Author: T.E. Manthey
Date:   07-13-05 10:32

I submitted a query to this agency online and straight away they sent a letter requesting a manuscript of which I sent almost immediately,does anyone have any dealings with them?

Author: Michelle L
Date:   07-13-05 10:38

I've heard that they are part of ST Literary Agency, which is not anything you want to get in volved in. I advise you proceed with caution. Pray your manuscript gets lost in the mail.

Author: T.E. Manthey
Date:   07-13-05 10:56

Thanks Michelle:) whats the ST literary agency? I'm not concerned with the manuscript it's not a make or break book to me, It's had so many rejection letters by reputable publishers if they accept it as face value then I'll run the other direction fast.

Author: Marc Vinicky
Date:   07-13-05 10:58

T.E.

There are numerous threads regarding the ST Lit Agency...run a search in the blue box above...quite illuminating. Good luck!

Author: Gary Kessler
Date:   07-13-05 10:59

Trace back. How did you come about querying them in the first place? Did you get the lead from a reputable source, do a complaint search on the Internet, check for membership in the professional agent’s association (AAR) at (http://www.aar-online.org), and check it out with Preditors & Editors (http://anotherealm.com/prededitors) and Writer Beware (http://www.sfwa.org/beware)?

Or did you spend money and time shotgunning your queries to unknown addresses, many of whom are operated by scammers?

If you need to start again from the beginning in catching reputable agents, check out the articles available in the "Agents" section of this Web site (clickable article titles running down the right side of the Agent page).

Author: Carol O
Date:   07-13-05 11:37

Good to see you, Gary!

NYLA is indeed a "sister" agency of ST (now named Stylus). The other parts of the octopus are Children's Literary Agency and Christian Literary Agency, IIRC. All are part of The Literary Agency Group and are incestuous in the extreme when it comes to passing applicants around to wring editing, critique, and illustration fees out of them. AVOID!

Author: Michelle L
Date:   07-13-05 11:41

Just for fun, I once emailed ST Literary Agency to see if they were interested in my manuscript. They said they were and asked me to send the first three chapters via email. I sent nothing, yet they still sent me a reply thanking me for submitting my work, and that they would get back to me ASAP. A few weeks later, I received an email claiming they'd like to represent me. Not surprisingly, this was (and still is) good dinner table fodder.

Needing more laughs, I emailed them again (I almost feel guilty for harassing them... except I know I'm only 'harassing' a machine that bounces back replies). However, in this email, I asked them if they'd like to come over for curry that I made for dinner. They replied saying they were interested in my manuscript and could I send them the first three chapters via email.

Needless to say, avoid these people. I don't even think they ARE people. Also, you should do a search on them. I think you'll find some interesting reading.

Author: Mya Bell
Date:   07-13-05 11:51

John D. McDonald walked over to their Manhattan address and talked to the building person and it was determined that there is no office by that name at that address. It's apparently a mail drop.

They will eventually refer you to an editor (who is affiliated with the company), for a price, of course.

On Friday, a very astute writer (I didn't catch the name of the writer) asked a panel of fourteen agents and editors if they had ever heard of ST Literary. The answer was blank faces. The agents and editors all looked around like "Huh?" and two of them shook their heads. Not ONE of those top agents or publishers' editors (including Donald Maass, Jane Dystel, Jane Fleming, etc.) had heard of ST Literary. If they were serious contenders as agents, or if they had been submitting to editors, people in that room would have recognized the name. They did not.

What does that tell you about their visibility and credibility on the publishing side of things?

--- Mya Bell

Author: TE Manthey
Date:   07-13-05 23:29

Thank you all and as we sepak Im senidng query letters to all the publishers of my genre:) I knew I shouldnt try a shortcut//live and learn.

Author: Mui Shamp
Date:   07-16-05 21:31

Christian Literary agency and New York Literary Agency are one and the same: big scam!

Consider my experience with them. Remember, they said no fees! And notice the person I wrote to doesn't even tell me her last name! Here are the entire email correspondence with them:



Thank you for completing our query form and for sending us your manuscript.

Our review team believes that your work has commercial potential and we
would like to proceed further with you. Basically, we feel that your
concept and writing thus far has potential and that if presented properly,
we can sell it.

To take the next step, please let us take a minute to tell you a little bit
about how we think. Your understanding of our philosophy and our
requirements will help you in determining if you wish to proceed further
with us.

We apologize in advance for the length of this email and the fact that it is
somewhat of an automated format. This is at the behest of our lawyers.
(However, like Shakespeare, we tell them all the time, "that the first thing
we're going to do is to shoot all the lawyers".)


We Believe We are Unique in that we Are Willing To
Develop New, Fresh Talent. (We like the 'business incubator' metaphor.)
=========================================================================
We receive very few 'ready-to-go' manuscripts. Most manuscripts that we
receive need some level of polishing before we can submit them to buyers.
Some need very little polishing. Some need a lot. Over the years, we've
learned that it is worth our time and effort to do what it takes to develop
new talent. We've learned that incubating new talent makes good business
sense.

Therefore we don't summarily reject writers who are willing to do what it
takes to improve their work. There are very few literary agencies that will
take the time to develop talent. Most barely return emails. We've answered
every email you've sent us, and we've taken the time to learn more about you
and your goals. We've already invested time and energy in reaching this
point with you.

We hope that you will acknowledge that our level of communication and
professionalism already far exceeds that of other literary agencies. We
pledge this same level of professionalism and courtesy in all subsequent
communications.


About Our Literary Agency
==================================================
We are members of a larger and more diversified publishing conglomerate. Our
principals have been in the Literary Agency business for over 20 years. Our
parent company is invested in a variety of pursuits within the $40+ billion
publishing and writing marketplace. We are invested, and investing in, other
literary agencies, small publishers, distribution companies, magazines,
writers services companies, and we are even considering investing in a movie
production company. Our management's reasoning is that we want to be able
to take our authors and their successes in every direction possible.



By now you are probably saying, "thanks for the business philosophy
overview, but what does this mean to me and representation"
===================================================================
Based on what we have seen so far, we would like to represent you.

If you are willing to follow some simple suggestions for developing your
talent and polishing your work, then we are willing to offer you a contract
for representation.

The next step is that, together, we work to bring your work to the highest
possible quality. To do that we require a 3rd party independent critique.



What Is a 3rd Party Independent Critique? Here is one example
and another example is attached. A critique is a valuable tool
for the writer and the Agency.
===================================================================
Title: Somewhere Pond
Review: This is an excellent submission.

Somewhere Pond is hands down, one of the best submissions targeted at young
readers I've come across in a good while. You're characterization and
storyline is superb. The story begins with conflict, a father trying to
discipline his young daughter. This immediately makes the reader sympathize
with both father and daughter. You certainly have a compelling first person
point of view voice and it's very good that you've chosen to use it to tell
this story. I don't think this story would be as effective told in a
consistent third person point of view. Contrary to popular belief, writing
in first person can be a difficult thing. It's so easy to fall into the 'I'
trap. You do have a tendency to start many of your sentences with 'I' and
this is where things can start to get boring. Try to avoid beginning
sentences with 'I' as much as possible.

This story really is ideal for the young adult market. It has really
interesting elements young adult book editors won't be able to resist. An
eight-year-old girl has learned through an extraordinary friend that her
true calling in life is to become a part of a magical world full of animals
that have humanlike qualities is an exceptional storyline for the young
adult market. It really reminds me of this year's hit movie, 'Finding
Neverland' which starred Johnny Depp. Alexis is so wrapped up in her own
fantasy world and her parents are worried sick. It is all so imaginative. I
do think this is too long to fit into one novel. What I recommend is to
break it down into several books and try to sell it as a series.

========= End of Sample 1: Please see attachment for a more detailed
critique ===


We've learned that having a 3rd party independent critique is a very
powerful tool in our sales approach to buyers/publishers. The critique also
provides our Agency with a roadmap for developing your manuscript for
submissions.

The critique is inexpensive, usually around $50-$80 depending on the
company you choose. It will tell us if you are ready for marketing right
away, or if more polishing is required.



IN CONCLUSION - WHAT YOU WOULD DO NEXT:
=============================================
Please review the critique examples we have given you. Think about how
powerful an 'excellent' critique would be to the selling process.

Then just reply to this email with any questions that you may have, or
simply state "I understand the need for a critique and I agree that a
critique will help us both know how to proceed".

Once we receive your positive reply, we'll send you the contract for
representation and begin the process with you.

Thank you again for your time and consideration. We look forward to working
with you to develop your writing career.

Sincerely,
Sherry - VP Acquisitions



Also, as we mentioned, if you already have a 3rd party critique, please let
us know. It must match the level of detail that you see in this attached
example. If you have an associate that you believe can do your critique,
then be sure to send us their credentials first for approval. If you need a
referral for a critique, we can provide one right away.


Dear Sherry,

Thanks for your interest in my book; here is the complete manuscript of my
book The Thread of Destiny.

May Shamp



----- Original Message -----
From: "Sherry" <sherry@christianliterary.com>
To: <mayshamp@aboutmontana.net>
Sent: Tuesday, July 05, 2005 6:37 PM
Subject: Christian Literary - Please Send Manuscript


> Thank you for your query to The Christian Literary Agency. We compliment
> you on what you have achieved thus far, and yes, we would like to see
more.
> Would you please send us a copy of your manuscript for further evaluation?
> (Note: we like to work with only one property at a time for the
evaluation,
> so please just send us the one you consider your best.)
>
> Our preference is email. If the file size is greater than 5 megabytes you
> can mail it to us, but please only send it once, either by email or snail
> mail (we prefer email). Our mailing address is: The Christian Literary
> Agency, 275 Madison Ave., 4th Floor, New York, New York 10016. If you
> decide to mail your manuscript please be sure to INCLUDE your email
address
> (very clearly) so we may reply and process your manuscript. Mailed
> manuscripts may take up to 30 days to reply/process. Emailed manuscripts
> are processed much more quickly.
>
> Also, so that you know a little more about us, please allow me to give you
a
> bit of background on ourselves. We are part of a larger conglomerate that
> has ownership in a number of companies in the $40 billion publishing
> marketplace. We are bigger than a small agency and smaller than a large
> agency. We have about 15 people total and as of 2nd quarter, 2005 we have
> over 60 active conversations ongoing with buyers and 3 option agreements
in
> negotiations. We just sold our 4th work (to a publisher in England) and
we
> are confident of more success later this year. We market to the larger
and
> medium sized publishers and producers.
>
> We believe we are very different than other agencies. We take pride in
the
> fact that we answer every email personally within 2-3 days and we believe
> that we are unique in that we are willing to develop an author and their
> talent. We like the metaphor of a business incubator as a description of
> how we will take time to bring an author's work to the proper quality
level,
> even if it takes months to do so.
>
> Also, you may understand how a Literary Agency works, but many authors
> don't, so please excuse me while I take a minute and let you know how the
> process works. As your Literary Agent, our mission is to assist you in
> finding a publisher and to coach you along the way in various options
> available to you. We don't edit, we don't illustrate, our mission is to
> sell for you. As for compensation, get paid on success only, meaning we
> only get paid if you get paid. Typically we will receive 15% of what you
> receive.
>
> We do not charge fees, so our compensation is based on success only.
Along
> the way, we may suggest that you continuously improve the quality of your
> work and or how it is presented. Once your work is deemed 'presentable',
> then we'll start shopping it to publishers. We never promise a sale, but
we
> can tell you that we have a model that works.
>
> We look forward to receiving your materials.
>
> Blessings,
> Sherry - V.P. Acquisitions
>
>
> p.s. Sorry for the inconvenience however, WE DO NOT RETURN
> MANUSCRIPTS/MATERIALS due to the volume of submissions we receive. Please
> do not send us anything that you can't replace easily.
>
> We much prefer emailed manuscripts.
>
> Your materials are safe within our company. If we do not end up working
> together we will destroy any copies of your work that we have.
>
>
>
>
> Below is the result of your feedback form. It was submitted by
> (mayshamp@aboutmontana.net) on Saturday, July 02, 2005 at 12:57:28
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------
-
>
>
> FormSource: CLA
>
> FormDate: 7/2/2005
>
> Name: Mui Shamp
>
> email: mayshamp@aboutmontana.net
>
> Phone: 406-892-4052
>
> How Did You Hear of Us: amazon.com
>
> Title of Work: The Thread of Destiny
>
> Synopsis: My book The Thread of Destiny is a romantic comedy about a
Chinese
> Christian girl who comes to America for college. She is an ambitious math
> genius whose dream is to become a math professor. By chance she meets a
> white Christian plumber twice her age, and the two start an unusual
> friendship that in time leads to love. Knowing that he is too old for her,
> both of them withhold their feelings.
>
> The girl then leaves for another university, believing that she will
forget
> her plumber soon, but she doesn t. She writes and calls him frequently,
and
> though she meets many young men, the bond she has with the plumber
prevents
> her from being attached to anyone else. Even though she is in a secular
> university, the girl stands firmly by her Christian values. Years later in
> graduate school, she is bombarded with such persistent suitors that she
> leaves her education and returns to the plumber. She asks him to marry
her,
> saying that she loves him and cannot forget him. He says he has always
loved
> her but never believed she would take them, and he agrees to the marriage.
> The Thread of Destiny, complete at 100,000 words, is a humorous and yet
> analytical book, resembling Pride and Prejudice in style.
>
> NYP-Work Been Edited: No
>
> NYP-Sample Illustrations: No
>
> NYP-Able to Travel: Yes
>
> NYP-Bio: I am a Chinese American, originally from Hong Kong. I studied the
> Bible extensively, and I have a bachelor s degree in mathematics. My
> experience provides the cultural and mathematical information in my book.
>
>
>
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------
-
>
>
> --
> No virus found in this incoming message.
> Checked by AVG Anti-Virus.
> Version: 7.0.323 / Virus Database: 267.8.8/37 - Release Date: 7/1/2005
>
>
> --
> No virus found in this outgoing message.
> Checked by AVG Anti-Virus.
> Version: 7.0.323 / Virus Database: 267.8.9/39 - Release Date: 7/4/2005
>
>
>
>

--
No virus found in this incoming message.
Checked by AVG Anti-Virus.
Version: 7.0.323 / Virus Database: 267.8.9/39 - Release Date: 7/4/2005


--
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Checked by AVG Anti-Virus.
Version: 7.0.323 / Virus Database: 267.8.10/43 - Release Date: 7/6/2005

Author: Phillip Stanley
Date:   07-29-05 02:24

I have recieved emails from the NYLA exactly the same as those posted above. Since it was obviously automated, I figured pretty quickly that it was a scam. However when I recieved the emails saying something about an inexpensive 50 to 80 dollar 3rd party critique, that raised all the red flags for me.
What disturbs me is that if you look at their actual website, they seems quite professonal, and even respectable.
Anyway, my only regret is that I no longer have the moments of my life that it took me to fill out their online application...live and learn i guess. :)

Author: Kara Whitledge
Date:   12-19-05 16:29

So are you saying that New York Lit Agency is just a bad agency in general or they actually steal manuscripts?

Author: Jennifer Killby
Date:   12-23-05 09:09

I just got accepted by the New York Literary Agency and they are a definite scam. I didn't give them any money, but I do appreciate all the previous discussion about them. I do know that if you wrote your book and have all revised copies, notes and etc. that you are protected by copyright laws. I always put the copyright insignia on my stuff with the little verbage to protect myself. I always keep all my notes, revisions and so forth to prove that it is all mine. I don't know if they steal manuscripts or not, but if they do then they will eventually have to answer to the federal government.

Author: Jaacob Thomas
Date:   01-18-06 04:18

I too just got accepted by them.However after reading through all these extremely eye opening posts , I think I'll give them a very wide berth. Seems like this entire area is infested with shysters and tricksters.Wonder if there are any genuine outfits at all catering to unknown and untried first time writers.

Author: Sherry Fine
Date:   01-24-06 12:03

Dear Author:

We are keenly aware of the negative material on a lot of writer's message boards and I thought I would take a minute and give you more background than what you are getting (which as best I can tell is stuff regurgitated from years ago).

I know it is confusing to authors and I thank you for 'first seeking to understand".

I hope that you will view the professionalism of this reply, where we try to present both sides of the situation, and contrast that against the furor that will arise after this post. Hey, maybe the message board people will agree to be your Agent!

It is a fact that most authors (98%) can't get the time of day from an Agent. Why? Because invariably their work needs improvement and if an Agent takes the time to say, "I like the idea, but you need a little help" the Agent is blackballed by every writers blog on the net.

Some writers say, "it's the agency's responsibility to help the writer".. Maybe in the old days, but not anymore. An Agent's core competency is selling work and finding buyers, not editing. Do you really think that an Agent should contribute their valuable selling time to assisting a writer with editing/grammar/ and other mechanics? Some writers do, but not those that understand the power and clarity of focus on core competency in business. Most agencies go out of business in a few years, not us. Why, because we concentrate on selling, and let the editors and writers do what they do best, writing, improving, writing, improving, etc.

Furthermore, when a work doesn't sell, what typically happens is that the author adopts one of 3 postures, 1) you suck, you scammer you, 2) I'll improve, or 3) maybe I'll quit. Most of the material on the boards is from attitude 1.

At it's core, that's the real issue. Always has been. So, there's a situation where potentially great work is 'waiting in the wings' so to speak, and can't get access to the market. And, if the Agent offers to help, to coach, and to mentor, well, you see the boards reply.


What Do Buyers Think? That's what really matters.

==========================================

Buyers (publishers) love our model. Why? because they know that we've forced the writer to jump through a series of hoops to prove their mettle. And the writers whine, whine, whine, and the publishers say, "whew, thanks for bringing us great work and for filtering out the crackpots."


