International Who's Who in Poetry Judy Lynn, Chief Editor This organization scammed me into paying money to submit a new poem & purchase its book. Internet

I enjoy writing poetry, and I have submitted some poems to sites such as Poetry.com for review, but I stopped doing that, because "Great" is not a review, and a three star rating does not match that comment. Some time later, I received an email from Suzanne Hilary of World Poetry Movement stating she liked my poetry, and asking if I wanted to submit a poem for publication in their newest book.

There was a link to an entry form, step 1, where I filled out the information requested: name, email address, etc., and the poem. When I clicked the Submit button another page came up, stating that my entry had been submitted, and asking if I also wanted to submit an optional profile to be printed along with my poem for $25., step 2.

I didn't want to submit a profile, so I skipped to the next page, where I selected the option to purchase a copy of the book with my poem, which cost $55. including s&h, step 3. Of course the money was taken out of my account as soon as I submitted the necessary information to PayPal, step 4, in order to pay publication expenses; we are not buying a book off the shelf at Wal-Mart.

A few days later I received, by U S mail, a hard copy of my poem stating that my poem was accepted for publication, and that I must return this copy with my signature verifying that I was the author and giving my permission to publish it in their book, step 5.

It was still a few weeks before the submission deadline, and then publication, but, not long after that, I received a copy of the book. There is an unconditional, satisfaction or money back guarantee, but I am very pleased.

I sent an email to Suzanne, but I got an automated reply with a list of frequently asked questions and answers. If you are not satisfied with the book, you can return it for a refund; but, until then, you have made a purchase through PayPal, and you can contact PayPal. Suzanne doesn't have anything to do with finances, refunds, or answering emails; she is an editor who decides if your poem entry is fit to publish; review, not critique.

If you read the list of FAQ, you would have found answers to your complaints, such as, "As a general rule, you can expect to receive your books within 10-12 weeks from your payment date." "If you have a question that was not answered above, please email: amy@worldpoetrymovement.com"

A few months later I received another request/offer. This time I sent in a poem, but did not purchase anything. I was curious if my poem would actually be published in the book without purchasing a copy, but how would I be able to find out? After the publication date, I received another email from Suzanne asking if I wanted to purchase one of the few remaining books from that publication. I didn't, so I did not respond.

Another few months, and another offer for a new book. I submitted a new poem, and I decided to purchase a copy of the new book which I am anxious to get, but the publication date is still in the future, so enough poems can be submitted to fill the book; it takes time.