The Mail I Get

I got this email the other day:

Have you ever heard of "Writers Book Publishing Agency"? That's the name. Seemed a bit generic to me, so I am suspicious. Their web page indicates that they are a reletively new lit agency, and are seeking authors. Having tried to obtain an agent for a year now, they sound too good to bet true. Their client list went like this: Joe, who is an electronic engineer wrote his first book.....etc....etc.  Mary, a housewife, is working on her second novel in which she.....etc.....etc. I know the authors need their privacy - but.......does this not sound suspicious to you?

Of course it does. And it should sound suspicious to anyone with an iota of common sense.

They are a well-known scam that has also gone by the the names "Children's Literary Agency," "The Literary Agency Group, Inc" and "ST Literary Agency," among others. Your first tip-off that they aren't legit should be their name:  "Writers Book Publishing Agency." What reputable agency would call themselves that? Agents aren't book publishers.

If the name of the company wasn't tip-off enough, you'll notice they don't list a single author among their clients, only plumbers, housewives and, well, other suckers.

Writer's Beware lists the "agency" among their top twenty worst agents. You can find out more about them here:

http://www.invirtuo.cc/prededitors/warnlag04.htm

How good does your writing have to be to interest the Children's Literary Agency?

http://www.absolutewrite.com/forums/showthread.php?t=8286

http://www.absolutewrite.com/forums/showthread.php?t=8312

http://cs.writermag.com/forums/67920/ShowPost.aspx

http://www.underdown.org/researching-agents.htm

                   

Comments

[Richard S. Wheeler]

The Association of Authors' Representatives is the trade organization of literary agents, and holds its members to a canon of ethics. A list of its members and their specialities is available at its website:

http://www.aar-online.org/mc/page.do?sitePageId=10179&orgId=aar