I use the word 'cluster' in the marketing segmentation definition. Look on most of those message boards, and you will see advertising, newsletters, and other capitalistic products and services based on traffic generated by controversy. So now you understand that the point of the boards is to generate traffic and advertising revenues based on their niche in the market.


Anyway, that said, it actually does us a favor and we've come to thank these boards. They weed out two main categories of authors that we are actually glad to be rid of: 1) nervous authors that don't understand the nitty gritty of hard business and who can't make up their mind and who rely on others for their opinions, 2) the SFN's (writers that want Something for Nothing) who want it all, basically for free...


I place 4 bullets under my signature. That's our promise. It's simple and it's understandable, and I really do think you'd be hard pressed to find one of our clients that won't, even grudgingly admit that we've delivered.



Our Pledge To You:
==================
* We respect what you have accomplished thus far as a writer.
* We believe that great authors are made, not born. We are willing to develop talent.
* We pledge straight talk in a confusing and old-school industry.
* We can't promise a sale. We can promise a professional relationship.


So, in conclusion, this is what I would do, if I were in your shoes, "I'd proceed with us, eyes wide open, and see if we meet or exceed our four business tenets, A) Respect, B) Building Talent, 3) Straight Talk, and a 4) Professional Relationship.



Of course, if you'd rather us terminate our relationship now, no problem, fortunately for me, and unfortunately for you, there's 10 more to take your place, and you can go back to querying agents for the rest of your life, or you can just see what happens and see if maybe, just maybe, we are what we say we are.



Best to you whatever your decision.



Sherry Fine - VP Acquisitions



Just for grins, and so that you know we provide a service of value to aspiring authors, I would like you to see some of the unprompted quotes that we receive on a daily basis.



Our clients say it best. The quotes below are unedited and as you can see, quite from the heart. (We have lots more of these.) If you are really cynical, you will probably believe we made them up, but I promise you, we can prove every one of them.



=======================



"Just a note to say, whatever the outcome of my submission, it's refreshing to engage an agent who will a) take an email submission, b) turn it round as quick you've committed to do and c) actively work with a writer. Submissions are daunting enough anyway without having to wait ten weeks for an impersonalised slip of paper. Here's to you."



"It is refreshing to get an honest professional opinion of my work, it make me realise just how much I don't know about the written word and its presentation."



Dear Georgina, I'd like you to know how highly and gratefully I regard the clarity with which you explain the process as well as your reliability. I have complete trust in both your abilities and ethical standards. Best wishes, Judith



It's been a long time since I left school with considerable number of years passing before I became interested in writing again. I would like you to thank you for working with me and let it be known that I look at this as a new beginning and rebirth of my education.



You don't know how nice it is to have such timely responses. I am sure I am not the only writer that puts a lot of heart into their work and I have to say, I have "kept mine tucked away in the closet" for many, many years. I just enjoy writing, but didn't know if I would ever try and submit it to anyone. Making the decision to do that has been somewhat of a nerve-wracking process. Your timely responses and professional, yet "down-to-earth" responses are making the process a lot easier. At this time, I am not submitting my work to anyone else, because you have impressed me the most up to this point. Even if we do not end up working together, I felt it was important to pass this along to you.



Dear Georgina: Your professional zeal and resourcefulness cannot be overemphasized seeing the volatile-oceanic-wave called the American Hollywood with its impregnable sales frontiers.I hold you dearly to my heart in my every prayers towards our mutual success now and...very soon in sbsequent works.I doff my heart after your every professional spirit imagining the energy, sweat and travellings involved. Thanks for everything you stand for professionally.



Thank you for your constructive feedback. I found your critique of my work very informative, and it concluded many things that I already knew. I really do need to improve on my punctuation skills, and that has been something I have struggled with for some time. I appreciate your suggestions on materials to improve this, and I plan on taking an advanced grammar and puctuation class at the college I am attending. Several other points you made were also very informative. I know I have a long way to go before I am a "professional" writer, but I am glad that you agreed that the potential is definitely there. I'd also like to thank you and your company for staying in contact with me through this process. I would, and will, come back to your company if I need further material critiqued. Thank you again for your time.



I just want to say I have been rejected for years by Agents and Publishers. After awhile it all seems pointless. But I am in this for the long run and will never give up and never give in. Whether you accept me or not you have restored my faith and hope that someone out there is concerned and listening to what writings go through. I look forward to learning all that I can from you and your associates.



"After having reread all the information sent to me, I must say that I am impressed by the way your agency has handled the science, or art of appreciating new sources of writing. If only all agencies displayed your model the world may be a better place. Your FAQ has answered all of my questions and i am eager to get to work."



===========================



WE ARE CREATING THE MOST POWERFUL AGENCY GROUP IN THE UNITED STATES. Every author that we represent has been fully edited and we know, beyond a shadow of a doubt, that their work is good enough for publication. Unfortunately, the ones that 'wash out', tend to grouse and *****. If you can make it through our process, then you will be in an elite group that buyers respect. We never promise a sale, but we can promise that if we present your work, it will get respect from our buyers.



Best to you in your career.

Author: James Macdonald
Date:   01-27-06 08:16

"Sherry Fine" posted the exact same nonsense, the same day, over at Absolute Write too.

See my reply to "her" there:

http://www.absolutewrite.com/forums/showthread.php?t=13517&page=2

Author: Janet Bellinger
Date:   01-31-06 10:37

Well, I too was sceptical, but signed a contract, neverthe less, with New york Literary. I first paid $*0. U.S. for an independent critique. I was a little surprised that the critique only commented on my synopsis, rather than the manuscript.Then, New York Literary asked me I was asked to get my manuscript edited, at an average price of $125. I became a little nervous about this, even though I had always planned to have my manuscript editied by a professional editor. But I began to wonder if the t alk about "working with the editor," really just meant repeated requests for paid "independent" editing. I asked a friend, who is an editor, to do the editing for me, and N Y Literary has agreed to this, so I hope they will accept my friend's editing. If not, I will cancel my contract with them. But,I cannot operate from a cynical position, and will, until proved otherwise, treat N Y Literary as though they are a scrupulous agency. If that makes me into a sucker, so be it. I believe in the saying that you should love as though you've never been hurt, dance as though noone is watching etc. The logical followup to that is to trust as though there are no shysters out there. I hope my lesson in life is not to be suspicion. Anyways, I'm going to wait it out, and hope that my faith proves to be well founded. Good luck to you all
Janet

Author: Vickie Olmsted
Date:   02-08-06 23:11

I too have recently signed a contract with them, my WHOLE family and I were soooo exited and have been celebrating, but now after reading this page, I am getting a sick feeling in the pit of my stomach! My contract states that aside from the "independent critique" they will never ask me for money, ever, they only take 10% of the profits of the book. I don't know what to do now... I'm really scared, I have no other job or income, everything in my life is on the line hanging on this... Please someone tell me some good news! Janet??? Let me know how this is going with you as I seem to be in the same boat you are and moving forward, I've already signed the contract afterall...

Vickie

Author: James Macdonald
Date:   02-09-06 10:13

Vickie, don't send them any money.

To the best of my knowledge they've never sold a book in their lives. 100% of their income comes from "independent critiques" (done by a company that they secretly own) and "editing" (done by a company that they secretly own), etc.

Ask them, point blank: what books have you sold? When? To whom? Any real agent would be happy to tell you. You can't shut a real agent up about his or her sales. If they stonewall you -- and they will -- you'll know that these people aren't real agents.

My best advice to you is to get a day job, to pay the bills. Money from publishing is small and slow. And find an honest agent. A worthwhile agent has sold books you've heard of.

Author: Paul James
Date:   02-13-06 00:11

I, too, fell for this scam. I got to the point of signing the contract, and, at their 'suggestion', paid $79 bucks or so, for an 'independent' 3rd party critique done by a ‘sister company’. As my initial euphoria subsided (and I celebrated my 'good fortune', as well) I began to do some more research. You can imagine my surprise- and disappointment- when I learned of the many bad experiences others had with these people. It was only then that I saw clearly all the little signs I had evidently chosen to ignore, like the duplicate emails requesting the manuscript- even after I had sent it; the fact that even after they received it they did not refer to my work by the title; the fact that they don't list a single book sold on their website; or the fact that the paypal address of the supposedly 'sister yet independent' company, was derivative of the agency- evidently they're one and the same. So, I played their own game and pretended that I was not wise to the scam, and sent the N.Y. Literary the following email. My goal was to get the refund, and still let them think that I was interested in their services:

/////////////

Hi this is XXXX XXXXX, to give you an update on the critique. I found another company to do it, besides Writers Literary. Before I did so I had sent payment to Writers Literary (your sister company), but since I will not be needing their services anymore I requested a refund. I've written twice and have not received a response as of yet. If you have any type of communication with them please advise them I expect them to refund my payment in a prompt manner, the same way that I paid them initially. It's the least they can do, and an exercise in courtesy. As it is I must say that I am very disappointed with them due to their taking very long to reply to my emails. Although I know that they are probably busy, it only takes a minute to write a short reply to someone, at least acknowledging receipt of an email. NO services have been rendered by them, and they do not even have my manuscript. And by the way I explicitly prohibit you from sending the manuscript to them.

If you do speak with them assure them that if do not receive my refund promptly I will most certainly take whatever action required to compel them to do so. I've already been in contact with Paypal and they are aware of the issue- they concur that my demand for a refund is valid- and the Better Business Bureau is another recourse I will turn to, should they not respond to my request.

In any case, thanks for your assistance in this matter. As soon as the critique is done by the 3rd party I will make it available to you, and then we can get to the business of selling my book. In the meantime if there is anything you need from me do not hesitate to contact me.

Thanks, and have a great day,

/////////////////////////////

So sure enough, within a few days I got the refund, no emails, no explanations, no apologies nothing. The next step was to get out of the contract. Even though it was clear that these people (or this guy, apparently it's a one-scammer operation) had no intention of working in trying to sell the manuscript, the fact is that they had a signed contract, whatever it was worth. If I wanted to be completely free to pursue other agencies I had to get out of it. So I waited the stipulated 90 days of non-sale by the agency and sent them a certified letter, return receipt requested, that the contract was then null and void because they had not made a sale in 90 days. In return, they sent me a letter that stated that the contract was now void because I did not abide by the stipulation that I had to provide them a 3rd party critique (he actually makes you agree to that - that's how he makes his money- more on that later). You see, he couldn't stand the fact that I got out of the contract, he had to make it seem as if it was me who failed to fulfill the contract! Unbelievable, the ego...anyway, I'm out of the contract, if there ever really was one (a legal argument can be made that there was never a bona fide intent to prosecute it on his part, therefore it is invalid, according to my attorney), and I was able to get my $79 bucks back. Bottom line is that the guy is a scammer plain and simple. Maybe in his heart, a long time ago, he actually wanted to be literary agent, but it's evident that all he wants now is to make a living off of writer's hopes. And think of it, he receives probably dozens, or maybe even hundreds of manuscripts a week, who knows. Even if only a portion of them (us) pay the fee for the critique, then he's golden, and he has a free ride. Then all he has to do is say that he's trying to sell your story but that it's a tough business, and hasn't had any luck. Eventually you say the hell with it, break it off with him and go on your way, and he keeps the money you paid. Moral of the story? The eternal truth of the saying: "if it's too good to be true, it probably is." Or, "if it quacks like a duck, and walks like a duck, then it is a duck." Or “if it smell like...etc. etc...well you get the drift. And to the person who wrote earlier of celebrating the good fortune of finding an agent, no reason to feel bad, it happens...the important thing is to learn from it and keep your eyes open, and push on. We'll all get signed up sooner or later.

Author: Janet Bellinger
Date:   02-15-06 14:34

Just letting you know that I cancelled my contract with New York Literary and they didn't give me any hassle at all, about it. I just explained that I couldn't meet the terms of the contract, via getting my work edited, and so they agreed readily to cancel it. You have to give them that. They could have turned the whole process into a nightmare for me, if they had chosen to do so.
Janet

Author: Laura Smith
Date:   02-28-06 23:31

I Just joined this forum for the sole purpose of meeting you all and having a support group for what I have been going through. I could say ditto to all that Janet said, except I haven't cancelled anything yet. I just received my supposed critique back, and I am so discouraged! They -- whoever they are -- spent pages critiquing the paragraph I scribbled that was supposed to be my synopsis. Then I could just tell that it was all canned and the pages they forwarded to me were something they probably forwarded to everyone. The changes they suggested were minor and stylistic, and then they recommended that I not do the editing myself, but rather use one of their editors.

I have been depressed all night thinking I suck. I have been prepared to have constructive criticism, and am well aware that I will need to make some changes. That is more than fine. But I was not prepared to have my $89 (yes, $89) thrown in the garbage while someone did not appear to really read my work to tell me if the story works or not.

Anyway, I am not sure what to do. I went and googled New York Literary Agency to find their website and check it out at Better Business Bureau, and I found this instead. It makes me a little sick in my stomach, too.

I wonder what will happen when and if I have someone independently edit my work -- not their editor. Will they then tell me I need to get it done again and again? I refuse to give them anymore money. Part of me wants to say maybe they are weeding out the people who are unwilling to take the steps to strengthen their own work, but I guess I would like to know now who they have actually published, and why they can't edit their own e-mails to make them grammatically correct?

The end.

Author: Cynthia Delker
Date:   03-01-06 10:08

They wished to see my manuscript and so I looked further into the company. Here is the e-mail correspondance I had with them...


Before sending my manuscript, I would like to get more information about the company. Specifically you mention several books that have been handled/published by your company. I would just like the names of those novels so I have an idea of the books your able to get published and what sort of market your able to reach. You company currently has a bad reputation in the writing market, but I'm always willing to give people the benefit of the doubt.

-Cynthia



Here are just a few sales, not all. One is Dario Castagno who wrote "Too Much Tuscan Sun" which is now in 3 languages and was nominated for a Ben Franklin award (published by Globe Pequot). Pastor Billy Crone is due to be published soon with his work, "A Marriage Built to Last" and Pete Parente has a book called "Peeper and Friends" that is now well above 5000 sold. We have one sale to a publisher in the UK and another sci-fi sale just occurred as well. We are very proud of our track record. Of course we wish it were more, but when you consider that most agencies only sell 1 deal, we feel that we're doing pretty well.


Best regards,
Sherry Fine - VP Acquisitions



Upon further investigation I have learned that your company charges fees for 'adding my story to your database' and 'Manuscript printing fees'. I will only work with an agency that believes strongly enough in my work, that they are willing to take care of all initial costs. I will not be putting any money forward. If I'm incorrect about the 'fees' you are charging, please feel free to correct me.

-Cynthia

Ok, we call this something for nothing, good luck.

Best regards,
Sherry Fine - VP Acquisitions


-----------------------

From the VP's most recent response which is HIGHLY unprofessional, I would not go with this company even if they paid me. What I call what they are doing is trying to get something out of nothing. (In other words, money out of a writer that will never get published). They have a claim to THREE books, that's all. Most companies I've seen/read about, have published upwards of FIVE books A YEAR. (shakes head). Avoid! Avoid! AVOID! this company.

Author: Conor Tilden
Date:   03-05-06 17:46

I fell for this also. I went searching through MSN Search for Literary Agencies. I submitted a query and later sent them the manuscript. I guess I'm going to be okay since I'll BS my way through not signing the contract. I just can't believe that I fell for this agency. Now I have to hope that one of the agencies I snail-mailed will accept my manuscript. I liked the idea of emailing everything just to save on mailing and printing expenses and the quick turn around time. Guess I'll do more research before I send anything that sounds too good to be true.

Author: Charles Baltzer
Date:   03-13-06 19:00

My experience with N.Y.L.A. is almost a carbon copy of everything that's written above: 1) I found the web site by search engine 2) I didn't do any research on the "agency", just naively sent whole manuscript to them 3) I received the usual canned emails back saying that I needed to send money to one of their approved "critique specialists" 4) in the mean time I did the research and found this forum, realized that N.Y.L.A. is a complete scam, and then, 5) I panicked- because I realized that this bogus outfit had my hard earned manuscript to do with whatever they pleased, and that I had been scammed, which has never happened to me before in my life.

At least in my case, I caught on to this scam before I sent any hard earned money out to the scammer(s). I sent a report to the New York Better Business Bureau, and a complaint to the New York office of The FBI, but as you can see, this con-job outfit is still going strong.

Now, you know the saying- "If you were scammed once, shame on them for scamming you, but if you get scammed again- shame on you for not learning your lesson!" Well, I just sent another complete manuscript to another on-line publisher; "ePress Online". Right after I sent it I started to wonder- is "ePress Online" a reputable publisher of e-books, or are they another literary shark?

There are similarities between The New York Literary Agency and ePress Online as to the appearance of their home pages and methods of acquiring new manuscripts. See their home page at http://www.epress-online.com

Does anybody have any information as whether ePress Online is a reputable publisher, or should they be avoided, like The New York Literary Agency? Thanks for any replies. -Chuck

Author: Tonya Valdez
Date:   03-22-06 19:02

I got the same interactions with this "Literary Agency" and sadly, I have sent them a copy of my Manuscript as well. However, I don't think it's their goal to steal manuscripts - just money.... please protect yourself!!!

Author: Randall J Rosatte
Date:   03-23-06 08:19

Ditto, ditto, ditto. Thank God I found this forum before I sent them any money. I smelled a rat early on after emailing a few sample chapters, and I have to agree, "If it sounds too good to be true, it probably is." Life goes on...

Randy Rosatte

Author: Raff Ellis
Date:   03-31-06 09:55

What's really funny is that if you click on the Writer's Net thread for Agents, the first one on the list is--you guessed it! The New York Leterary Agency!

It would be interesting to find someone who has been rejected by them. I doubt you can.

