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BillMc
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Hi! I thought I'd let you know about my experience with Camber Press. I entered their Second Annual Fiction Chapbook Contest this Spring, the results of which were supposed to be announced on August 1st. Well, it's now late September and the results have not been announced. Not on their website (the one on the frontpage is last year's), not on their twitter or Facebook accounts. I've emailed them twice but not received a response. Since contestants paid to enter I would think a reputable publisher would either announce a delay in the results or a cancellation of the contest (and give a refund.) Sadly, none of this is occurring. Their editor is still tweeting about things, but they ignore my queries about the contest results. (Of note, when I emailed a question to them BEFORE entering the contest they replied in about 30 minutes. Now, nothing.) At best they are a poorly run publisher with little respect for those who've taken the time to enter the contest (paper submissions only) and given them their money. At worst, they're a scam. I am very sorry for the rant. It's not my style at all. But I wanted to warn my fellow writers.
This post was last edited by BillMc, 22 Sep 2010, 18:00
Author of "Lenin's Harem: A Novel" McCormick Author FacebookGoodreads
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dancingsue
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Thanks for the warning. It would be easy for a scammer to tap into the desperation of budding authors and make off with a few hundred £10 entry fees. I'm not saying Camber are guilty, but I've sent off several fees in the last couple of years and wondered if my pieces were ever read. Unless they are members of a guild, there are no guarantees.
the long and the short of it
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sulcus
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I have to say, if any competition asks for an entry fee, I don't enter. Bad enough to put stuff out without getting paid for it, but to pay for the chance...? Not for me I'm afraid.
"A,B&E", "Not In My Name" and "52FF" (flash fiction anthology) all available on Amazon Kindle"How a psychopath makes sweet love. I can get you ringside. Royal box even."
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dancingsue
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The thing is, they need it for the prize money unless it's a big organisation.
the long and the short of it
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BillMc
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Quote: dancingsue, Wednesday, 22 Sep 2010 18:39Thanks for the warning. It would be easy for a scammer to tap into the desperation of budding authors and make off with a few hundred £10 entry fees. I'm not saying Camber are guilty, but I've sent off several fees in the last couple of years and wondered if my pieces were ever read. Unless they are members of a guild, there are no guarantees. Yes, me too. I think I'm going to swear off contests. (But as you say on your other post, they do need the funding for the prizes.)
Author of "Lenin's Harem: A Novel" McCormick Author FacebookGoodreads
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BillMc
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Quote: sulcus, Wednesday, 22 Sep 2010 19:04I have to say, if any competition asks for an entry fee, I don't enter. Bad enough to put stuff out without getting paid for it, but to pay for the chance...? Not for me I'm afraid. Yes, I think I am beginning to agree with you. The Camber experience certainly proves your point.
Author of "Lenin's Harem: A Novel" McCormick Author FacebookGoodreads
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