Oprah Wants Your Poems

Just saw on the Oprah website that she is looking for poetry to be featured in the April issue of "O Magazine." Maria Shriver is involved as a guest editor, and I think she's the one reading the poems. Here's your chance for fame, all you poets!

More details here:

Oprah Looking for Poetry Writers

I've been warned that poets who are considering contributing to this should read the fine print. Evidently, merely by submitting your poem, you give Oprah's organization ALL RIGHTS to it, and you receive no payment. That may be okay -- recognition by Oprah is worth a lot!! -- but it's something poets need to be aware of.

Here's an article on the subject:
http://accrispin.blogspot.com/2011/02/alert-for-poets-oprah-wants-you-but-you.html

What the heck. I sent one.Thanks Anne.

Good for you, Louisa - and good luck!

Thanks.

Sandy, I looked into submitting something to Oprah 5(?) years ago, and that same language was in effect.

What it means is: if I submit a poem, I give up all rights to that poem forever. I can't submit it to another publication, and I can't publish it myself.

With 8 gazillion people submitting poems, the chance of recognition is a dust mote. I'm not worried about rejection -- it's the almost certainty that my poems will be doomed to oblivion and never see the light of day.

Relinquishing ALL rights to my work is not an option, period.

I would think that would be only if they publish it. And it did say somewhere that you did not give up the rights to send it elsewhere.

Sorry, I did not read the fine print before writing of the "opportunity." Mea culpa.

I tend to agree with some of those wo commented on the blog link that I suspect Oprah isn't aware of the fine print...

But maybe I'm naive.

She probably wrote it.

They own all rights the minute you submit your poem. It's not dependent upon publication.

If they own all rights, then you can't submit your poem anywhere else.

I'm sure Oprah had a lawyer draw up the exact text. Why she wanted this clause, I can only speculate.

I bet she is aware of every word! She is a shark when it comes to ownership of anything and that my friends is the main reason I send NOTHING to Oprah. Let her write her own damn poems.

I'm not worried. I don't expect to be picked. But it would be fun to be able to I have a poem in Oprah's magazine. It would be a great thing to be able to write in my author bio in my next book. You'd think the richest woman in the world could pay some little people for their work though. But, then that's why rich people are rich.