Vanity Anthologies

Vanity anthologies work similarly to scam poetry contests, though they are not scams. There is usually a newspaper ad which plugs a free poetry contest. Once the poem has been submitted, semi-finalists (everyone who submits) are offered the chance to have a copy of an anthology with their poem in it. They may also purchase add-ons such as author's bios or gifts with their poem printed on it. Although anthologies are published, they are not distributed to bookstores and most copies are sold to family and friends. Self publishers who want to make a name for themselves should avoid this type of publishing.