for teh lazy
Dear Howard,
After carefully reading and discussing your poem, our Selection Committee has certified your poem as a semi-finalist in our International Open Poetry Contest. Your poem will automatically be entered into the final competition held in February 2002. As a semi-finalist, you now have an excellent chance of winning one of 104 cash or gift prizes?including the $1,000.00 Grand Prize. You may even win the $10,000.00 Annual Grand Prize! We wish you the best of luck as you compete for these prizes in the coming weeks (a complete list of prizes is enclosed).
And that?s not all?
>>Some garbage stuff about a coffee-table edition of a anthology of poems
As I mentioned, your poem has automatically been advanced to the final competition?so you do not need to take further action on the contest at this time. However, regarding the publication of your poetry, you must proofread your poem, which appears on the enclosed Artist?s Proof. Please carefully review your poem for typographical errors and make any necessary changes. The Artist?s Proof also verifies that ?Isolations? is your original work of art. And Howard, let me assure you, your poem remains your property ?Letters from the Soul is copyrighted as a compilation. The copyright notice is in your name. This means that you retain the copyright to your own work of art.
You must also decide if you would like to have some personal information about yourself and your poetry included in this elegant edition. In this way, the media and publican gain a greater awareness about you motivations, the meaning poetry has in your life, the story behind your poem, or your personal philosophical point of view. >>extraneous details
In the meantime, our design department has already begun working on a distinctive layout for the poetry selected for this anthology. But remembe,r you must complete the enclosed Artist?s Proof and return it to us as soon as possible. And, if you wish to acquire a copy of Letters from the Soul at a contributor?s special pre-publication discount, please complete the appropriation information, also on the Artist?s Proof.
Again, congratulations, Howard. We feel you have a special talent and look forward to the publication of your poem in Letters from the Soul.
Sincerely,
Howard Ely,
Managing Editor
P.S. Howard, you should be genuinely proud of your accomplishment. Of the thousands of poems we read each year, only a fraction can be published. We are pleased that ?Isolation? will appropriately achieve the recognition that a national publication can give it. And, if you order Letters from the Soul, we are so confident you will love it or your money back (paraphrased garbage =D)
P.P.S. As a poet chosen for publication, you will also be eligible to attend The International Society of Poet?s Convention and Symposium held each year at Walt Disney World in Orlando, Florida. This year?s convention will be held March 1-3, 2002. Keep the date, a formal invitation will be mailed to you soon.