(A slightly revised version of this article appeared in Wordworks, The Journal of the Federation of British Columbia Writers, Spring 1999 issue)

It seems that every literary magazine and writers' organization in the English-speaking world is running a poetry competition. In most cases the sponsors are legitimate and the aims are worthwhile: increasing a membership or subscription base, bringing recognition and financial rewards to deserving poets. But then there are the vanity contests, those money-grabbing schemes that pop up like weeds in print and on the Internet: "World's Best Poetry Contest: Up to $20,000 in prizes! Become a Published Poet!" How is the struggling writer to distinguish the reputable contests from the not-so-reputable? It isn't easy, when the scam artists seduce us with names like "National Library of Poetry", "Institute of Contemporary American Poetry" or "International Poetry Hall of Fame".

Some warning signs:

* Expensive ads in glossy magazines and daily newspapers. Legitimate writers' organizations are more likely to run modest announcements in publications read by the writing community. 

* Very large cash prizes with no entry fee. (Ask yourself how this contest is being financed). 

If you submit to one of these pseudo-contests, your letter of acceptance (and you'll almost certainly get one) should set off alarm bells. Every sentence oozes flattery: you've been selected for publication solely on the basis of your "rare and unique talent". In a legitimate competition you're judged by recognized professionals, or at least by your writing peers. In the vanity contests, there's no discrimination. Good and deliberately awful poems receive the same lavish praise. 

Their anthology of winning poems will be described in glowing terms --"one of the most highly acclaimed additions to the pool of poetic literature" raves one promo piece. They're selling books, not snake-oil, but the language is the same. There are no free contributors' copies: you'll be asked to buy your author's copy (and, they hope, several more for your friends, relatives and local library) for up to $150 each. Or attend a convention (registration fee: $495) or join the International Society of Poets ($125) or attend a poetry camp where your name goes up in lights ($600 for 3 days). The National Library of Poetry anthologies run around 600 pages, with 10 poems per page. That's 6000 "winning" poets -- a good percentage of whom will buy the book.

If you're in doubt about the validity of a contest, do some research. Talk to your provincial writers' organization. Phone your library and your local bookseller -- ask if they've ever heard of the sponsoring organization, or its publications. Check with the Better Business Bureau. Easiest of all is a search for "Poetry Scams" on the internet, where you'll find handy lists of the Worst Online Poetry Contests.

When I browsed on Altavista for the National Library of Poetry, I found 2591 matches, including a string of postings by disenchanted contest entrants. As one disgruntled "winner" remarked, "it seems there are one million unique poets out there."