YOUNG WRITERS
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I would probably say no too. I don't know how many of you have seen photo books? Many high street camera shops will take your digital photos and put them in a nice glossy book for you? Well I found one online that will do the same for your own writing. It's far cheaper and you have total control over the design, layout etc. You can order as many copies as you want and also have the option to sell it through their website, they print and dispatch any orders you get, take a cut, but you make a few pence profit. Anybody wants any more info PM me and I'll send you the link.
My DD loves writing and is busy finalising a book she has written that is 15 chapters long When she's satisfied I'm going to give it a go and see how good it is.
My DD loves writing and is busy finalising a book she has written that is 15 chapters long When she's satisfied I'm going to give it a go and see how good it is.
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Hi, many children at my DCs school had stories published in one of their mini saga books last year - to be honest I think the whole thing is a scam. Parents receive a letter saying more or less their child has won a place in the book, leading parents to believe there is some sort of quality control and their child's work merits a place in a book - flattering the parents and the child.
In my DCs school every child 'won' but parents were less impressed when they realised this. The process makes the publisher a fortune - they run competitions all year round nationally. The quality of the book is poor and the price extortionate, but if you are wowed by DC getting 'published' then so be it - just remember they publish every work they can get their hands on as long as you pay them. MY DCs school has decided not to participate in future.
In my DCs school every child 'won' but parents were less impressed when they realised this. The process makes the publisher a fortune - they run competitions all year round nationally. The quality of the book is poor and the price extortionate, but if you are wowed by DC getting 'published' then so be it - just remember they publish every work they can get their hands on as long as you pay them. MY DCs school has decided not to participate in future.
Fortunately I had brought up an 11 year old cynic.
She brought home the letter from school, with the words 'I think they are just trying to make money'. Her reasoning for this was the fact that she is not an especially good writer so, if they were publishing her poem, then they were probably publishing every single one submitted (which turned out to be the case).
She reckoned the money would be better spent elsewhere e.g. in H&M buying her something to wear.
She brought home the letter from school, with the words 'I think they are just trying to make money'. Her reasoning for this was the fact that she is not an especially good writer so, if they were publishing her poem, then they were probably publishing every single one submitted (which turned out to be the case).
She reckoned the money would be better spent elsewhere e.g. in H&M buying her something to wear.
Zorro, the publishers love parents like you - you make them very rich. And I might add it is not a proper book - quality of the books is poor and quality control of contents is zero so where is the merit in being in it? It is tantamount to telling your child you have won a prize because your work is so good, when in fact in most cases this is a lie - the published books contain a lot of rubbish. Sorry to sound so harsh but there are much better ways to build your child's confidence than to participate in a scam - many schools now refuse to take part in their competitions. I write for a living and have looked into the publisher. They are very clever in how they word letters to schools and parents, but until something is done about their dealings it is up to parents. When schools are involved this leads parents to believe the competitions are genuine, but they aren't, they're simply run by amoral, clever and crafty chancers that have spotted a loophole with which to fill with your cash. Nathair's 'publish your own' option makes much more sense.
DS2 supposedly had his mini-saga accepted for publication. I was really sceptical for a number of reasons - DS said the work we were asked to proof read wasn't all his, the beginning was but the end wasn't, the names used weren't the ones he'd used, £14.99 seemed a lot to pay for at most 1/2 page of DS's work and did I really want a book which was 99% other childrens work? We ignored the first letter and the follow up was much more hard sell - could we let this opportunity pass/he'd done such good work it would be a shame it was going to waste (well, it may have been good work, but what they were proposing to publish wasn't his and was a load of rubbish, I would have been embarrassed for him if it appeared in a book)/it was only £14.99 and would be a lifelong reminder/the book would be on record at The British Library (whoopy-do, how many people actually visit and ask to see a compilation of stories written by 8-year-olds)/this was a last chance offer etc.
To promote it as a writing competition is dishonest - the children could see the scam straight away - "how could xx have won as well he/she can barely write".
We didn't buy - I don't know that many parents did once they realised that every child had won. It's a real shame because there are some very talented writers in his class and to say their work is of a similar standard to a child that can't even spell their own name is totally degrading.
To promote it as a writing competition is dishonest - the children could see the scam straight away - "how could xx have won as well he/she can barely write".
We didn't buy - I don't know that many parents did once they realised that every child had won. It's a real shame because there are some very talented writers in his class and to say their work is of a similar standard to a child that can't even spell their own name is totally degrading.
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Although my DC are past the stage of all this nonsense, if we had been approached I would have asked the school how much they stood to make from each book and then campaigned among other parents to ask them to make a voluntary donation for the same amount, provided the school agreed not to support the "publisher".Cats12 wrote:many schools now refuse to take part in their competitions. I write for a living and have looked into the publisher. They are very clever in how they word letters to schools and parents, but until something is done about their dealings it is up to parents. When schools are involved this leads parents to believe the competitions are genuine, but they aren't
Hear! Hear! Andyb.
Also Sally-Anne my DC's school got nothing from the sale of 'books', save the honour of having 60 winners out of 60 entrants for the 'next exciting Mini-Saga edition'. The publisher rakes in all the money. For some of the Young Writers' competitions' there is a 'winning' school that receives something so insignificant I cannot remember what it was - again a sop to the schools and the parents.
Just Say No and reward your clever children in a better more honest way.
Also Sally-Anne my DC's school got nothing from the sale of 'books', save the honour of having 60 winners out of 60 entrants for the 'next exciting Mini-Saga edition'. The publisher rakes in all the money. For some of the Young Writers' competitions' there is a 'winning' school that receives something so insignificant I cannot remember what it was - again a sop to the schools and the parents.
Just Say No and reward your clever children in a better more honest way.