Due to major problems with registration on this forum - i.e. so many spammers trying to join - new members wishing to register should follow these guidelines:

1. Where possible, try to use your real first name, surname or initials when registering. This is to avoid your membership application being deleted as either a spammer or someone merely using their membership of the board to cause trouble anonymously.

Before deciding on a registration nickname, it might be a good idea to note currently active members' choices of nicknames and follow their ideas.

If you feel uncomfortable about using any combination of your real name, you should choose a name which is similar to your own if possible or points in some way to your identity. Choosing an odd nickname with numbers in it like 'Jayne426', phonetic spellings or rap-style names like 'Lurvechick' or 'Ezeepoet' will not help your application. Above all, never use the words 'pills', 'viagra' or 'carehire4u' in your nickname or email address. :D

Because real names and identities are used on this forum, applications are only welcome from poets aged over 18. For safety reasons, please do not disclose your home address or phone number to anyone here that you don't already know personally.


2. If you don't receive a validation email within 24 hours or so of registering, you may leave a reply to this post below, letting me know who you are, what nickname you chose and how long ago you tried to register. I will then leave a reply letting you know what to do if you have not already tried to re-register. This is the only area of the forum where non-members are allowed to post.

Be aware, however, that your reply will not appear immediately and will need to be moderated before it can appear in this forum. This is to prevent porn and pills spammers from peddling their wares here unrestricted.


3. What to do after registration.

Firstly, please be aware that new members whose names are not immediately known to me, either from the UK poetry scene or because they have contacted me prior to registration, may have their messages monitored for the first few posts. Just post as normal and that process will happen automatically. I apologise for the inconvenience but this is a safety measure which has been proved necessary.

When creating your profile after registration, where possible you should provide a link in your profile or signature to a homepage or publishers' page or any website which lets other members know who you are. If you have no webpage to link to, there is an area in your profile where you can detail any experience you have in poetry and I strongly recommend that you fill in that area if at all possible.

The emphasis here is on openness, transparency of purpose and, to some extent, self-promotion. That's why members are discouraged from trying to conceal their identity. If you have a bona fide reason for remaining incognito, please contact me by visiting my website.

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Please Also Note the Following:

The Poets on Fire forum is a discussion and message board for poets and other people involved in UK poetry. Its current emphasis is on published poetry, though that does not exclude unpublished poets and/or performers.

However, it is not a forum for chat on non-writing topics or for posting up poems for feedback. If you wish to post up your poems for feedback, there are plenty of other forums where that is encouraged. Before registering, please read through the currently active topics to gain an idea of how this board operates and what sort of topics we discuss. If you feel able to join in or gain something useful from those discussions, this is the place for you. If not, you should rethink your registration application.

New members who disrupt discussions in any way will be warned first, and then have their membership deleted. Once registered, please make sure you are posting in the right forum for your topic and be respectful of others. Do also make an effort to spell correctly and use correct punctuation. As this is a writers' forum, literacy is expected.

In spite of all the above, new members who are serious about poetry and actively involved in the UK poetry scene are extremely welcome to join!

If you have any other queries, please don't hesitate to post them below here. There will be a slight time-lag before your comments appear. :D