Raff

Author: Author Yar
Date:   04-09-06 11:59

I just wanted to let you know that I work with them and they have treated me honorably, and kept their word. They have insisted that I clean up my writing, but, that's a good thing! Hope that helps.

Author: Author Yar
Date:   04-09-06 12:01

I just wanted to let everyone know that this is a very one sided discussion. They have treated me right.

Author: Charles Baltzer
Date:   04-09-06 21:39

Are you sure that you're not just being lured into the same trap as all of the other people who posted before you? What exactly is your relationship with The New York Literary Agency? Are you trying to get a book published, or have you already done so, using The New York Literary Agency as your agent? If you have, then what is the title of the book, and what publisher is it published with? Please post the answers to these questions in this thread, and, if The New York Literary Agency is still helping you to get published, please keep us updated as to your progress with them. If you don't, then either you've realized that you've been scammed, or your reasons for siding with The New York Literary Agency are suspect, to say the least. In any case, everybody who has posted in this thread will be looking forward to your response.

Author: Janet Bellinger
Date:   04-10-06 06:34

Of course they requested a manuscript. They will tell you that you need to get a literary critique done on your work, and offering the services of a "sister" agency, for $60-$80.(which is really New York Literary.) You will get a sketchy critique ( the one I got was only on my synopsis,) which will say that your work needs a lot of editing and that in the company's opinion, the author is not capable of making the revisions, himor herself. NY literary will then tell you that they will accept you as a client, "work with you," as long as you promise to enlist the services of an editor. Once again, they offer the services of an "independant" company (which again is NY Literary,) for around $125. They say you don't have to use this service, but if you go to somebody else, the changes will have to be approved by NY Literary. I signed a contract with them then cancelled it, because I believe that once you've paid the $125, (and this has been confirmed by other writers,) NY Literary will keep coming back to you to pay for more "editing," until they've bled you dry. I do not recommend them,.

Author: Timothy Reilly
Date:   04-10-06 07:16

I sent these people a copy of my manuscript without investigating them. I am a new autghor and apparently naive to the process. After reading these threads I don't have any faith that I will get anywhere. All I have recieved is the first letter wanting a manuscript. My question is; wil my manuscript be stolen?

Author: Janet Bellinger
Date:   04-10-06 07:29

I can't believe I was naive enough to believe in NY Literary. I don't think you have to worry about them stealing your manuscript though, because they don't actually submit them anywhere, from what I've been told.
Janet

Author: Charles Baltzer
Date:   04-10-06 11:19

On the subject of whether New York Literary will steal your manuscript- in a sense they already have. Any outfit that operates in this fashion, just trying to con money out of you for "literary critique", is not out to do you, or your manuscript, any good. (That stands to reason, doesn't it?) If they say, "We have removed your manuscript from our data banks at your request", do you think that they are going to go from con artist to honest businessman in one second? Of course not! They have your manuscript, and mine, and everybody else's that sent them one, to do with whatever they please. So, what is New York Literary likely to do with all these manuscripts? Probably nothing, as Janet Bellinger mentioned above. This is because they are not really in the business of getting things published, they are in the business of scamming people out of whatever money they can get them to send in. But the possibility exists they could sell your manuscript, or send it over seas, or give it away for free, or modify it slightly to avoid copyright infringement and then submit it elsewhere, etc. etc., IOW- nobody know what they MIGHT do. New York Literary may not do any of these things with your hard earned manuscript, but don't be so naive as to think that your manuscript is perfectly safe with them.

Author: jason roach
Date:   04-12-06 14:53

same.
same.
same.
fortunately i found this forum moments after sending of payment.
i sent of another email demanding a halt of payment also mentioning that i had made a cope of said email and would forward them to the appropriate authorities
within an hour i had gotten a response emaill saying that they were not in fact the same company and that they had deleted my cc info from their records. wish me luck that this is the case. for if they do take the payment they have acknowledge that they are in fact theives

Author: b b
Date:   04-12-06 15:22

I too received a cyber-response from NYLA. I sent them back a form letter, and attached it below for all those out there who would like to use it. I hope it helps.

---BEGIN HERE---

Dear Sherry,

Thank you for your interest in my work. You have no idea how frustrating it is to find agencies out there with a real appreciation for new voices in writing!

Before I send you my entire manuscript, I will first need a small deposit from your agency to insure a smooth transaction of materials. This fee, of course, will be fully refunded along with the generous commission you will receive when my book gets published.

Please send a certified check for $1000 (one thousand) dollars, made out to (your name), and promptly mail it to:

(your address)

I look forward to our new partnership and can't wait to start making waves in the literary world, thanks to my new friends at NY Literary Agency!

Regards,

(your name)

Author: Jon Landle
Date:   04-12-06 21:30

I would like to say thanks. Many people read these threads and are swayed in the right direction. Many of these people never post a reply to mention this. So on behalf of all that have been aided by this, and many other threads, I would like to say thank you to all who had posted on this, and all topics.

Author: Timothy Wahl
Date:   04-12-06 22:08

Was it Rodney Dangerfield who said he was skeptical of any clug\\b that would have him as a member? That\'s how I was when I got a \"positive\" response from NYLA after one rejection after another. I checked out their website with a more critical eye. Despite their words of promise, one thing caught my attention. A red flag went up right away. Legitimate agents list their clients. It\'s like a brag sheet for their successes. NYLA had nothing of this sort. Yes, I guess I am skeptical of any agent that wants to rep me. At least one who sounds eager to do so, as NYLA was.

Author: Michael Roy
Date:   04-15-06 14:36

I hope I am not another sucker. I am unpublished and stumbled upon them while looking on Google. They quickly said sent the manuscript and then said it looks good and sent an email saying the contract and criique situation. I emailed back saying fine but got suspicious of the fee and began looking. Now this. I did write back a little bit later and said I would have to pass for personal reasons. I hope my manuscript isn't stolen or passed off, because I have worked long and hard on it. Does anyone know of any ways to stop them?

Author: Mary Kelly
Date:   04-15-06 15:43

Timothy, it was Groucho. He said,


"I sent the club a wire stating, PLEASE ACCEPT MY RESIGNATION. I DON'T WANT TO BELONG TO ANY CLUB THAT WILL ACCEPT ME AS A MEMBER".

Groucho Marx

I, like many of you, have had the same experience with NYLA AKA NOT YOUR LITERARY ADVOCATE. It was telling and amusing about the story of the writer who tested their intentions by inviting them over for curry dinner and still got the same standard acceptance response.

Lesson learned before I spent a dime or another minute of my time (with the exception of this post). Better to remember that according to Writer's Digest and Jeff Herman's guide that entering the publishing fray unagented is a daunting task--a 98-99% rejection rate.

Thanks to all who have shared, with the exception of Sherry Fine, whom I suspect is neither.

Author: Michael Roy
Date:   04-18-06 16:03

I know they don't read their email. I had sent them an email after I said fine to their deal saying I would have to pass on it. And what do I get today in my email--the contract and a bunch of stuff about the critique. I wrote back saying again I would have to pass. Again thanks to this board for being there to offer support and good advice.

Author: sameer malik
Date:   04-19-06 21:00

Hey guys,
as mentioned before my many, i have had the same experience. ofcourse i didnt realise till now (after reading this) that it was a scam. but i have already sent a signed copy of the contract and paid for the critique. now they are asking for editing fee. obviously im not going to do that, but how can i get out of the contract. someone mentioned the 90 days no sale clause, but i cant seem to find it. can anyone shed some light on this?

thanks in advance

Author: Charles Baltzer
Date:   04-19-06 23:44

This is just my two cents worth, because I have never read the so-called "contract" that New York Literary Agency offers to it's clients. In light of the fashion that NYLA does business, I think that it's unlikely that NYLA is going to try to enforce any kind of contract that anybody has signed with them. As has been mentioned before, NYLA is out to wring fees out of you with anything that they can trick or cajole you with. Bear in mind- we're dealing with a very smooth and slick con artist here. (That's why the word "artist" comes after the word "con", because these guys are artists in their own right). Whoever is behind this scheme well understands all of the internet facets and human nature necessary to lure vulnerable writers into their trap (and in some cases, keep them there for a while in order to bleed them for more money). But a scam artist is a scam artist, and they are VERY rarely out to take anybody to court for *real* (the LAST place a scam artist wants to be is in court in front of a judge!) The scammer's MO is to get whatever he can from you, and when he realizes that you're wise to him, and that you're not going to send him any more money, then he just boots you out of his way and starts working on the next poor guy or gal who was unfortunate enough to walk into his snare. So, as long as they don't have your credit card number, bank account number, SS number, or any other way to milk more money out of you, then you can probably just walk away, and forget about NYLA without any further fear of reprisal. This is my two cents worth, based on my own experiences with several con artists throughout my lifetime, (I never fell for one of them) who, I've found, all operate in the same way. I wish you the best of luck, Sameer Malik, and everybody else who has had dealings with NYLA, in getting away from these scammers with as little monetary loss as possible.

Author: sameer malik
Date:   04-20-06 09:03

Charles,
thanks a lot for your reply. it was very insightful.
i suppose you are right, and i did look at it from that angle. having said that, you never know what might tick them off at what point.

i am SO paranoid now of any literary agency, one i contacted before (dorrance publishing) asked for 4-6 k dollars!! i cant seem to make up my mind if thats legit or a blatent scam!!


for your interest , here is the contract that was sent to me. ( you said you had never seen a contract)
hope you find it a good read!!


The New York Literary Agency
“Developing the Best Writers in the World”
Ofc. 866-876-4488 www.NewYorkLiteraryAgency.com 917-591-1916 Fax
Greetings and Congratulations!
The New York Literary Agency is prepared to offer you a contract for acceptance as our
client for Agency Representation based on:
1) the manuscript you submitted,
2) the information that you have provided to us and the plan of action that we agreed
upon, i.e. the critique process.
In the sole opinion of the Literary Agency, if any of these items are inaccurate or
misleading this contract may be withdrawn at any time. This contract offer is good for 14
business days from receipt. (This deadline can be automatically extended by 10 days if
you contact us via email and request an extension). We give a deadline because we accept
only a limited number of authors in any time period and we cannot have contracts “hanging
out there”.
Some authors ask “why did you accept me?” Based on our interactions, you have
agreed to follow a plan of action that will lead to your work being of the highest quality,
and we believe that our odds for success are greatly enhanced. In short, we believe that we
can sell your work. We never promise a sale, but we do believe you have a solid chance of
success.
We look forward to working with you. Congratulations again.
.
Best regards,
Sherry Fine – VP Acquisitions
The New York Literary Agency
p.s. What’s Next? Please execute two copies of the contract and send them, along with a
note about your critique (date started, etc.) to the address in the contract. PLEASE send in
the contract at the same time you are having your critique done. If you don’t have a critique
already please contact adminNY@writersliterary.com and you will receive our negotiated
discount and priority turnaround. Once we have your critique and contract you will start
working with the Agent who will be assigned to market your work.
The New York Literary Agency
“Developing the Best Writers in the World”
Ofc. 866-876-4488 www.NewYorkLiteraryAgency.com 917-591-1916 Fax




AGREEMENT FOR LITERARY AGENT REPRESENTATION
NEW YORK LITERARY AGENCY:
Page 1/3 of Contract
This “Agreement” is between ______________________________ [the “Writer/Producer”] and The New
York Literary Agency, Inc. [The “Agent”] as of _____________, 200__ (please enter the date you sign the
contract) for only the work entitled:
_____________________________________________________________________
(Hereinafter “Work”)
Other Works Should Be Submitted Separately Only After Approval
NOW, THEREFORE, for the consideration set forth in this Agreement Agent and Writer
intending to be legally bound hereby, mutually promise and agree as follows:
The copyright and ownership is specifically retained by the author for this work and all
author’s works submitted to, and accepted by, the Agent. The Writer does not grant to Agent or
any other party any right, title or interest of any kind in any copyright, ownership and/or any
other intellectual property right contained in or as a part of any work of the Writer submitted to
the Agent. The Agent agrees to make no claim to any such right, title or interest, however
denominated.
The Writer warrants that he is the sole and exclusive owner of the Work and that the
work does not infringe on any other copyright.
The Writer agrees to indemnify Agent against any judgments, liabilities, damages or loss
related to copyright or ownership.
The term of this contract shall be one year from the above date and must be renewed in
writing for each successive term. The Writer/Producer may terminate this Agreement after 90
consecutive days of no sale by Agent. Renewals and terminations via email are deemed
acceptable.
The rights granted in this pertain to written creative work prepared by the
Writer/Producer for print, television, radio and motion pictures to be sold in the United States of
America and Canada. The Writer/Producer may have other Agents in other countries.
The Agent may not have any conflicts of interest with regard to any specific contract or
employment negotiated under this Agreement. If any such conflict arises, he must relinquish his
commission.
The Agent is entitled to a ten percent [10%] commission on gross compensation accruing
to the Writer/Producer from any contract negotiated under this Agreement. This paragraph shall
survive termination of this Agreement. (This means that if we help you with a deal, you can’t fire
us and take away our commission).
The Agent is not responsible for damage or loss or return of any material.
The Writer/Producer shall do his utmost to finish his work on time as per the terms of
contracts he has entered into. The Agent at his discretion may use the Writer/Producer’s name or
pen name and the name of the work in promotions for the Agent and to promote the Work.
The New York Literary Agency
“Developing the Best Writers in the World”
Ofc. 866-876-4488 www.NewYorkLiteraryAgency.com 917-591-1916 Fax
The Writer/Producer has final say on any and all proposals or contracts delivered by the
Agent. The Writer/Producer is the only signer on any contract with a buyer.
The Writer/Producer acknowledges that the Agent will act only as an advisor and
negotiator. The Agent specifically states that he is not an attorney, and is NOT providing legal
advice.
The Writer/Producer also agrees that all leads, contacts, communications, documents,
emails, forms, and business processes employed by the Agent are considered confidential and
trade secrets and as such shall not be disseminated in any form or format without the express
written permission of the Agent. This clause survives termination of the Agreement.
The Writer/Producer will supply the Agent with an electronic version of their creative
work in a common word processing format (rtf, doc, pdf) for the Agent to submit the work to
potential clients.
Both parties will make themselves available to each other within reason for any purpose
outlined in this Agreement. Both parties agree that any disputes will be settled by arbitration.
This Agreement is binding on the Writer/Producer and Agent and their respective heirs
and assigns. However in the event of a sale, insolvency or other change in the ownership or
operation of The New York Literary Agency, the Writer at his sole discretion may choose to
terminate this Agreement on 90 days notice. In the event of a termination both parties agree to
not disparage the other party in any form.
In the event that this Agreement is terminated for any reason, the Agent, his heirs and/or
assigns may continue to collect all commissions due on existing contracts negotiated under this
Agreement. If an existing contract between the Writer/Producer and any client is renewed, the
Writer’s Agent/heirs and or assigns may collect commissions on renewals until the existing
contract with that client is terminated.
This is the entire agreement. All changes shall require signatures of both parties.
WRITER/PRODUCER HAS THE RIGHT TO CANCEL THIS CONTRACT WITHOUT
QUESTION, WITHOUT RECOURSE, FOR 72 HOURS AFTER MAILING.
The Author may specifically EXCLUDE a contact that you have already made who might
sell or buy your work write them in here, up to a maximum of 3. If a sale occurs to, or
through, any of the following people or companies the Agent is NOT entitled to a
commission. (In other words, if we don’t find the buyer, we don’t deserve a commission.
You will find that we are very straightforward in our business dealings.)
1 ________________________________________________________
2 ________________________________________________________
3 ________________________________________________________
The New York Literary Agency
“Developing the Best Writers in the World”
Ofc. 866-876-4488 www.NewYorkLiteraryAgency.com 917-591-1916 Fax
Page 3/3 of Contract
Self-Published authors please note: Your existing contract must give you the right to cancel or must
clearly state that you maintain all rights. If you are in doubt please check with your attorney or
forward us your contract for review.
THE WRITER/PRODUCER ALSO ACKNOWLEDGES THAT AT NO TIME AND IN NO FORM
HAS AGENT GUARANTEED THAT A SALE WILL BE MADE. _______ Writer Initial here.
I HEREBY CERTIFY THAT I AM OLDER THAN 18 YEARS OF AGE. _______Writer Initial
here. If you are not over 18, please have a parent or guardian execute the contract.
The Literary Agency Group, Inc.
The New York Literary Agency, Writer/Producer
_____________________(sign) ___________________________(sign)
Senior Agent
Print/typed Name:_________________________
Address: ____________________________
City/State/Zip: ____________________________
Phone: ____________________________
Email: _______________________________________________________
PLEASE BE SURE YOUR EMAIL IS LEGIBLE!
Pay particular attention to 1,l,0,O,2,Z, etc.…
PLEASE MAIL TWO SIGNED COPIES OF THIS CONTRACT TO:
The New York Literary Agency
Contract Administration Department
275 Madison Ave, 4th Floor
New York, NY 10016
You will be notified via email upon receipt of your mailed copies. Please allow
approximately 30 days for the return of your fully executed copy.

Author: Ande Francis
Date:   04-20-06 12:09

I'm lucky,I was born a cynic. I was suspicious anyway when I got such a quick turnaround and acceptance. Then I read the letter from "Sherry" and thought a) they won't name any authors and b) they can't spell the word weird. It was incorrect three times. A literary agency! Please! When a literary agency can't spell you know you're in trouble. Run, run, run away, do not pass go, do not pay them 50 dollars!

