Remember how proud Mr. Pacione was when Taj Mahal Review accepted something of his for publication a few years ago? A tipster forwarded the following email to me.
> [Original Message]
> From: Taj Mahal Review <info@tajmahalreview.com>
> To: <XXXXXXXXXX@earthlink.net>
> Date: 12/20/2007 7:24:01 PM
> Subject: Your poem XXXXXX XXXXXX has been published
>
>
>
> Dear XXXXX XXXXX
>
> Hope this finds you quite well. We are pleased to write that your poem
XXXXXX XXXXXX has been published in DECEMBER 2007 (12th Issue) of Taj Mahal
Review. Taj Mahal Review print Journal having 536 pages of carefully
selected articles, artworks, short stories, poems, reviews etc. deserves to
be read by the creative community.
>
> We shall be highly obliged for your subscription. Your subscription will
help us in paying international shipping and handling charges since sending
a book of 536 pages from India to abroad is very expensive. The authors
will also receive Cyberwit’s other publication of $15 as a free gift.
>
> Proudly published by Cyberwit from the finest paper and composing
including beautiful cover and design, Taj Mahal Review gives you the finest
that the Publishing has to offer. A global feel with authors around the
world. To view and subscribe online by credit card CCNow & PayPal (Highly
Secured) payment gateway please log on to
>
> http://tajmahalreview.com/taj12.htm
>
> http://cyberwit.net/taj12.htm
>
> Alternatively you may kindly pay US $17 per copy only for Paperback/ $22
per copy only for Hardback by Personal Check/Cashier Check/Bankers
Check/International Money Order only from Bank payable in favor of KARUNESH
KUMAR AGRAWAL at the following address:
>
> KARUNESH KUMAR AGRAWAL
> 4/2 B, L.I.G.
> Govindpur Colony,
> Allahabad-211004 (U.P.)
> India
>
> Regards
> Karunesh Kumar Agrawal
> Dy. Managing Editor (TMR)
>
>
>
English is obviously not Mr. Agrawal’s native language. That may explain a lot.
I suspect it’s time to blow the lid off of Pacione’s publishing “credit.” Agrawal’s grammar aside, Taj Mahal Review really does appear to be a pay-to-play outfit. I think it’s time to see if I can come up with something really awful and submit it. Something along the lines of “Atlanta Nights,” or poetry by Goth-o-matic. I wonder if the only thing they look for is a Western-sounding name and a European or North American address.
Yet another reason why Nicky doesn’t pay his contributors. He’s paying the price of fame, baby!
Too bad he has no sense of shame…
You know what? Mr. Agrawal has both a better command of English and of publishing value-for-money than Our Nicky.
I mean, yeah, $22 is not cheap, but you get a big ol’ book in return. Our Nicky charges similar for books a quarter of the size.
It’s probably offset printed, which makes it cheaper per copy than the others.
I have to agree with you, Jupiter.
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