Scamming parents?

chirpchirp

I've posted about this on the competitions thread but thought there may be more response here - don't worry not going to spam it elsewhere!

I did a search for Young Writers to see if this had been mentioned here. I know I'm dredging up an old thread but really feel the need to post.

My daughter has just been selected for the poetry book and so have the other children in her class. A friend with children at another school has told me that a mutual friend had told her what a scam it was when their children were chosen for a different book. The mutual friend was now having her third child published. Each child's class had had the whole class published. A teacher at a third school told me her whole class had also been published this year.

I think the idea in itself is lovely. The children obviously feel a great deal of pride in having their work published.

However, the fact that they publish so many different books, don't need to pay the contributors and only really have the market of family and friends of the contributors leads me to believe this is just a scam. I'd be interested to see the profits of the publisher!

Most schools receive very little from this either apart from a free copy of the book and the greater confidence of their children.

Needless to say, I will be buying the book as it's a huge boost to my daughter's confidence.

princess

Yep its pretty much a scam. Well I mean you do get a book if you pay for one, but its no reflection on the childs talent. Sons class teacher entered all her class and they have all been published, which tells you all you need to know I think.

chirpchirp

I forgot to mention the book is £14.99 but if you pre-order is discounted to £12.99! You can buy 2 and get a third free.

greyster

i'd just see it like having a professional school picture of your child. You get an item that you can cherish forever. It is not like you are being diddled out of money but at the same time I do agree the use of the word competition is a bit misleading.

CRANKY40

My son did two in nursery. I didn't buy either. They were just bog standard rhymes with friends names inserted. Greyster is right, they're just a written version of a school photo type thing.

lynzpower

if you like the idea- have a look at https://www.blurb.com - make your own books for 5.95

chirpchirp

I disagree about them being the same thing as school photos. With school photos the schools get some of the profit. This doesn't happen with these books. The schools only get money if they have the most people published, if I've understood this correctly.

DVardysShadow

Scam?

chirpchirp wrote: »

... Needless to say, I will be buying the book as it's a huge boost to my daughter's confidence.

What value do you expect over and above the trivial matter of your daughter's confidence?

If it so obviously represents value to you, you can hardly call it a scam.

Morglin

This works along the lines of 'vanity publishing'- they will publish anything is someone is paying.

But, if it will make your daughter happy, then go for it.

Lin

vikki_louise

I think its bad that the schools still do this, over 10 years ago i had a poem published in one via the school and was over the moon and my parents brought the book, they would then send me leaflets through the post and i had another one published and we brought the book, next time they published another one so we caught on and didn't buy it. They said the book would be in bookshops but no one had ever even heard of it!

jennihen

I got suckered into this several times - I think once your name is on the list they keep publishing your children's work. If enough parents feel the same way why not approach the school and ask if, instead of entering these 'young writers' competitions, prehaps an in-school or inter-school competition could be considered?
We've framed and illustrated the latest ones - much cheaper than £15 for a book that, quite frankly ends up never being looked at.