Author: Eileen Spencer
Date:   04-24-06 21:36

I submitted a YA novel to the Children's Literary Agency and got as far as the critique. It has not been sent to me yet although I paid for it, but was forwarded to my "agent" to handle. I was simply sent an empty form. The agent then contacted me to say that I have considerable work to do on the manuscript and they could provide an editor at cost of more than 150 dollars. I immediately sent a letter withdrawing from the contract (right on the contract it gives you 90 days to do that). I have also asked for the critique to be sent to me. Here is the letter I sent to them
DEAR Children’s Literary Agency, (which means an agency for children, and maybe that slip is intentional.)

This is confirmation in writing that I wish to terminate the contract I sent to you recently. I understand that I have 90 days to do that and I am well within that period.

I am disappointed in the way you deal with writers and feel that you represent yourselves dishonestly. The impression given is that there are no charges, other than the initial fee for the critique, until the book is sold and then you take ten percent of the total paid by the publisher. I now find that all the editing is to be paid for. It is not usual for agents to work this way and should have been stated up front. If my work is worth accepting it should be worth your while to do the editing and then take your percentage.
I am disillusioned and feel that I will be lured into more and more charges that have not been stated up front. This is a dishonest approach and not worthy of a reputable organization.

I will now find a company that is transparent and fair in its dealings with writers. If I have to pay then I wish to know before I sign a contract. Please send me the critique for which I have paid and then withdraw my work from your portfolio. Please delete the files I have sent to you and take note that all the work is copyrighted.

Yours with integrity,


EILEEN SPENCER

Author: Sherry Fine
Date:   05-01-06 10:03

Dear Message Board Citizens:

The company has asked me to tell you, in my own words, what I do and to let
you know just one aspect of what they do to help writers sell their work.

I work with Sherry Fine, our director of acquisitions, and I am using her
login for speed and efficiency with this post. One caveat, I'm in phone
sales, so if there are grammar or spelling errors in this post, please
realize that you are the writer, and that's your job to write 100%
correctly, not mine.

My job is to constantly expand the company's relationship of buyers. As you
know buyers in large companies change jobs and titles on a regular basis.
I've found that about 25%, that's 1/4 names that you can find in Writers
Market, or various public sources are INCORRECT.

So, my job is to live on the phone and email. I am paid to call buyers for
our authors and for our database of contacts.

Basically what I do is take a manuscript and a potential list of 30 buyers,
and get on the phone and qualify the list. I call, I make sure that we have
the right buyer's name, I check spelling and address, and most importantly,
I confirm what they are 'Looking For Now'. When I find a qualified buyer
with a need, I immediately communicate that to the Agents, and they
aggressively go into our roster of authors to find matches for the buyer.

Our materials are very well received by the buyers. Our buyers have learned
that we posess one of the most qualified groups of authors in the industry.
They know that all of our authors have been formally critiqued and edited.
Our buyers know that they can trust what we send them. Our buyers know that
we have filtered out the hobbyists from the authors that will do what it
takes to succeed.

Yes, we tell our authors that they have to reach industry standards.
Doesn't every agency do that in one way or another? I can tell you from
personal experience how frustrating it is to hear from a buyer that the work
we are trying to sell isn't as good a the competing works they are looking
at. So, if anything, our agency is becoming MORE demanding that our authors
take their work as far as they can from a quality perspective.

So, I hope that I have helped you see one aspect of an Agents job. The
company spends a lot of money paying me to do nothing but find buyers and
qualify them. And when I read this ongoing thread with all these bad words,
written by people that have only sour grapes to say, I just wanted to let
you know that "it ain't so".

Also, I can assure you that this company isn't a scam. I've known the
principals for years and they do the best they can for their authors. They
also pay their bills on a regular basis and they are beginning to acquire
other companies in the industry.

Here's a question.. if a literary agency buys a publishing company so that
they can publish or partner books they believe in, is that a conflict of
interest?
========================================
I can tell you right now that the company is participating in a new business
model. We're promoting a joint venture where we have put up $2500 in
partnership with the author and the publisher to get the book out the door.
That's unique! And that's how much we believe in what we are doing. The ad
is in the PMA newsletter and has been for 4 months.
A copy of the ad can be seen using this link.
http://www.theliteraryagencygroup.com/pma-literaryagencyad.pdf
This really is important for you to think about. We think that we are the
ONLY LITERARY AGENCY that has stepped up to put our own money behind
certain authors that we represent. If you can find any other agency that
has done this please let me know. This, to me, is brilliant, out of the box
thinking, that shows beyond a shadow of a doubt that our company is behind
our authors.

=======================================


Furthermore, all this talk about who owns what is rubbish. This is
business, and it's a lot like a Darwinian evolution. You either grow and
prosper, or you go out of business and you die.

If we can sell your work, we do. If we can't, then we will tell you why we
think it isn't selling. Usually this means more work, and really, that's
what most of the whining on these boards is about.

So, in conclusion, the company is real, they've paid me a regular salary for
years, and we're putting our heart and soul (and our money) behind our
authors.

Well, that's all the time I have for this post. Best to you and your
writing career. I don't have the time to monitor this post so
unfortunately, all the carping that will occur will be ignored. I have a
real job to get back to.


RKForever

Author: Sherry Fine
Date:   05-01-06 10:03

Dear Message Board Citizens:

The company has asked me to tell you, in my own words, what I do and to let
you know just one aspect of what they do to help writers sell their work.

I work with Sherry Fine, our director of acquisitions, and I am using her
login for speed and efficiency with this post. One caveat, I'm in phone
sales, so if there are grammar or spelling errors in this post, please
realize that you are the writer, and that's your job to write 100%
correctly, not mine.

My job is to constantly expand the company's relationship of buyers. As you
know buyers in large companies change jobs and titles on a regular basis.
I've found that about 25%, that's 1/4 names that you can find in Writers
Market, or various public sources are INCORRECT.

So, my job is to live on the phone and email. I am paid to call buyers for
our authors and for our database of contacts.

Basically what I do is take a manuscript and a potential list of 30 buyers,
and get on the phone and qualify the list. I call, I make sure that we have
the right buyer's name, I check spelling and address, and most importantly,
I confirm what they are 'Looking For Now'. When I find a qualified buyer
with a need, I immediately communicate that to the Agents, and they
aggressively go into our roster of authors to find matches for the buyer.

Our materials are very well received by the buyers. Our buyers have learned
that we posess one of the most qualified groups of authors in the industry.
They know that all of our authors have been formally critiqued and edited.
Our buyers know that they can trust what we send them. Our buyers know that
we have filtered out the hobbyists from the authors that will do what it
takes to succeed.

Yes, we tell our authors that they have to reach industry standards.
Doesn't every agency do that in one way or another? I can tell you from
personal experience how frustrating it is to hear from a buyer that the work
we are trying to sell isn't as good a the competing works they are looking
at. So, if anything, our agency is becoming MORE demanding that our authors
take their work as far as they can from a quality perspective.

So, I hope that I have helped you see one aspect of an Agents job. The
company spends a lot of money paying me to do nothing but find buyers and
qualify them. And when I read this ongoing thread with all these bad words,
written by people that have only sour grapes to say, I just wanted to let
you know that "it ain't so".

Also, I can assure you that this company isn't a scam. I've known the
principals for years and they do the best they can for their authors. They
also pay their bills on a regular basis and they are beginning to acquire
other companies in the industry.

Here's a question.. if a literary agency buys a publishing company so that
they can publish or partner books they believe in, is that a conflict of
interest?
========================================
I can tell you right now that the company is participating in a new business
model. We're promoting a joint venture where we have put up $2500 in
partnership with the author and the publisher to get the book out the door.
That's unique! And that's how much we believe in what we are doing. The ad
is in the PMA newsletter and has been for 4 months.
A copy of the ad can be seen using this link.
http://www.theliteraryagencygroup.com/pma-literaryagencyad.pdf
This really is important for you to think about. We think that we are the
ONLY LITERARY AGENCY that has stepped up to put our own money behind
certain authors that we represent. If you can find any other agency that
has done this please let me know. This, to me, is brilliant, out of the box
thinking, that shows beyond a shadow of a doubt that our company is behind
our authors.

=======================================


Furthermore, all this talk about who owns what is rubbish. This is
business, and it's a lot like a Darwinian evolution. You either grow and
prosper, or you go out of business and you die.

If we can sell your work, we do. If we can't, then we will tell you why we
think it isn't selling. Usually this means more work, and really, that's
what most of the whining on these boards is about.

So, in conclusion, the company is real, they've paid me a regular salary for
years, and we're putting our heart and soul (and our money) behind our
authors.

Well, that's all the time I have for this post. Best to you and your
writing career. I don't have the time to monitor this post so
unfortunately, all the carping that will occur will be ignored. I have a
real job to get back to.


RKForever

Author: Sherry Fine
Date:   05-01-06 10:04

Dear Message Board Citizens:

The company has asked me to tell you, in my own words, what I do and to let
you know just one aspect of what they do to help writers sell their work.

I work with Sherry Fine, our director of acquisitions, and I am using her
login for speed and efficiency with this post. One caveat, I'm in phone
sales, so if there are grammar or spelling errors in this post, please
realize that you are the writer, and that's your job to write 100%
correctly, not mine.

My job is to constantly expand the company's relationship of buyers. As you
know buyers in large companies change jobs and titles on a regular basis.
I've found that about 25%, that's 1/4 names that you can find in Writers
Market, or various public sources are INCORRECT.

So, my job is to live on the phone and email. I am paid to call buyers for
our authors and for our database of contacts.

Basically what I do is take a manuscript and a potential list of 30 buyers,
and get on the phone and qualify the list. I call, I make sure that we have
the right buyer's name, I check spelling and address, and most importantly,
I confirm what they are 'Looking For Now'. When I find a qualified buyer
with a need, I immediately communicate that to the Agents, and they
aggressively go into our roster of authors to find matches for the buyer.

Our materials are very well received by the buyers. Our buyers have learned
that we posess one of the most qualified groups of authors in the industry.
They know that all of our authors have been formally critiqued and edited.
Our buyers know that they can trust what we send them. Our buyers know that
we have filtered out the hobbyists from the authors that will do what it
takes to succeed.

Yes, we tell our authors that they have to reach industry standards.
Doesn't every agency do that in one way or another? I can tell you from
personal experience how frustrating it is to hear from a buyer that the work
we are trying to sell isn't as good a the competing works they are looking
at. So, if anything, our agency is becoming MORE demanding that our authors
take their work as far as they can from a quality perspective.

So, I hope that I have helped you see one aspect of an Agents job. The
company spends a lot of money paying me to do nothing but find buyers and
qualify them. And when I read this ongoing thread with all these bad words,
written by people that have only sour grapes to say, I just wanted to let
you know that "it ain't so".

Also, I can assure you that this company isn't a scam. I've known the
principals for years and they do the best they can for their authors. They
also pay their bills on a regular basis and they are beginning to acquire
other companies in the industry.

Here's a question.. if a literary agency buys a publishing company so that
they can publish or partner books they believe in, is that a conflict of
interest?
========================================
I can tell you right now that the company is participating in a new business
model. We're promoting a joint venture where we have put up $2500 in
partnership with the author and the publisher to get the book out the door.
That's unique! And that's how much we believe in what we are doing. The ad
is in the PMA newsletter and has been for 4 months.
A copy of the ad can be seen using this link.
http://www.theliteraryagencygroup.com/pma-literaryagencyad.pdf
This really is important for you to think about. We think that we are the
ONLY LITERARY AGENCY that has stepped up to put our own money behind
certain authors that we represent. If you can find any other agency that
has done this please let me know. This, to me, is brilliant, out of the box
thinking, that shows beyond a shadow of a doubt that our company is behind
our authors.

=======================================


Furthermore, all this talk about who owns what is rubbish. This is
business, and it's a lot like a Darwinian evolution. You either grow and
prosper, or you go out of business and you die.

If we can sell your work, we do. If we can't, then we will tell you why we
think it isn't selling. Usually this means more work, and really, that's
what most of the whining on these boards is about.

So, in conclusion, the company is real, they've paid me a regular salary for
years, and we're putting our heart and soul (and our money) behind our
authors.

Well, that's all the time I have for this post. Best to you and your
writing career. I don't have the time to monitor this post so
unfortunately, all the carping that will occur will be ignored. I have a
real job to get back to.


RKForever

Author: Sherry Fine
Date:   05-01-06 10:04

Dear Message Board Citizens:

The company has asked me to tell you, in my own words, what I do and to let
you know just one aspect of what they do to help writers sell their work.

I work with Sherry Fine, our director of acquisitions, and I am using her
login for speed and efficiency with this post. One caveat, I'm in phone
sales, so if there are grammar or spelling errors in this post, please
realize that you are the writer, and that's your job to write 100%
correctly, not mine.

My job is to constantly expand the company's relationship of buyers. As you
know buyers in large companies change jobs and titles on a regular basis.
I've found that about 25%, that's 1/4 names that you can find in Writers
Market, or various public sources are INCORRECT.

So, my job is to live on the phone and email. I am paid to call buyers for
our authors and for our database of contacts.

Basically what I do is take a manuscript and a potential list of 30 buyers,
and get on the phone and qualify the list. I call, I make sure that we have
the right buyer's name, I check spelling and address, and most importantly,
I confirm what they are 'Looking For Now'. When I find a qualified buyer
with a need, I immediately communicate that to the Agents, and they
aggressively go into our roster of authors to find matches for the buyer.

Our materials are very well received by the buyers. Our buyers have learned
that we posess one of the most qualified groups of authors in the industry.
They know that all of our authors have been formally critiqued and edited.
Our buyers know that they can trust what we send them. Our buyers know that
we have filtered out the hobbyists from the authors that will do what it
takes to succeed.

Yes, we tell our authors that they have to reach industry standards.
Doesn't every agency do that in one way or another? I can tell you from
personal experience how frustrating it is to hear from a buyer that the work
we are trying to sell isn't as good a the competing works they are looking
at. So, if anything, our agency is becoming MORE demanding that our authors
take their work as far as they can from a quality perspective.

So, I hope that I have helped you see one aspect of an Agents job. The
company spends a lot of money paying me to do nothing but find buyers and
qualify them. And when I read this ongoing thread with all these bad words,
written by people that have only sour grapes to say, I just wanted to let
you know that "it ain't so".

Also, I can assure you that this company isn't a scam. I've known the
principals for years and they do the best they can for their authors. They
also pay their bills on a regular basis and they are beginning to acquire
other companies in the industry.

Here's a question.. if a literary agency buys a publishing company so that
they can publish or partner books they believe in, is that a conflict of
interest?
========================================
I can tell you right now that the company is participating in a new business
model. We're promoting a joint venture where we have put up $2500 in
partnership with the author and the publisher to get the book out the door.
That's unique! And that's how much we believe in what we are doing. The ad
is in the PMA newsletter and has been for 4 months.
A copy of the ad can be seen using this link.
http://www.theliteraryagencygroup.com/pma-literaryagencyad.pdf
This really is important for you to think about. We think that we are the
ONLY LITERARY AGENCY that has stepped up to put our own money behind
certain authors that we represent. If you can find any other agency that
has done this please let me know. This, to me, is brilliant, out of the box
thinking, that shows beyond a shadow of a doubt that our company is behind
our authors.

=======================================


Furthermore, all this talk about who owns what is rubbish. This is
business, and it's a lot like a Darwinian evolution. You either grow and
prosper, or you go out of business and you die.

If we can sell your work, we do. If we can't, then we will tell you why we
think it isn't selling. Usually this means more work, and really, that's
what most of the whining on these boards is about.

So, in conclusion, the company is real, they've paid me a regular salary for
years, and we're putting our heart and soul (and our money) behind our
authors.

Well, that's all the time I have for this post. Best to you and your
writing career. I don't have the time to monitor this post so
unfortunately, all the carping that will occur will be ignored. I have a
real job to get back to.


RKForever

Author: Sherry Fine
Date:   05-01-06 10:04

Dear Message Board Citizens:

The company has asked me to tell you, in my own words, what I do and to let
you know just one aspect of what they do to help writers sell their work.

I work with Sherry Fine, our director of acquisitions, and I am using her
login for speed and efficiency with this post. One caveat, I'm in phone
sales, so if there are grammar or spelling errors in this post, please
realize that you are the writer, and that's your job to write 100%
correctly, not mine.

My job is to constantly expand the company's relationship of buyers. As you
know buyers in large companies change jobs and titles on a regular basis.
I've found that about 25%, that's 1/4 names that you can find in Writers
Market, or various public sources are INCORRECT.

So, my job is to live on the phone and email. I am paid to call buyers for
our authors and for our database of contacts.

Basically what I do is take a manuscript and a potential list of 30 buyers,
and get on the phone and qualify the list. I call, I make sure that we have
the right buyer's name, I check spelling and address, and most importantly,
I confirm what they are 'Looking For Now'. When I find a qualified buyer
with a need, I immediately communicate that to the Agents, and they
aggressively go into our roster of authors to find matches for the buyer.

Our materials are very well received by the buyers. Our buyers have learned
that we posess one of the most qualified groups of authors in the industry.
They know that all of our authors have been formally critiqued and edited.
Our buyers know that they can trust what we send them. Our buyers know that
we have filtered out the hobbyists from the authors that will do what it
takes to succeed.

Yes, we tell our authors that they have to reach industry standards.
Doesn't every agency do that in one way or another? I can tell you from
personal experience how frustrating it is to hear from a buyer that the work
we are trying to sell isn't as good a the competing works they are looking
at. So, if anything, our agency is becoming MORE demanding that our authors
take their work as far as they can from a quality perspective.

So, I hope that I have helped you see one aspect of an Agents job. The
company spends a lot of money paying me to do nothing but find buyers and
qualify them. And when I read this ongoing thread with all these bad words,
written by people that have only sour grapes to say, I just wanted to let
you know that "it ain't so".

Also, I can assure you that this company isn't a scam. I've known the
principals for years and they do the best they can for their authors. They
also pay their bills on a regular basis and they are beginning to acquire
other companies in the industry.

