Clare Mackintosh, author, on the Young Writers competition: "It's a loosely veiled scam, and I am furious about it."

Clare Mackintosh, number one Sunday Times bestselling author, had this to say about the Young Writers competition on Twitter in 2019:

Dear schools, if a 'creative writing competition' offers publication to all entries meeting the criteria, and strong-arms parents into signing away world rights and sending £15.99 for a copy of the anthology, it is not a competition, it is vanity publishing.

My daughter is over the moon. She thinks she's really special. She thinks she's a published author 'just like you, Mummy!' If I don't buy this book I will break her heart, and that is precisely how this company makes money. 

Read the comments thread here: https://twitter.com/claremackint0sh/status/1091363481926987776 

MoneySavingExpert on the Young Writers competition: "We feel conned and misled."

A thread on MoneySavingExpert in 2010 included this comment from a concerned parent:

This is a pretty common scheme, or scam in my view. It's basically vanity publishing but rather nastily is targeted at children and cashes in on the thrill of seeing your work in print. 

What's depressing is that if you Google this company, there are newspaper articles with pictures of smiling small children who are obviously thrilled that they have 'won' a national poetry competition and are being published. 

I think it's a very cynical ploy and really schools shouldn't be touching these companies with a barge pole, never mind actually helping them.

Read the comments here: https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/showthread.php?t=2304875

DooYoo on the Young Writers competition: "Make sure you are aware that it is a vanity publishing scam and not a genuine competition"

DooYoo, a review web site, hosted a discussion about the Young Writers competition in 2009, with one contributor saying:

When my daughter went back to school to share her news with her classmates she discovered that they were all winners too. Either her school is so brilliant that it produces a huge amount of talented writers or the school has fallen for some kind of vanity publishing scam. Yup, you've guessed it, the school had been duped by this company too. 

Read more here (archive link): https://web.archive.org/web/20140223182522/http://www.dooyoo.co.uk/services-misc/young-writers/1320735/

Netmums community on the Young Writers competition: "We got conned by it two years ago when my oldest was in Year 1"

Netmums coffehouse, a chat forum for mums, discussed the Young Writers competition, with one contributor claiming:

We were gutted when the book turned up and every single poem was identical, with just one word different on each line. We felt completely ripped off and duped.

Read more here: https://www.netmums.com/coffeehouse/being-mum-794/children-4-11-years-60/854593-am-i-being-silly-re-young-writers-competiiton-opinions-pls.html

Mumsnet on the Young Writers competition: "This needs to go to local authorities trading standards"

A Mumsnet thread contributor was upset about the data collection and privacy implications of schools using Young Writers in 2015: 

BIG question on our part, our young son is adopted and has special measures in place to protect his identity. How did this publishing company get his name, age AND home address? If from the school they had better have a damn good explanation!

Read more here: https://www.mumsnet.com/Talk/education/1732830-Young-Writers-scam-alternative-prizes

Babycentre on the Young Writers competition: "Once they have your email address, they won't leave you alone."

This thread, on Babycentre, shows some reactions of parents to the Young Writers competition:

We had this letter and were over the moon...until we discovered that every child in her class had also won! It's a scam to get you to buy the book, although your child's writing will be in it. 

Read more: https://community.babycentre.co.uk/post/a27168039/young_writers_the_company

Runners' World on the Young Writers competition: "I actually find the whole thing pretty distasteful"

This thread, on Runners' World, shows some parents reactions to their little ones' having "won" the competition:

It is a scam, insofar as parents are made to feel that their beloved son/daughter has acheived literary greatness.  Which parent isn't going to by five copies to hand out to family members because they are so proud that their child has been 'specially selected' for publication - right?

Read more: https://forums.runnersworld.co.uk/discussion/254947/young-writers-question-to-parents