margo]

That, and the organizer calling Janet Reid unfair in the comments thread of the post Janet put up.

Yep. I especially loved the part where she suggests Janet is jealous because the publisher is successful and Janet is not(!?!).

Also, did you notice on the page where the rules were published, four people have 'liked' the contest rules? I really hope those are four employees and not four writers lining up to provide the people behind this 'contest' with sole ownership of their writing with no further permissions, notifications or compensation required!

It reminds me of a smarter version of the Cooks Source writing grab.

[Guardian]

Steph. Thank you for the warning.

Yep. I especially loved the part where she suggests Janet is jealous because the publisher is successful and Janet is not(!?!).

Janet is jealous? Joke of the year. She is one of the most selfless literary agent.

Do y'all think they're just trying to build a stable of writers they can control?

Actually they think they can take the work of some rookie writer for free as many of them won't read the legal part of the contract. When someone is signing a contract like this one, up from that moment they're loosing every possible legal right over it. And these naive writers would PAY by their own to loose their very own rights.

In short, it's not a contest to enter. This should likely be on Preditors and Editors.

Actually this "contest" should be reported to the legal authorities, such as the F.B.I. as this is a great scam. First, they're trying to get money, 149USD, from writers when they're entering into this "contest", then they're trying to use some legal loopholes to strip the writer from his / her work with legal papers and give it to a third party, the so called sponsors.

You may report it here: https://tips.fbi.gov/

[Mike Dickson]

Thanks for posting Steph. I think this should be moved to the All things writing section as that's where most of us spend our time. This needs to get out, I would just die if someone from our board entered the contest and then posted about it.

[stephmcgee]

Thanks for posting Steph. I think this should be moved to the All things writing section as that's where most of us spend our time. This needs to get out, I would just die if someone from our board entered the contest and then posted about it.

I know, right? It looks like it got moved to the right forum. For sure from now on I read the rules on any competition that crosses my radar.