Here's a question.. if a literary agency buys a publishing company so that
they can publish or partner books they believe in, is that a conflict of
interest?
========================================
I can tell you right now that the company is participating in a new business
model. We're promoting a joint venture where we have put up $2500 in
partnership with the author and the publisher to get the book out the door.
That's unique! And that's how much we believe in what we are doing. The ad
is in the PMA newsletter and has been for 4 months.
A copy of the ad can be seen using this link.
http://www.theliteraryagencygroup.com/pma-literaryagencyad.pdf
This really is important for you to think about. We think that we are the
ONLY LITERARY AGENCY that has stepped up to put our own money behind
certain authors that we represent. If you can find any other agency that
has done this please let me know. This, to me, is brilliant, out of the box
thinking, that shows beyond a shadow of a doubt that our company is behind
our authors.

=======================================


Furthermore, all this talk about who owns what is rubbish. This is
business, and it's a lot like a Darwinian evolution. You either grow and
prosper, or you go out of business and you die.

If we can sell your work, we do. If we can't, then we will tell you why we
think it isn't selling. Usually this means more work, and really, that's
what most of the whining on these boards is about.

So, in conclusion, the company is real, they've paid me a regular salary for
years, and we're putting our heart and soul (and our money) behind our
authors.

Well, that's all the time I have for this post. Best to you and your
writing career. I don't have the time to monitor this post so
unfortunately, all the carping that will occur will be ignored. I have a
real job to get back to.


RKForever

Author: Sherry Fine
Date:   05-01-06 10:04

Dear Message Board Citizens:

The company has asked me to tell you, in my own words, what I do and to let
you know just one aspect of what they do to help writers sell their work.

I work with Sherry Fine, our director of acquisitions, and I am using her
login for speed and efficiency with this post. One caveat, I'm in phone
sales, so if there are grammar or spelling errors in this post, please
realize that you are the writer, and that's your job to write 100%
correctly, not mine.

My job is to constantly expand the company's relationship of buyers. As you
know buyers in large companies change jobs and titles on a regular basis.
I've found that about 25%, that's 1/4 names that you can find in Writers
Market, or various public sources are INCORRECT.

So, my job is to live on the phone and email. I am paid to call buyers for
our authors and for our database of contacts.

Basically what I do is take a manuscript and a potential list of 30 buyers,
and get on the phone and qualify the list. I call, I make sure that we have
the right buyer's name, I check spelling and address, and most importantly,
I confirm what they are 'Looking For Now'. When I find a qualified buyer
with a need, I immediately communicate that to the Agents, and they
aggressively go into our roster of authors to find matches for the buyer.

Our materials are very well received by the buyers. Our buyers have learned
that we posess one of the most qualified groups of authors in the industry.
They know that all of our authors have been formally critiqued and edited.
Our buyers know that they can trust what we send them. Our buyers know that
we have filtered out the hobbyists from the authors that will do what it
takes to succeed.

Yes, we tell our authors that they have to reach industry standards.
Doesn't every agency do that in one way or another? I can tell you from
personal experience how frustrating it is to hear from a buyer that the work
we are trying to sell isn't as good a the competing works they are looking
at. So, if anything, our agency is becoming MORE demanding that our authors
take their work as far as they can from a quality perspective.

So, I hope that I have helped you see one aspect of an Agents job. The
company spends a lot of money paying me to do nothing but find buyers and
qualify them. And when I read this ongoing thread with all these bad words,
written by people that have only sour grapes to say, I just wanted to let
you know that "it ain't so".

Also, I can assure you that this company isn't a scam. I've known the
principals for years and they do the best they can for their authors. They
also pay their bills on a regular basis and they are beginning to acquire
other companies in the industry.

Here's a question.. if a literary agency buys a publishing company so that
they can publish or partner books they believe in, is that a conflict of
interest?
========================================
I can tell you right now that the company is participating in a new business
model. We're promoting a joint venture where we have put up $2500 in
partnership with the author and the publisher to get the book out the door.
That's unique! And that's how much we believe in what we are doing. The ad
is in the PMA newsletter and has been for 4 months.
A copy of the ad can be seen using this link.
http://www.theliteraryagencygroup.com/pma-literaryagencyad.pdf
This really is important for you to think about. We think that we are the
ONLY LITERARY AGENCY that has stepped up to put our own money behind
certain authors that we represent. If you can find any other agency that
has done this please let me know. This, to me, is brilliant, out of the box
thinking, that shows beyond a shadow of a doubt that our company is behind
our authors.

=======================================


Furthermore, all this talk about who owns what is rubbish. This is
business, and it's a lot like a Darwinian evolution. You either grow and
prosper, or you go out of business and you die.

If we can sell your work, we do. If we can't, then we will tell you why we
think it isn't selling. Usually this means more work, and really, that's
what most of the whining on these boards is about.

So, in conclusion, the company is real, they've paid me a regular salary for
years, and we're putting our heart and soul (and our money) behind our
authors.

Well, that's all the time I have for this post. Best to you and your
writing career. I don't have the time to monitor this post so
unfortunately, all the carping that will occur will be ignored. I have a
real job to get back to.


RKForever

Author: Sherry Fine
Date:   05-01-06 10:05

Dear Message Board Citizens:

The company has asked me to tell you, in my own words, what I do and to let
you know just one aspect of what they do to help writers sell their work.

I work with Sherry Fine, our director of acquisitions, and I am using her
login for speed and efficiency with this post. One caveat, I'm in phone
sales, so if there are grammar or spelling errors in this post, please
realize that you are the writer, and that's your job to write 100%
correctly, not mine.

My job is to constantly expand the company's relationship of buyers. As you
know buyers in large companies change jobs and titles on a regular basis.
I've found that about 25%, that's 1/4 names that you can find in Writers
Market, or various public sources are INCORRECT.

So, my job is to live on the phone and email. I am paid to call buyers for
our authors and for our database of contacts.

Basically what I do is take a manuscript and a potential list of 30 buyers,
and get on the phone and qualify the list. I call, I make sure that we have
the right buyer's name, I check spelling and address, and most importantly,
I confirm what they are 'Looking For Now'. When I find a qualified buyer
with a need, I immediately communicate that to the Agents, and they
aggressively go into our roster of authors to find matches for the buyer.

Our materials are very well received by the buyers. Our buyers have learned
that we posess one of the most qualified groups of authors in the industry.
They know that all of our authors have been formally critiqued and edited.
Our buyers know that they can trust what we send them. Our buyers know that
we have filtered out the hobbyists from the authors that will do what it
takes to succeed.

Yes, we tell our authors that they have to reach industry standards.
Doesn't every agency do that in one way or another? I can tell you from
personal experience how frustrating it is to hear from a buyer that the work
we are trying to sell isn't as good a the competing works they are looking
at. So, if anything, our agency is becoming MORE demanding that our authors
take their work as far as they can from a quality perspective.

So, I hope that I have helped you see one aspect of an Agents job. The
company spends a lot of money paying me to do nothing but find buyers and
qualify them. And when I read this ongoing thread with all these bad words,
written by people that have only sour grapes to say, I just wanted to let
you know that "it ain't so".

Also, I can assure you that this company isn't a scam. I've known the
principals for years and they do the best they can for their authors. They
also pay their bills on a regular basis and they are beginning to acquire
other companies in the industry.

Here's a question.. if a literary agency buys a publishing company so that
they can publish or partner books they believe in, is that a conflict of
interest?
========================================
I can tell you right now that the company is participating in a new business
model. We're promoting a joint venture where we have put up $2500 in
partnership with the author and the publisher to get the book out the door.
That's unique! And that's how much we believe in what we are doing. The ad
is in the PMA newsletter and has been for 4 months.
A copy of the ad can be seen using this link.
http://www.theliteraryagencygroup.com/pma-literaryagencyad.pdf
This really is important for you to think about. We think that we are the
ONLY LITERARY AGENCY that has stepped up to put our own money behind
certain authors that we represent. If you can find any other agency that
has done this please let me know. This, to me, is brilliant, out of the box
thinking, that shows beyond a shadow of a doubt that our company is behind
our authors.

=======================================


Furthermore, all this talk about who owns what is rubbish. This is
business, and it's a lot like a Darwinian evolution. You either grow and
prosper, or you go out of business and you die.

If we can sell your work, we do. If we can't, then we will tell you why we
think it isn't selling. Usually this means more work, and really, that's
what most of the whining on these boards is about.

So, in conclusion, the company is real, they've paid me a regular salary for
years, and we're putting our heart and soul (and our money) behind our
authors.

Well, that's all the time I have for this post. Best to you and your
writing career. I don't have the time to monitor this post so
unfortunately, all the carping that will occur will be ignored. I have a
real job to get back to.


RKForever

Author: Sherry Fine
Date:   05-01-06 10:05

I'm giving you two answers to your question about what you've read. The first answer is the short one, and the second is the long one. I apologize in advance for any 'attitude' that you read in my reply, but it's a gut/core issue for us and we feel pretty strongly about certain things.


The short answer ....
We told the self-proclaimed industry watchdogs to shove it.
And we ask you to truly take a minute to see what the real beef is.. see below...
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
We told the so-called watchdogs that they are hurting aspiring authors by maintaining 'old-school' ideas. We explained that the agency business is so competitive now, that we can only focus on one thing, selling the work. The author has to take responsibility for bringing their work to industry standards. In short, we told the industry watchdogs that they don't get it, and they are promulgating old ideas that no longer apply. It didn't go over very well and they chatter incessantly, but if you think a writer should have thick skin, you should try being an agent!

We've been in business now long enough to know that our model works, and that buyers respect the fact that EVERY AUTHOR WE REPRESENT HAS BEEN THROUGH A RIGOROUS CRITIQUE AND EDITING PROCESS. What you read on the boards is just authors whining about having to do more work, which they want us to do for free. Think about it for just a minute. If you were buying an unpublished author's work, wouldn't you want to buy work that had been through the proverbial wringer? And wouldn't you want to buy work that could get to market faster, because the grunt work, the editing, had already been done.

In the end, the truth of the matter is that you really want an agency that is willing to break a few rules on your behalf. The 'old school' doesn't want you to get in, and that's the truth. We have 4 sales, most agencies only have 1 or two. We will double that this year we think and you really need to consider whether some 'anonymous' board poster really has your best interest at heart or if you should give us a try, eyes wide open, and see if we don't keep our promises which are * We respect what you have accomplished thus far as a writer, * We believe that great authors are made, not born. We are willing to
develop talent. * We pledge straight talk in a confusing and old-school industry. * We can't promise a sale. We can promise a professional relationship.


------------------------------------------------------------------
Here's one author's reply to this email. We hope you are this discerning. "Thank you for the trouble you took to explain what's on those boards. I think I understand your frustration with the critics and nay sayers now. I have reviewed again the on-line comments and sources and agree that there is really nothing substantive in either their remarks or criticisms. In fact most of them whine about nearly everyone".
-----------------------------------------------------------------
Here's a second one. "I am a little sorry I put you through it. I am not entirely sorry, because I learned some valuable lessons from your response. You challenged me to evaluate the company I keep. I have decided that since I am not a disgruntled, disillusioned, or disappointed author I shouldn't spend my time with those who are". This is such good advice that we've all taken it to heart!
------------------------------------------------------------------


Here's the long answer:
----------------------------------------
We are keenly aware of the negative material on a lot of writer's message boards. I thank you for 'seeking first to understand". Once again, sorry for the length of this email, but there's a lot to try to communicate to you.

I know it is confusing to authors. Luckily most authors can detect that there's something very negatively one sided about most boards, and a good author will ask for more information.

I think you would agree that it's tough to even get a reply from an Agency. Most authors (98%) can't get the time of day from an Agent. Why? Because invariably the author's work needs improvement and if an Agent takes the time to say, "I like the idea, but you need a little help" the Agent is blackballed by every writers blog on the net. So, it's easier to say no, or not reply, than to actually try to help a writer with a good idea and a good start.

Successful writers of books and screenplays use editors and coaches, always have, always will.. if you've never worked with an editor, you should. I would say that 95+% of the books on the shelves today have had an editors touch, either through the publishing company or as directed by an agent. There are two levels of editing. The first is our internal level. The second is the publisher level. When you pass our first level, it means that we will put our reputation on the line for you, however, it doesn't mean that it has been exhaustively edited, like a publisher would do. Their edit is MUCH more extensive. Our edit requirements are related to pitching and selling only.

THIS IS THE REAL ISSUE: If an agent assists the writer by telling them to get editing and then the agent will represent them, they get blackballed. So, here's a situation where potentially great work is 'waiting in the wings' so to speak, and can't get access to the market because Agents are overwhelmed and gunshy.

Luckily (for those authors that can see through the bs), we've decided that the old model is dead and we want new fresh talent. We want authors that want to improve and have their chance. And, our management team is a group of business warriors that basically say, "screw the naysayers because buyers love our model".

Why do buyers (publishers and producers) love our model? Because they know that we've forced the writer to jump through a series of hoops to prove their mettle. And the writers whine, whine, whine, and the publishers say, "whew, thanks for bringing us great work and for filtering out the crackpot writers that want the world and don't have an understanding of how competitive the market is." BUYERS WANT WRITERS THAT HAVE INVESTED IN THEMSELVES AND THEIR WRITING.

But why all the negative press you might ask? In short, the message boards attract unsuccessful writers. It's quite a statistical anomoly isn't it. A successful writer isn't sitting around responding to message boards, a successful writer is improving their craft, making submissions, and writing. As I'm sure you've seen the pettiness on the boards.. That pettiness is, to me, worse than a National Enquirer that you read in the grocery line, and frankly, I think the message boards attract the same caliber of people. Also, just for the fun of it, you should ask the people that work the boards to be your agent, and see how many writers run to help you.

LET ME STATE THIS AGAIN.. ASK THE PEOPLE ON THE MESSAGE BOARDS, BECAUSE THEY ARE SO SMART, WHAT THEY'VE SOLD, AND WHO THEIR AGENT WAS... And whether they'd be your agent.

That said, we've come to thank these boards. The boards weed out three main categories of writers that we are actually glad to be rid of: 1) Authors that don't have a clue, 2) Authors that can't make up their mind for themselves and don't have any "grit", and 3) the SFN's (writers that want Something for Nothing). I hope that you aren't in any of those three categories. The Something For Nothing authors really get my goat, but that's another rant. Those are the authors that think we'll bear all their expenses because they've 'written the next bestseller'... egads...


Reread the 4 bullets under my signature. That's our promise. It's simple and it's understandable, and we deliver on it all day, every day. (Like this email really).

So, in conclusion, this is what I would do, if I were in your shoes, I'd proceed with us, eyes wide open, and see if we meet or exceed our four business tenets below, A) Respect, B) Building Talent, 3) Straight Talk, and a 4) Professional Relationship.

Just for grins, and so that you know we provide a service of value to aspiring authors, I would like you to see some of the unprompted quotes that we receive on a daily basis. Our clients say it best. The quotes below are unedited and as you can see, quite from the heart. (We have lots more of these.) If you are really cynical, you will probably believe we made them up, but I promise you, we can prove every one of them.

=======================

"Just a note to say, whatever the outcome of my submission, it's refreshing to engage an agent who will a) take an email submission, b) turn it round as quick you've committed to do and c) actively work with a writer. Submissions are daunting enough anyway without having to wait ten weeks for an impersonalised slip of paper. Here's to you."

"It is refreshing to get an honest professional opinion of my work, it make me realise just how much I don't know about the written word and its presentation."

Dear Georgina, I'd like you to know how highly and gratefully I regard the clarity with which you explain the process as well as your reliability. I have complete trust in both your abilities and ethical standards. Best wishes, Judith

It's been a long time since I left school with considerable number of years passing before I became interested in writing again. I would like you to thank you for working with me and let it be known that I look at this as a new beginning and rebirth of my education.

You don't know how nice it is to have such timely responses. I am sure I am not the only writer that puts a lot of heart into their work and I have to say, I have "kept mine tucked away in the closet" for many, many years. I just enjoy writing, but didn't know if I would ever try and submit it to anyone. Making the decision to do that has been somewhat of a nerve-wracking process. Your timely responses and professional, yet "down-to-earth" responses are making the process a lot easier. At this time, I am not submitting my work to anyone else, because you have impressed me the most up to this point. Even if we do not end up working together, I felt it was important to pass this along to you.

Dear Georgina: Your professional zeal and resourcefulness cannot be overemphasized seeing the volatile-oceanic-wave called the American Hollywood with its impregnable sales frontiers.I hold you dearly to my heart in my every prayers towards our mutual success now and...very soon in sbsequent works.I doff my heart after your every professional spirit imagining the energy, sweat and travellings involved. Thanks for everything you stand for professionally.

Thank you for your constructive feedback. I found your critique of my work very informative, and it concluded many things that I already knew. I really do need to improve on my punctuation skills, and that has been something I have struggled with for some time. I appreciate your suggestions on materials to improve this, and I plan on taking an advanced grammar and puctuation class at the college I am attending. Several other points you made were also very informative. I know I have a long way to go before I am a "professional" writer, but I am glad that you agreed that the potential is definitely there. I'd also like to thank you and your company for staying in contact with me through this process. I would, and will, come back to your company if I need further material critiqued. Thank you again for your time.

I just want to say I have been rejected for years by Agents and Publishers. After awhile it all seems pointless. But I am in this for the long run and will never give up and never give in. Whether you accept me or not you have restored my faith and hope that someone out there is concerned and listening to what writings go through. I look forward to learning all that I can from you and your associates.

"After having reread all the information sent to me, I must say that I am impressed by the way your agency has handled the science, or art of appreciating new sources of writing. If only all agencies displayed your model the world may be a better place. Your FAQ has answered all of my questions and i am eager to get to work."

