Re: Garden & Greenhouse Magazine phony solicitation

**j* e* m* s* <h*@sbcglobal.net>**

Hi, Rich -- several of us got the same solicitation. Most of us have declined.
jems

>I just received a solicitation I suspect some others here may have 
>also received, and I am wondering how legit this guy is, if he is at 
>all. Someone named Dr. Christopher J. Kline, who identifies himself 
>as a "freelance garden writer and senior staff writer and 
>contributing editor" of Gardens and Greenhouse Magazine, is inviting 
>me to submit a 500-1000 word essay on my favorite gardening tips for 
>a book he is compiling - just from contributions of "gardening 
>wisdom" from "experts like you".
>
>Aside from the fact that he is not a GWA member, the magazine is new 
>to me (there is a website), and I never knew anyone considered me an 
>expert on gardening (I certainly never set myself up as that - on 
>garden photography, sure, but not on gardening) the most suspicious 
>part is the zinger at the end of the email:  " My publisher has 
>asked that each author include the following statement with their 
>submission. "I (Name) understand that this article maybe edited and 
>published by Dr. Christopher J. Kline, and I am providing it free of 
>copyright."
>
>Googling this guy gets a number of hits that indicate he is a garden 
>writer, though the only credits I find are for this same magazine, 
>he is a master gardener in Arizona, and is also an owner of a 
>company called Greenhouse and Garden Supply, which I would bet 
>dollars to donuts is connected with the magazine. So my bet is that 
>his "publisher" is also him. Not very forthright of him to phrase it 
>like that.
>
>One interesting link was a review this guy (Kline) wrote on Amazon 
>for a book on how to become a millionaire using the internet....need 
>I say more?
>
>One more item from the "Gardens and Greenhouse"  Magazine website - 
>they sell reprints of their articles. Nothing wrong or uncommon 
>there, except that if the writers are not being paid to begin with, 
>they are certainly not going to be sharing in the revenue stream 
>from the reprints, to which they would be entitled to.
>
>So he wants me to write for free, let him use some photos for free, 
>and then he gets to re-use the content as a sales tool to help 
>market his primary business. The sad part is that he will probably 
>get plenty of "experts" to feed him and his family at no cost to him.
>
>Someone please correct me if I am misreading this. What responses 
>are you guys (if you got this) sending him?
>
>Rich Pomerantz
>rich@richpomerantz.com
>www.richpomerantz.com
>(860)355-3356
>_______________________________________________

________________________________________
Jo Ellen Meyers Sharp
Garden writer, speaker, author, photographer
Region III Director Garden Writers Association
Phone: (317) 251.3261
Fax: (317) 251.8545
E-mail: hoosiergardener@sbcglobal.net
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