I've just read through some more of the posts above - I find this one particularly galling:

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*Audre wrote:

BDC

If you can afford an internet connection, a computer to connect to the internet with, and the software to create stuff to even enter into this contest, then, check me if I'm wrong, but you should have $20 stashed away somewhere that you can scrounge up from even your penny-jar.

Heck, if you send me yor income tax statement and can prove that you are truly destitute, I may cough up the $20 for you even if it means macaroni and cheese for me, for a week. I've been known to host artist's art sites for free, until they can get established, so this isn't all that different, I suppose.

HOWEVER, if you have ANY luxury items such as coffee, soda/pop, cereal, automobile, or even buy your lunch at the cafeteria instead of making it yourself, then $20 can be saved by cutting some of these things out of your life for a while.

I'm not independantly wealthy, and as a starving artist myself you are preaching to the choir about pinching pennies. I'm quite well aware of how difficult it is, thank you very much, to pay for things.

In spite of all that, however, I still don't see the problem here.*

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This is just rude, unprofessional and unnecessary, really.

Can the publishers not see how much of a scam they are putting on here? Let's say 1000 artists spend $60 dollars each submitting their five images, That gives an income so far to the publishers of $60,000, and 5,000 images to choose from. Let's say 100 images are published in the book. At least 900 artists will have subsidised the book getting published, for no gain to themselves whatever.

And there is nothing to stop the publishers from publishing exactly the images thay want to - regardless.

Hmmm, something's not right ...

aartika! fractal art by Tina Oloyede :  http://www.aartika.co.uk