===========================

WE ARE CREATING THE MOST POWERFUL AGENCY GROUP IN THE UNITED STATES. Every author that we represent has been fully edited and we know, beyond a shadow of a doubt, that their work is good enough for publication. Unfortunately, the ones that 'wash out', tend to grouse and *****. If you can make it through our process, then you will be in an elite group that buyers respect. We never promise a sale, but we can promise that if we present your work, it will get respect from our buyers.

Best to you in your career whatever your decision. I hope you give us a chance to prove ourselves. What's your real risk anyway?

Author: Sherry Fine
Date:   05-01-06 10:06

Dear Message Board Citizens:

The company has asked me to tell you, in my own words, what I do and to let
you know just one aspect of what they do to help writers sell their work.

I work with Sherry Fine, our director of acquisitions, and I am using her
login for speed and efficiency with this post. One caveat, I'm in phone
sales, so if there are grammar or spelling errors in this post, please
realize that you are the writer, and that's your job to write 100%
correctly, not mine.

My job is to constantly expand the company's relationship of buyers. As you
know buyers in large companies change jobs and titles on a regular basis.
I've found that about 25%, that's 1/4 names that you can find in Writers
Market, or various public sources are INCORRECT.

So, my job is to live on the phone and email. I am paid to call buyers for
our authors and for our database of contacts.

Basically what I do is take a manuscript and a potential list of 30 buyers,
and get on the phone and qualify the list. I call, I make sure that we have
the right buyer's name, I check spelling and address, and most importantly,
I confirm what they are 'Looking For Now'. When I find a qualified buyer
with a need, I immediately communicate that to the Agents, and they
aggressively go into our roster of authors to find matches for the buyer.

Our materials are very well received by the buyers. Our buyers have learned
that we posess one of the most qualified groups of authors in the industry.
They know that all of our authors have been formally critiqued and edited.
Our buyers know that they can trust what we send them. Our buyers know that
we have filtered out the hobbyists from the authors that will do what it
takes to succeed.

Yes, we tell our authors that they have to reach industry standards.
Doesn't every agency do that in one way or another? I can tell you from
personal experience how frustrating it is to hear from a buyer that the work
we are trying to sell isn't as good a the competing works they are looking
at. So, if anything, our agency is becoming MORE demanding that our authors
take their work as far as they can from a quality perspective.

So, I hope that I have helped you see one aspect of an Agents job. The
company spends a lot of money paying me to do nothing but find buyers and
qualify them. And when I read this ongoing thread with all these bad words,
written by people that have only sour grapes to say, I just wanted to let
you know that "it ain't so".

Also, I can assure you that this company isn't a scam. I've known the
principals for years and they do the best they can for their authors. They
also pay their bills on a regular basis and they are beginning to acquire
other companies in the industry.

Here's a question.. if a literary agency buys a publishing company so that
they can publish or partner books they believe in, is that a conflict of
interest?
========================================
I can tell you right now that the company is participating in a new business
model. We're promoting a joint venture where we have put up $2500 in
partnership with the author and the publisher to get the book out the door.
That's unique! And that's how much we believe in what we are doing. The ad
is in the PMA newsletter and has been for 4 months.
A copy of the ad can be seen using this link.
http://www.theliteraryagencygroup.com/pma-literaryagencyad.pdf
This really is important for you to think about. We think that we are the
ONLY LITERARY AGENCY that has stepped up to put our own money behind
certain authors that we represent. If you can find any other agency that
has done this please let me know. This, to me, is brilliant, out of the box
thinking, that shows beyond a shadow of a doubt that our company is behind
our authors.

=======================================


Furthermore, all this talk about who owns what is rubbish. This is
business, and it's a lot like a Darwinian evolution. You either grow and
prosper, or you go out of business and you die.

If we can sell your work, we do. If we can't, then we will tell you why we
think it isn't selling. Usually this means more work, and really, that's
what most of the whining on these boards is about.

So, in conclusion, the company is real, they've paid me a regular salary for
years, and we're putting our heart and soul (and our money) behind our
authors.

Well, that's all the time I have for this post. Best to you and your
writing career. I don't have the time to monitor this post so
unfortunately, all the carping that will occur will be ignored. I have a
real job to get back to.


RKForever

Author: Charles Baltzer
Date:   05-04-06 22:36

The con-man is beginning to feel the heat- I mean, after all, nine reiterations of the same basic foolish post?! (see the nine posts above). The gibberish posted above by “Sherry Fine” and whoever else that is writing all that non-sense is hardly worthy of comment or feedback.

First of all, have you noticed that everything that you’ve read on the New York Literary Agency’s web site, and all the email that you’ve received from “Sherry Fine”, and everything that’s written in the posts above that’s purportedly NOT from “Sherry Fine”, in short, any and all written material that comes from this agency all appears to be written by the same person? Of course... because the con-man can’t stop his personality traits and writing style from showing up in the unusually long and repetitious essays.

It turns out that “Sherry Fine”, and the “other writer” who never says what his job is, or even signs his name in the post above, and every other “employee” of these non-existent companies is really just one single guy sitting there with a lap-top computer, banging out emails to whoever he can convince to send him some more money. And he also spends a little bit of time sending pacification emails to his disgruntled new client-authors who have started to catch on to his game.

Ultimately the new authors give up on the scam “agency”, and when the con-man sees that he’s taken them for all he can get, he ignores them and moves on to a new crop of new authors. He has found a niche- an endless supply of gullible, inexperienced first-time authors, all eager to send a little money to what they believe is a real literary agency that is open and friendly to new, unpublished authors.

But the con-man is getting angry- this conference has started to take a bite out of the steady income that he has been reaping from his victims. His anger is readily apparent in the bizarre and repetitive posts seen above. The sad fact is that the ridiculous and deceptive New York Literary Agency web site is still up and actively robbing unsuspecting people of hard earned money and manuscripts. The scary fact is that people are still being deceived by this two-bit scam, and there doesn’t appear to be much of anything that anyone can do about it.

Here’s a quote from one of NYLA’s silly essays above: “A successful writer isn’t sitting around responding to message boards...” Maybe so, NYLA, but disillusioned and cheated authors who trusted, and invested hard earned money in you, and who’s fledgling writing careers were stymied by your deceptions, certainly do!

Here’s another quote: “A successful writer is improving their craft (sic), making submissions...” And, with blind faith, submitting all of their work and a substantial portion of their money to The New York Literary Agency, without seeking any kind of references, or asking critical questions as to NYLA’s business practices or successes as literary agents- is what NYLA is hoping for.

And, so- what are we to do? I propose that every person who has ever posted on, or read this conference, with the exception of “Mr. Sherry Fine”, should file a report to the New York Division of the FBI, and another report to the New York Better Business Bureau, as I have done, because there is strength in numbers, and working together, we can stop this slime from continuing to feed off of hard working and unsuspecting citizens. But it won’t have any effect unless we work en masse, because the government doesn’t listen to just one person, but Uncle Sam will jump to attention if many people call for action.

And last, but not least, why didn’t The New York Literary Agency just plaster a list of books that they were responsible for getting published, instead of posting an angry diatribe here? After all, what better way to shut the critics up than to let the fruits of your success speak for themselves?

So, please, let’s not let anybody else be had by this snake oil salesman- let’s band together and stop this nonsense called “The New York Literary Agency” once and for all.

Author: Cara Vermaak
Date:   05-09-06 23:15

Something is horribly wrong, I went through all the processes, the critique, the first edit, the second edit ,the acceptance after a proof-read and now the marketing phase and I was only asked for money for critique and the first edit, the actual book edit was good and valid. Has anyone else gone this far?

They have given full details of the marketing strategy and I am happy with it.

As for automated responses, I have had long emails with my agent discussing issues of my book and even our different lifestyles, me living in South Africa and her in New York. These are real people.

If it is a scam why so little money?

carav@sentechsa.com

Author: Charles Baltzer
Date:   05-10-06 01:38

Are you sure that you're not just being lured into the same trap as all of the other people who posted before you? (Remember "YAR"? Scroll up about 30 posts and read his (her?) message) Please keep us updated as to your progress with NYLA. If you don't, then either you've realized that you've been scammed, or your reasons for siding with The New York Literary Agency are suspect, to say the least. In any case, everybody who has posted in this thread will be looking forward to your response. Above all, PLEASE KEEP US UPDATED AS TO THE PROGRESS THAT YOU HAVE GETTING PUBLISHED USING NEW YORK LITERARY AGENCY AS YOUR AGENT!!! And when you get published, POST THE TITLE OF YOUR BOOK ON THIS MESSAGE BOARD!!!

Author: Cara Vermaak
Date:   05-11-06 04:01

Hello Charles

First off, all the above did happen, Sherry Fine accepting the manuscript, she did explain that much of her mail to me will not be original as she does not have time to sit and rewrite the procedure every time they accept a manuscript.

Negotiations with Sherry were straight to the point and always informative, which was not machine related. Once over the festive season I did receive an answer to my mail stating she was not in NYC at present etc.

The critique was not expensive and also gave me a good idea of what was needed for my manuscript to be interesting and readable.

The first edit was not only on the synopsis, I have no idea how anyone can edit a synopsis, it was done on the title, the layout, the actual work and the potential market.

Once I revised this and sent it back the manuscript went for the second edit to a different editor, Jordan, in this case. The edit was supposed to take only 2 weeks, not hearing anything after 5 weeks, I mailed my agent and the manager of the editors. I received an apology from Jordan explaining why it is taking longer than necessary, and having done the revision I know that her explanation was true. She did a good job.

The second edit had me do a lot more work with the revision and this lasted almost 8 weeks as Jordan was explicit and direct in the edit. 6 weeks later I received mail from my agent, the senior agent and the distribution department asking me what is happening, why am I taking so long with the revision. I assured them it was almost done and we agreed to a cut off date so that they may begin the proof-read and the marketing process.

Once I submitted the final draft and the proof-read was done, I had to complete a hotsheet for marketing to publishers; Georgina handles this side of the book. She guided me on what was good for the hotsheet, even had me re-do my bio to make it more marketable. She works all hours as I receive mail from her at strange times even during weekends and holidays.

Georgina advised me to have a website with info where publishers can go for more info on me and the book.

So far I have no automated responses; all the questions and communications have been real as my questions were strange most days.

I did at one time think this is too good to be true and started researching the process, found that there is no way to get published anywhere in the world without an agent.

Up to now I have only paid for the edit, the contract was mailed to me in South Africa at their cost.

When I was told to pay for the edit I did more research, I was lucky to find an editor in South Africa willing to edit my manuscript for the reduced price of R150.00 per hour.

I am kept up to date with the process, if this is a scam it is a very intelligent scam or machine that can answer random questions.

I will be happy to relay all the different routes that are now about to happen to my manuscript.

If this is really a scam what is the prize? My work? My Money? I don’t understand what their gain would be?

I wold love to post the title as soon as it is published!

Cara

Author: Charles Baltzer
Date:   05-11-06 14:19

Folks, if you count back five posts from here you'll see that the second paragraph of my message says;

"First of all, have you noticed that everything that you’ve read on the New York Literary Agency’s web site, and all the email that you’ve received from “Sherry Fine”, and everything that’s written in the posts above that’s purportedly NOT from “Sherry Fine”, in short, any and all written material that comes from this agency all appears to be written by the same person? Of course... because the con-man can’t stop his personality traits and writing style from showing up in the unusually long and repetitious essays."

Well, if you read the message above from "Cara Vermaak", then you'll clearly see shades of "Sherry Fine" and all of the other "people", including those like "Yar", that are associated with New York Literary Agency.

There's something interesting about the timing of the messages of "Yar", "Cara Vermaak", and the other un-named person who claims to work at some job at some office at New York Literary Agency. You'll notice that when scepticism of NYLA runs high, then suddenly these highly satisfied, previously unheard from, "people" appear on the scene to reassure everybody that NYLA is a highly successful, very legitimate organization, and it would be in everybody's best interest to work with them, and send them money, and stop worrying about why nothing ever gets accomplished with NYLA, and nobody ever gets past the point of just paying them fees.

You'll notice that "Cara Vermaak" is big on verbosity but short on substance. The message strikes one as sounding very much like a defense lawyer. IOW: "If you can't convince 'em, then just confuse 'em!" (With lots of rhetoric). And she (he?) ends the message with; "I wold (sic) love to post the title as soon as it is published!" (End with "feel-good" promise (Albeit a false promise).

So the point I'm making is: DON'T BELIEVE IT! Please do not send any money to New York Literary Agency, and DON'T BUY ANY OF THEIR MALARKEY!

In addition, “Cara Vermaak”, don’t you remember what your mentor, “Sherry Fine” said in one of those long-winded messages above; “A successful writer isn’t sitting around responding to message boards, a successful writer is improving their craft (sic), making submissions, and writing.”

And lastly, has anybody ever heard of anything so absurd as a "battle between people who are trying to find a literary agent"?? Give me a break!! I'm trying to prevent people from getting ripped off, but what's the motivation of these other "people" who are posting on behalf of New York Literary Agency?

Author: Cara Vermaak
Date:   05-11-06 20:39

Hello Charles

I don't know what to say, you are attacking me and accusing me of what? I told you the truth of my dealings with this agency, because I am confused and more than a little afraid. I had other offers for my book but turned them down and if NYLA is a scam I am in trouble.

My work is internet based and as an inquisitive person I often do research on the net. I was very shocked and surprised when I found this site, I was searching for NYLA's website, I have still to go back to go find that as I got stuck here from a google search for their site.


I have no idea how to prove that I am who I say I am, other than to get you to call me in SA and speak to you one on one.

My statement above is fact, the nearest I have been to lawyers is when I got divorced and that was not a memorable moment.

Maybe I can give you my website address, would that help? Not the one for my manuscript but the one I have for healing, or maybe I can direct you to some of my articles on various other websites?

How can I prove I am real and honest?

My contact numbers and website address, I hope I am not violating any rules of the site.

Cara
Cell: +27828583390
Office: +27129982630
Fax: +27866169602

http://groups.msn.com/CarasTouchNaturalHealing

Author: Charles Baltzer
Date:   05-11-06 22:25

My goodness, Cara, you ARE a real person, welcome to the exclusive club of those who have been scammed by the New York Literary Agency! With any luck, maybe you, as well as others who read this conference, can be spared from paying additional fees to NYLA in the false hope of obtaining legitimate representation from a non-existent literary agency.

I feel that I have put in much more than my two cents worth on this message board in an attempt to alert people not to send hard-earned money to a guy with a laptop computer who’s getting the last laugh (and cash).

When the next message appears on this conference that attempts to prop-up the New York Literary Agency, I would like one of my colleagues who has posted above on this message board, or anyone who has been had by NYLA, to respond.

United we stand, divided we fall. Let’s continue the fight against the octopus who’s tentacles will continue to grab and pull in unsuspecting people, for as long as this “agency” exists.

Author: Cara Vermaak
Date:   05-11-06 23:48

Hello Charles

Thank you for the vote of confidence. All this is very scary, I hope you are wrong!

I nogal like everyone at NYLA, and if it is a machine then I am not a happy girl!

Goodluck for you!

Author: Jennifer Eason
Date:   05-14-06 03:42

It would appear that Sherry Fine is working for more than one agency. Here is what I found on the web after a search:

#1
Our mailing address is:
New York Literary Agency
275 Madison Avenue, 4th Floor
New York, NY 10016

If you have a question that is not covered on this web site, you may send it to question @ newyorkliteraryagency.com.

#2
Our mailing address is:
The Screenplay Agency
275 Madison Avenue, 4th Floor
New York, NY 10016

If you have a question that is not covered on this web site, you may send it to question @ thescreenplayagency.com.


Same address, and even the same lengthy email going out to writers, but this time he/she is the VP of Aquisitions for www.thescreenplayagency.com


Here is a copy of the letter:

Thank you for everything that we have received from you thus far. Our review team believes that your work has commercial potential and we would like to proceed further with you. We believe we would like to represent you.

Basically, we feel that your concept and writing thus far has potential and that if polished and presented properly, we can sell it. To take the next step, please let us take a minute to tell you a little bit about how we think and the way we do business.

If you agree with our business process, instruction for the 'next step' is at the very end of the email.

Best regards,
Sherry Fine - VP Acquisitions

p.s. We apologize in advance for the length of this email. This is at the behest of our lawyers. They like it when we say it the same way every time. Because this is an important decision for each of us, please take your time to understand the information below.

p.s.s. We have just finalized our 'Book-to-Film' adaptation division. If your work is a novel, the following still applies and we will discuss it with you after we contract together.



INCUBATING TALENT: We Are Willing To Develop New, Fresh Talent. =========================================================================
We did see that a few improvements are needed, but don't worry, we receive very few 'ready-to-go' screenplays. Most screenplays that we receive need some level of polishing before we can submit them to buyers. Some need very
little polishing. Some need a lot. Over the years, we've learned that it
is worth our time and effort to do what it takes to develop new talent. We've learned that incubating new writing talent makes good business sense.

We'd hate to lose a good writer by not accepting someone who is willing to improve. There are very few literary agencies that will take the time to develop talent. Most barely return emails. We've answered every email you've sent us, and we've kept our promises regarding turnaournd times. We hope that you will acknowledge that our level of communication and professionalism already far exceeds that of other literary agencies. We pledge this same level of professionalism and courtesy in all subsequent communications should we work together.


HOW CAN WE TRUST EACH OTHER? ====================================================
You don't know us, and we don't know you. We like your work, and hopefully so far, you appreciate that we have treated you professionally and efficiently. Yes, we use forms, but that's so that we have more time to answer your questions about specific problems or nuances. We are looking for authors that are reasonable in their expectations and in their own evaluation of their work. We don't want prima donnas.

If we were in your shoes, we believe you should be looking for a professional relationship with professional people who will ultimately benefit your writing career, whether your work is sold or not. We never promise a sale. However we do promise that we will work with you on a professional basis and do what we can to promote you and your work to our buyers.


What do we mean by "Polish Your Work"? ===================================================
As you would imagine, we are very, very concerned about what we present to our buyers. At a minimum they expect the mechanics of presenting a screenplay (format, punctuation, grammar, spelling, etc.) to meet or exceed industry standards.

I think you would agree that your work can use some level of polishing. However, we don't think you should take just our word for it, we would like to have an independent review of your work that shows you where the
improvements can be made. Also, if your work is 'great and ready to go' it
is helpful that we hear it from an independent source as well.

In short, we like it, and we think we can sell it, but we would like it to be as polished as possible before we take it to our buyers.

From a trust factor, it's like an investor trusting a certified public accountant ... if there is an independent review on the table, we can each relax and trust each other, and spend our time strategizing marketing, not arguing over whether the work is ready to present or not. (And believe me, we've had quite a few arguments with authors about whether the work is ready-to-go, or not! It's not a good situation, and life's too short, if you know what I mean.)

What we have learned over the years is that nothing is more invaluable than having a unbiased, critical review of an author's work as a roadmap for bringing the work to market. In screenplay writing circles this is called critique/coverage. We want you to have a critique of your work. You might already have a critique of your screenplay, or you may need to get one. Here's what one author had to say about his critique.

-------------------------------------------------
--------------------------

Dear Sherry: The critique coverage was more favorable than I had anticipated. I know from experience that good authors appreciate good critiques. As for my own writing, I have always taken criticism well. I don't always go along with everything the critic says, but I try the best I can to incorporate anything I feel is worthwhile. And that's what I did today. Within minutes I was at my desk and my laptop, trying to find out what I could do to satisfy this critic. I also wanted to judge how much work would be required, how long a re-write would take, and so on. If you have that option, you can pass along my thanks to the critic.

----------------------------------------------
----------------------------


HAVING A CRITIQUE OF YOUR SCREENPLAY PROTECTS YOU from unscrupulous agents. Having a critique protects US from egocentric writers who think their work is just fine like it is. If the critique says, "green light - good to go" then we can start marketing immediately. If the critique says, "some improvements can be made in formatting, characterization, grammar, punctuation, etc", then we can pause with you while those changes are made.


WHAT DOES A SCREENPLAY CRITIQUE LOOK LIKE? ================================================
Here are some links for sample critiques from one of our vendors that we respect. (We realize that not all of these apply to you, but we want you to see how versatile and powerful this critique format is.) Also, please realize that a critique is a fast overview. It is NOT a line edit.

http://www.writersliterary.com/Critique-screenplay.rtf
http://www.writersliterary.com/critique-screenplay1.rtf


YOU MAY ALREADY HAVE A SCREENPLAY CRITIQUE A good number of our applicants do. (As a serious writer, you should get one every year or two). ======================================================================

A critique is NOT COVERAGE. A critique is more detailed in mechanics. (My analysis during the acquisitions process is much more like coverage.. i.e. pass/fail... strong/weak... ) The critique is the next logical step after my pass/fail evaluation.

As we mentioned, if you already have a 3rd party critique, please let us know. It must match the level of detail that you see in the examples above. If you have an associate that you believe can do your critique, then be sure to send us their credentials first for approval. Please don't try to critique your own work. (Yes, we've seen that happen and we can tell
immediately.) Also, many people ask if they can get a friend to do the critique, or a teacher, or an associate. The answer can be yes, but the problem is that if they don't do editing for a living, then it's like asking anyone to do something for free, it takes longer, and it may not be done correctly.

The critique should be inexpensive, usually less than a hundred dollars, depending on the company you choose. It will tell each of us if the work is ready for marketing right away, or if more polishing is required. As we mentioned if you have a critique already, great, if not, we can provide a referral for a critique service.

As we've mentioned before, we need a common platform of trust from which to begin the representation process together. Many authors wonder if the critique just leads to more and more editing. The answer is NO! Editors are very integrous people, if they say a work meets or exceeds industry standards, then we can all trust their opinion. Once an editor says 'good to go', then everyone can move to the next step.

In summary, the critique protects you from unscrupulous agents that will try to tell you that you need endless rounds of editing. Once you have a critique you are in a much stronger position in your writing career.


PLEASE NOTE: WE ARE NOT ASKING FOR MONEY.
We want you to have a critique by a qualified industry professional. ======================================================
MANY AUTHORS MISUNDERSTAND THIS SIMPLE REQUEST. We don't want you to pay us, we want you to have a critique to start our relationship so that we can start from the same page. (If I told you the number of writers that accuse us of using this to take their money, you would be flabbergasted.)


Many authors ask, "why we don't do the critique as part of our Agency?". =======================================================
As I mentioned, my review is more cut and dried, pass or fail.. It says, we're interested, and now what's the next step? in today's competitive world we must focus almost entirely on our core competency, which is selling your work. Our company relies on editors and outside editors to work with you to bring your work to industry standards. We are not editors, we are sales professionals. We contract out all editing work. (As you might imagine, it turns out that editors are usually lousy salespeople, and we love the editors we work with dearly). This point is worth spending extra time on, we aren't editors, we are sales professionals, and those are two VERY different skill sets.



---------- One more positive response from an author about the critique ----------------------------------

"Dear Sherry: Thank you so much for your quick responses and professionalism. It was so refreshing to hear an unbiased critique of my work for the first time. I have hungered for it since I've been writing. Someone actually read the whole script and took the time and care to provide a professional critique and show me the areas that need improvement. I am so determined to make my work a success, and it helps me to know what my strengths are and where I need improvement. Thank you, and please pass on a big thank you to my editor."

---------------------------------------------------------------
------------------------------------------------------------------------



IN CONCLUSION:
=============================================
Please review the critique sample links above. Think about how powerful an 'excellent' critique would be to the selling process and how it will give us the confidence we need to put our reputation on the line for you.

Think about how it protects you, protects us, and how it provides a meeting point so that we can trust each other and move forward on the same page <get it? "same page" grin>


Thank you again for your time and consideration. We look forward to working with you and developing your writing career together.

Sincerely,
Sherry Fine - VP Acquisitions

P.s. Instructions for the next step are at the bottom of the email after the FAQs below




Typical FAQs that we see at this stage: =================================
Q) I have a critique, what do I do?
A) First look at the critque and compare it to the examples above. Many critiques are long on plot and character development. The critique that we prefer includes that PLUS a strong focus on the mechanics.. i.e. punctuation, grammar, format, and spelling. If your critique does not address those mechanical elements we will ask you to get a new one. However if your critique is reasonably close to our examples, then simply let us know that you have one, and we'll send you the contract, and then you put your critique in with the contract when you send it in.

Q) I need a referral.
A) We will provide you with a referral to someone we trust and who discounts their prices to our clients. You can certainly use any qualified person to do the critique if you know one, but they MUST have been in the industry.

Q) How long should a critique take?
A) It should take about two weeks. It should cost less than $100. It should be thorough. Many "old style" critiques are long on plot and short on mechanics. The critique that we desire will not only include commentary on the plot, it will also critically review grammar, spelling, punctuation, and the mechanics of writing. We know, we know.. it's all of our least favorite aspect of writing, but to succeed as a writer, your mechanics must meet or exceed industry standards.

Q) Do I have to pay for it or does the producer/buyer provide for the final polish?
A) Both.... As your agent, we need it to be 'great' before we will pitch it, and then, if the buyer wants to make changes, then they will pay for the changes they desire.


Q) What if the critique says my writing is horrible? Will you still
represent me?
A) The critique will never say that your writing is horrible. The critique will point out your strengths and weaknesses. It will come from a coaching point of view, not from a judgmental point of view. As we've mentioned earlier, our agency is different in that we are willing to develop talent. We will not fire you because of a poor critique.

Q) My teacher/friend/pastor/writer/PhD/English Teacher...... can do the critique right?
A) Yes, maybe, but probably not. We prefer that an industry professional perform the critique.


Q) My work is my work, It's special and i'm not changing anything...
A) That's fine, but we do insist that spelling, grammar, and punctuation meet or exceed industry standards. We have a saying, "if you put 10 editors in a room you will come out with 15 opinions". Ultimately, the final decision is yours. If you don't agree with them, we are on your side, especially about subjective items. On the mechanics and formatting issues we side with the editors.


Q) What do the buyers think of this model that you use?
A) Frankly, our buyers know that when we pitch a work, that we've put the writer through the proverbial wringer! Our buyers know that our writers can understand a contract, comply with reasonable requests, and that we've weeded out the 'something for nothing' writers that are basically lazy about their craft. This hyper-competitive industry will only reward the best, and that's our commitment to our buyers, and to you.


Q) How do I know that this won't turn into endless rounds of editing that I have to pay for?
A) At some time and some place, we have to trust each other. We believe that this is where it has to start. Your risk is less than a hundred dollars. Our risk is that our internal cost of our time with you at our hourly rate is easily greater than that amount. (And you never pay us for that time, we don't charge any fees as we've mentioned earlier). So, we'll spend the time to work with you if you'll do your part to make sure your work is the best it can be. Unless the critique points out the need for substantial rework, there shouldn't be any more fees. That's why we require an independent 3rd party for the critique. This protects YOU from an unscrupulous agent, and it protects US from egocentric writers.

Q) I'm still nervous, what does your contract say?
A) First you keep the copyright to your work, and second, you can fire us in 90 days. Our contract includes the following two clauses designed to protect you. There are no payments to us in the contract unless we sell your work.

Here is the exact language in the contract:
-----------------------------------------------------------------
1)The copyright and ownership is specifically retained by the AUTHOR for this work and all works submitted to, and accepted by, the Agent. The Writer does not grant to Agent or any other party any right, title or interest of any kind in any copyright, ownership and/or any other intellectual property right contained in or as a part of any work of the Writer submitted to the Agent. The Agent agrees to make no claim to any such right, title or interest, however denominated.

2) The Writer/Producer may terminate this Agreement after 90 consecutive days of no sale by Agent.

------------------------------------------------------------------

So, if you don't like us, or we don't perform, you can fire us in 90 days, and we clearly state that you keep your copyright so there is no chance of us claiming your work. We don't know how much more 'safe' we can make it. (If you think we are going to steal your work, then you are too paranoid to work with us anyway and we're happy if you decline). Other than that, the contract is for one year duration, and we ask for a reasonable 10% if we sell your work.



==============================================================
IN CONCLUSION.. THE NEXT STEP IS SIMPLE ...
Please "Reply" to this email with one of the following three statements: ===============================================================

1) I understand how a critique protects each of us and will improve my writing (or validate that I'm as good as I think I am). Please send your contract and a referral for a critique service. I will get the critique underway as soon as I hear from you. We have to start trusting each other somewhere and I am committed to my writing as a business.

or,

2) I have a critique already that is as in depth as the examples you gave me. Please send me your contract and I will include my critique with the contract when I send it in.

or

3) "Thanks but no thanks, I've never heard of such a thing".. or some variant of that...



================================================================

In conclusion, no matter what your reply, I truly and sincerely wish you the best in your writing career and I want you to know that I have enjoyed our interaction immensely thus far. Continue to follow your dreams, and it is my deepest hope that you succeed with your writing career.

I remain, yours truly,
Sherry Fine - VP Acquisitions

Author: Jennifer Eason
Date:   05-17-06 12:44

I am including a response to my brothers interaction with "Ms" Fine. It was quite interesting. She took a good deal of space to slam the writers on this site.

As follows:

Hey James,
I think your email to them is professional and honest, not skeptical. Any working relationship requires trust and you were simply asking that the agent reaffirm the trust in your working relationship. The fact the “she” jumped the gun by calling you a “skeptic” and summarily cutting off the relationship says quite a lot for the caliber of professionalism. Fine talks a good game, but dives into defensive posturing and name-calling at he first hint of pressure. It speaks to the “architectural integrity” of the agency. There are apparently to many cracks to handle even the slightest pressure.

I won’t even spend time right now on the poor English and grammar usage in this response. They are supposed to be helping you improve your writing? In English, right? No worries. Your last screenplay sold. This one will as well.

Love you bro,
JJ

======================================================
-----Original Message-----
From: Jamie E. [mailto:smileychum@yahoo.com]
Sent: Monday, May 15, 2006 10:47 AM
To: SherryContract@thescreenplayagency.com
Subject: Re: The Screenplay Agency: Contract & Critique Referral


Hi Sherry,

It has been good to have you look over my work and I am glad you would like to work with me - I am positive that this story will sell due to the fact that all ages can view it and it is a great action / adventure - people will eat it up!

I did some research and I am sending you what I found in all fairness. This is what I found. I found it on www.Hollywoodlitsales.com


QUESTION #6161: There is this agency company called... "The Screenplay Agency" (website www.screenplayagency.com) that likes my screenplay. But before I could have an agent shop my work around I would have to pay a $95.00 critique fee. Is this usual in the business? Or,I'm about to be set-up for a scam? Now, my work is registered. And I have not signed anything with them yet. Should I be worried?
ANSWER: Yes, you are absolutely right. There is not a single legitimate agent or manager who would charge a fee to a client for anything! Basically they are trying to get you to pay to have it critiqued for them and if it's good they'll shop it and if not they won't? All legit reps are listed in the Hollywood Representative Directory. www.hcdonline.com
EXPERT: Wendi Niad


I am asking in good faith that you are who you say you are, that you will please wave the $95 fee and work with what I have, or please let me know what I can improve on and I am willing to make it better - but in all actuality and to be honest I know this story is a seller and marketable. We could both be compensated well and I look forward to it.

Hope to hear from you soon.

Sincerely,
Jamie E.
==================================================

Jamie,

I'm sorry that you've fallen into the 'skeptic' category already. Frankly, we've been at this for years, and we have so many applicants, that we look for reasons to say no, not reasons to say yes.

We don't want to work with skeptics. The Agent-Writer bond is a fragile one anyway and we have enough data to know that eventually, a skeptic tends to turn on us, one way or another. So, I'll save each of us time right now by making the call, as tough as it may seem to you.

So, the end result is, we've chosen to pass on you at this time.

I'm giving you two answers to your question about what you've read. The first answer is the short one, and the second is the long one. I apologize in advance for any 'attitude' that you read in my reply, but it's a gut/core issue for us and we feel pretty strongly about certain things.


The short answer ....
We told the self-proclaimed industry watchdogs to shove it.
----------------------------------------------------------------------------
-------------------------------------------
We told the so-called watchdogs that they are hurting authors by maintaining 'old school' ideas. We explained that the agency business is so competitive now, that we can only focus on one thing, selling the work. The author has to take responsibility for bringing their work to industry standards. In short, we told the industry watchdogs that they don't get it, and they are promulgating old ideas that no longer apply. It didn't go over very well and they chatter incessantly, but if you think a writer has thick skin, you should try being an agent.

We've been in business now long enough to know that our model works, and that buyers respect the fact that EVERY AUTHOR WE REPRESENT HAS BEEN THROUGH A RIGOROUS CRITIQUE AND EDITING PROCESS. What you read on the boards is just authors whining about having to do more work, which they want us to do for free. Think about it for just a minute. If you were buying an unpublished author's work, wouldn't you want to buy work that had been through the proverbial wringer? And wouldn't you want to buy work that could get to market faster, because the grunt work, the editing, had already been done.

In the end, the truth of the matter is that you really want an agency that is willing to break a few rules on your behalf. The 'old school' doesn't
want you to get in, and that's the truth. We have 4 sales, most agencies
only have 1 or two. We will double that this year we think and you really need to consider whether some 'anonymous' board poster really has your best interest at heart or if you should give us a try, eyes wide open, and see if we don't keep our promises which are * We respect what you have accomplished thus far as a writer, * We believe that great authors are made, not born. We are willing to develop talent. * We pledge straight talk in a confusing and old-school industry. * We can't promise a sale. We can promise a professional relationship.



------------------------------------------------------------------
Here's one author's reply to this email. We hope you are this discerning. "Thank you for the trouble you took to explain what's on those boards. I think I understand your frustration with the critics and nay sayers now. I have reviewed again the on-line comments and sources and agree that there is really nothing substantive in either their remarks or criticisms. In fact most of them whine about nearly everyone".
-----------------------------------------------------------------


Here's the long answer:
----------------------------------------
We are keenly aware of the negative material on a lot of writer's message
boards. I thank you for 'seeking first to understand". Once again, sorry
for the length of this email, but there's a lot to try to communicate to you.

I know it is confusing to authors. Luckily most authors can detect that there's something very negatively one sided about most boards, and a good author will ask for more information.

I think you would agree that it's tough to even get a reply from an Agency. Most authors (98%) can't get the time of day from an Agent. Why? Because invariably the author's work needs improvement and if an Agent takes the time to say, "I like the idea, but you need a little help" the Agent is blackballed by every writers blog on the net. So, it's easier to say no, or not reply, than to actually try to help a writer with a good idea and a good start.

Successful writers of books and screenplays use editors and coaches, always have, always will.. if you've never worked with an editor, you should. I would say that 95+% of the books on the shelves today have had an editors touch, either through the publishing company or as directed by an agent. There are two levels of editing. The first is our internal level. The second is the publisher level. When you pass our first level, it means that we will put our reputation on the line for you, however, it doesn't mean that it has been exhaustively edited, like a publisher would do. Their edit is MUCH more extensive. Our edit requirements are related to pitching and selling only.

THIS IS THE REAL ISSUE: If an agent assists the writer by telling them to get editing and then the agent will represent them, they get blackballed. So, here's a situation where potentially great work is 'waiting in the wings' so to speak, and can't get access to the market because Agents are overwhelmed and gun-shy.

Luckily (for those authors that can see through the bs), we've decided that the old model is dead and we want new fresh talent. We want authors that want to improve and have their chance. And, our management team is a group of business warriors that basically say, "screw the naysayers because buyers love our model".

Why do buyers (publishers and producers) love our model? Because they know that we've forced the writer to jump through a series of hoops to prove their mettle. And the writers whine, whine, whine, and the publishers say, "whew, thanks for bringing us great work and for filtering out the crackpot writers that want the world and don't have an understanding of how competitive the market is." BUYERS WANT WRITERS THAT HAVE INVESTED IN THEMSELVES AND THEIR WRITING.

But why all the negative press you might ask? In short, the message boards attract unsuccessful writers. It's quite a statistical anomaly isn't it. A successful writer isn't sitting around responding to message boards, a successful writer is improving their craft, making submissions, and writing. As I'm sure you've seen the pettiness on the boards.. That pettiness is, to me, worse than a National Enquirer that you read in the grocery line, and frankly, I think the message boards attract the same caliber of people. Also, just for the fun of it, you should ask the people that work the boards to be your agent, and see how many writers run to help you.

LET ME STATE THIS AGAIN.. ASK THE PEOPLE ON THE MESSAGE BOARDS, BECAUSE THEY ARE SO SMART, WHAT THEY'VE SOLD, AND WHO THEIR AGENT WAS... And whether they'd be your agent.

That said, we've come to thank these boards. The boards weed out three main categories of writers that we are actually glad to be rid of: 1) Authors that don't have a clue, 2) Authors that can't make up their mind for themselves and don't have any "grit", and 3) the SFN's (writers that want Something for Nothing). I hope that you aren't in any of those three categories. The Something For Nothing authors really get my goat, but that's another rant. Those are the authors that think we'll bear all their expenses because they've 'written the next bestseller'... egads...


Reread the 4 bullets under my signature. That's our promise. It's simple and it's understandable, and we deliver on it all day, every day. (Like this email really).

So, in conclusion, this is what I would do, if I were in your shoes, I'd proceed with us, eyes wide open, and see if we meet or exceed our four business tenets below, A) Respect, B) Building Talent, 3) Straight Talk, and a 4) Professional Relationship.

Just for grins, and so that you know we provide a service of value to aspiring authors, I would like you to see some of the unprompted quotes that we receive on a daily basis. Our clients say it best. The quotes below are unedited and as you can see, quite from the heart. (We have lots more of
these.) If you are really cynical, you will probably believe we made them up, but I promise you, we can prove every one of them.

=======================

"Just a note to say, whatever the outcome of my submission, it's refreshing to engage an agent who will a) take an email submission, b) turn it round as quick you've committed to do and c) actively work with a writer. Submissions are daunting enough anyway without having to wait ten weeks for an impersonalized slip of paper. Here's to you."

"It is refreshing to get an honest professional opinion of my work, it make me realize just how much I don't know about the written word and its presentation."

Dear Georgina, I'd like you to know how highly and gratefully I regard the clarity with which you explain the process as well as your reliability. I have complete trust in both your abilities and ethical standards. Best wishes, Judith

It's been a long time since I left school with considerable number of years passing before I became interested in writing again. I would like you to thank you for working with me and let it be known that I look at this as a new beginning and rebirth of my education.

You don't know how nice it is to have such timely responses. I am sure I am not the only writer that puts a lot of heart into their work and I have to say, I have "kept mine tucked away in the closet" for many, many years. I just enjoy writing, but didn't know if I would ever try and submit it to anyone. Making the decision to do that has been somewhat of a nerve-wracking process. Your timely responses and professional, yet "down-to-earth" responses are making the process a lot easier. At this time, I am not submitting my work to anyone else, because you have impressed me the most up to this point. Even if we do not end up working together, I felt it was important to pass this along to you.

Dear Georgina: Your professional zeal and resourcefulness cannot be overemphasized seeing the volatile-oceanic-wave called the American Hollywood with its impregnable sales frontiers. I hold you dearly to my heart in my every prayers towards our mutual success now and...very soon in subsequent works. I doff my heart after your every professional spirit imagining the energy, sweat and traveling involved. Thanks for everything you stand for professionally.

Thank you for your constructive feedback. I found your critique of my work very informative, and it concluded many things that I already knew. I really do need to improve on my punctuation skills, and that has been something I have struggled with for some time. I appreciate your suggestions on materials to improve this, and I plan on taking an advanced grammar and punctuation class at the college I am attending. Several other points you made were also very informative. I know I have a long way to go before I am a "professional" writer, but I am glad that you agreed that the potential is definitely there. I'd also like to thank you and your company for staying in contact with me through this process. I would, and will, come back to your company if I need further material critiqued. Thank you again for your time.

I just want to say I have been rejected for years by Agents and Publishers. After awhile it all seems pointless. But I am in this for the long run and will never give up and never give in. Whether you accept me or not you have restored my faith and hope that someone out there is concerned and listening to what writings go through. I look forward to learning all that I can from you and your associates.

"After having reread all the information sent to me, I must say that I am impressed by the way your agency has handled the science, or art of appreciating new sources of writing. If only all agencies displayed your model the world may be a better place. Your FAQ has answered all of my questions and I am eager to get to work."

===========================

WE ARE CREATING THE MOST POWERFUL AGENCY GROUP IN THE UNITED STATES. Every author that we represent has been fully edited and we know, beyond a shadow of a doubt, that their work is good enough for publication. Unfortunately, the ones that 'wash out', tend to grouse and *****. If you can make it through our process, then you will be in an elite group that buyers respect. We never promise a sale, but we can promise that if we present your work, it will get respect from our buyers.

Best to you in your career whatever your decision. I hope you give us a chance to prove ourselves. What's your real risk anyway?

Best Regards,
Sherry Fine - VP Acquisitions

Author: James Macdonald
Date:   05-20-06 23:01

"WE ARE CREATING THE MOST POWERFUL AGENCY GROUP IN THE UNITED STATES", says Ms. Fine.

You'd think that if that was the case that they'd be able to sell a book to a legitimate publisher, wouldn't you?

Author: Christine Westhead
Date:   05-22-06 03:02

Thanks you guys. I almost fell for it and was seriously considering signing the contract. I am a UK author and felt I needed an agent in USA to represent me. I thought I had been really lucky, having the first USA agent I contacted agree to take me on. I now feel like I have had a narrow escape. I did think it was strange that they asked me to pay for a critique when my book is already in print. That is why I started nosing around google for some other information and found your message board. Keep up the good work.

Author: Adam Decker
Date:   05-23-06 08:58

I looked up New York Literary Agency in Writers Market and of course they were not litsted. I even called the number listed earlier and got a recording of some British chick wanting me to leave my name, number, and manuscript title. I was elated as well when they showed interest in my story, but now I want tell them what I think. Does anyone have any suggestions on real agents? I've gotten a couple hundred positive emails about my story via the net (wwww.theplayerfactory.com), but cannot get an agent to give it a read. Any suggetions would be greatly appreciated!

Author: Robert Felton
Date:   05-25-06 12:37

nigey59@hotmail.co.uk
I hold my hand up. After a string of rejections from UK agents, some of whom were confused as to why I had contacted them in the first place, others downright rude, I surfed to find alternatives on the internet...America, I thought, was bound to have an agency broad minded enough not to believe that the likes of Pratchett, Holt, Adams and Co. have cornered the market for fantasy/spoof. And lo, along came NYLA, who repsonded amazingly quickly and dearly wanted to \"work with me\". And yes, sucker that I am, I paid up the fee for having a critique done. After all, it seemed reasonable. I\'d never had an independent editor read my work, so I responded and eventually - after weeks of sending emails - I got a response from NYLA for the critique. \"Outstanding\", they said. Blah de blah. You can read the spiel I was sent in the responses listed below. Long emails, promises to work with me, yahdayahdayahda...
I sent an email, after a decent interlude had elapsed since signing up and writing a few bits for the site they say they maintain for prostpective publishers (it\'s only now that I find this a bit smelly...aren\'t agents supposed to approach the appropriate publisher, not vice versa?), and I got a fairly quick reply from Hil (senior agent, she said). Apparently, she had been about to contact me regarding \"two close matches\" for my book on their web site, which she said would be more aggressively followed up. \"Contact me in a month\", was the advice I was given. What do you reckon...do you think it's worth giving \'em a chance? Or am I still living in Sucker City?
Utterly pissed off, I am. How do you go about telling all those friends and family that, after all, The Book isn\'t on the verge of making it to the shelves of Waterstones or Ottakars?

Author: John Pagan
Date:   05-25-06 13:38

Hello,
I realize this topic may be getting old for some of you, but I just wanted to take the time to thank all of you for your posts.
I almost fell for the New York Literary agency too but "something" didn't seem right. After contacting Claxton Graham from the Useless-Knowledge website, he basically confirmed what I had feared: This particular agency was something I should avoid.
After running a Google search, I found you guys and I'm grateful I did. I would have lost $89 bucks of my hard earned income.

Thanks again,
John

Author: L'Afrique L'Afrique
Date:   05-26-06 09:35

Hi there, Christine!

Remember, when it's too good to be true, it probably is too good to be true. Good day!

Cheers, L'Afrique

Author: John Doe
Date:   05-27-06 07:17

Let me say this. I recently just got an email that said very much the same thing as what someone posted above. Only it was with an agency called The Screenplay Agency (Sherry Fine - VP of Acquistions). So, I get this \"We\'d like to represent you...\" letter providing you get a 3rd party critique. So, I did a search on Sherry Fine and all these blogs and message boards came up. Turns out that The Screenplay Agency, The New York Ageny, Literary Agency Group all seem to be a part of the same company. Sure, their websites all look the same only different colors, but that could be to it all being under the same company, but they don\'t deny that.

But what disturbed me about the most recent email is that Sherry Fine goes on to talk about \"You wouldn\'t believe how many people accuse us of being scammers...\" So, I searched and I\'ve heard nothing good about this or its sister company, BUT at the same time, I haven\'t heard any wrong-doing--YET.

I\'m willing to give these people the benefit of the doubt as long as I can get my own editor (which they STRONGLY discourage) and it doesn\'t waste my time. If I spend more time on the Internet having to research and read more negative @!#$ on this company, then I\'d have to cut my losses. And my losses are only my time and my gains will be my growing experience with the people that work in this subjective industry.

I mean, we all gotta start with something somewhere. At worst, I\'ve only wasted time and no money. But in the end, I\'m just glad there\'re boards like this to make me a little more careful about what\'s out there. But I hate the fact that this could very well put me in a cynical and possibly worse, paranoid outlook on an opinion-based industry.

Author: Maxine Frances
Date:   05-27-06 11:14

A while ago I came across a blog warning readers about spoof paypal emails. One of the warning signs was the person sending the email never refered to the customer by his/her name.

I don\'t consider myself an ignorant person, and remembering this piece of advice a red flag jumped out at me. This Sherry Fine character never addressed emails to me and never used my name.
This seemed odd to me, but not wanting to be the huge sceptic that I am, I chose to put this aside and continue with the NYLA, after all they were \"paying attention\" to the four chapters that I sent to them.

Then came the acceptance, easily. A little too easily.
Not that I think my work doesn\'t deserve an agent, just that something didn\'t \"feel\" right.

Blah Blah Blah, a little fee of $70-$90, blah de blah, we will recomend someone to critique your work.
Sorry for the long email Blah Blah Blah
etc etc

Then there is the small matter of not wanting to share the authors that they have supposedly worked with and which books they have published.
RED FLAG!!!

So after my work got accepted I decided to do a little research, and I stumbled across this. I would like to take this opportunity to thank everyone who posted their stories here. I will therefore not part with any of my hard earned money for sherry (or any other drink...) and I will NOT be signing any contracts.

It appeares that our sherry is multi talented and is quite popular in screenplay circles, check out what I came across on my research on the famous Sherry Fine
http://www.davidanaxagoras.com/2006/01/30/she-never-met-a-logline-she-didnt-like/


Thanx once again for sharing your stories, its has been a great help to me, I hope my story will do the same.
Maxine

Author: John Doe
Date:   05-28-06 14:48

Okay. This is what I found out about Sherry Fine.

Sherry Fine is one of many pseudonym for a guy by the name of Robert Fletcher and now Robert West out of Boca Roton, Florida. His New York address is nothing more than a Post Office box. Anyone living in New York can check it out.

The Screenplay Agency
275 Madison Avenue, 4th Floor
New York, NY 10016

Author: Anonymous Anonymous
Date:   05-29-06 11:42

Hi Charles & Others -

In regards to your discussions on the NY Literary Agency, they have my manuscript or rather fully bound & currently self-published book in hand now. It has been copywritten w/The Library of Congress, assigned an ISBN # & I retain all rights for publishing the book with anyone I wish in the future.

Since the book is polished w/no further editing required, the NY Literary Agency skipped over the usual requirement for a critique or edit & supposedly are marketing the book now on their database w/NO upfront costs. If they don't sell it in 90 days, their contract states in writing I may cancel anytime.

I have not been asked to pay any fees whatsoever at this point & as far as I know the book is being marketed for sale.

I left a few messages at the NY office initially & finally a senior agent returned my call & we actually did speak directly & she stated at the time that she would like to represent my book. So there it is - no fees have been requested & they are responding to my verbal & written inquiries. Just wanted to pass on my experience. I hope they are legit, but meanwhile I have lost nothing in the process of giving them a shot.

Author: Michal D
Date:   05-30-06 15:07

Hello Everyone

Wow! Thanks gang. I was hooked by \"Sherry\" as well. It was naive of me. Like Anonymous Anonymous, I have a previously self-published book. It actually did modestly okay in sales, about 200 copies. But I made very little effort to market it. It was sort of a vanity thing, I\'ll agree. However, those close to me who had read it passed it on to friends, and eventually I got enough unsolicited feedback that the book was good enough for the market, and thought, heck, why not try again. I have two things going for me. 1) I AM A PROFESSIONAL EDITOR. 2) I work with a whole slew of pro editors. 3) Since the book was already published, it has an ISBN and copyright. Now, I didn\'t do the final edit on my book prior to publishing it, I had paid two colleagues for their time to do so, and each provided me with excellent and useful copyediting and critiques. Would I make more changes? You bet, who is ever truly satisfied with their work. I would always want it to be better.

I sent queries online to two agencies: NYLA and Levine/Greenberg. \"Sherry\" responded first, and I accept her challenge and provided her with a copy of the manuscript. I don\'t need to post her automated emails, you\'ve read those enough here already. I thought about the contract matter for a week or so, awaiting word from Levine/Greenberg. When I got the no-thanks from Levine/Greenberg (from one Molly Goldman who has a real email address), I decided to say okay to Sherry, send me the contract and such. Well, then I decided to be the skeptic. Never sign on the line until you know who your talking to.

So, thanks so much for the info here. I was suspicious enough, and this clinches it. Everyone, good luck with your works and finding a real agent. I\'ll keep searching. I\'m not worried that Sherry can steal my work. It\'s already protected. Copyright your works before you submit them anywhere. If you can\'t afford the copyright, do it the poor man\'s way: mail it in a envelope to yourself, don\'t open that envelope and put it in a very safe place. If ever you need to defend your claim, the contents of that sealed envelope with the legal postmark will help. No guarantees, of course, but it\'s better than no proof.

I plan to ignore Miss Fine. No news is no news, :-D.

Michal

Author: Madame Sophia
Date:   05-30-06 23:04

Hello All,

I would like to share just a bit of my experience with the so-called New York Literary Agency. Well, they had my mauscript, and guess what? It did not need any editing (just as Mr. Anonymous). However, I had to pay $79 for a very diluted "critique." They'll represent you for oh, about 6-9 months in their Looking For Now "database." When that grows cold, they'll hit you with something they offer to "some" of their writers--it's called a "good deal" that they can get for you to set up a one page, fairly boring web site at the tune of $140 (which is really rather expensive for what you get). Of course, if you already have a site, they'll use that instead. Their next thing is to coerce you with another attempt to separate you from your money in the form of "mailings" or perhaps a publishing deal with a vanity press. They only managed to get $79 out of me before I saw the light. My absolute, solid, straight from the heart advice to you is DO NOT waste your time and energy with this boatload of crooks. They are kind of like an automated slush pile that publishers basically laugh at. Note that they never call them "publishers." They call them "buyers." There is something wrong with that picture.

I just recently signed on with a real agency. So, I'll see what happens with them. All I can do at the moment is cross my fingers. I also have 3 published books (not vanity press) that I didn't pay a dime to publish, and have collected some nice royalties. If you check out the books that the NYLA credits to their marketing, some of them do not exist, one ended up at a vanity publisher, and the one they tout the most--well that author had the deal in hand before he approached them. If you decide to go with the New York Crook Agency, I would say, give them their 90 days, and then run.

Madame Sophia

Author: Cara Vermaak
Date:   05-30-06 23:48

Hello Everyone

After stumbling onto this debate, I was depressed to think the world is such a terrible place where you are taken on rides you have no idea you signed up for.

I started researching agents and publishers, as a South African we think the world starts and ends in the USA, thank the Universe I was wrong!

The American publishers and agents treated me, the writer, mostly with disdain or to be more specific like a naughty child intruding in their busy schedule. Finally I did a world search and found that the UK publishers are much more open to new writers and more courteous.

Further investigations brought me home, where astonishingly I found numerous publishers ready, eager, willing and able to help. They were all so friendly I felt guilty I started my search in the land of "Milk and Honey".

Our publishers do not have the rudeness or the disdain, I experienced from most agents in the USA, who have forgotten their income is related to authors that they so openly disregard.

I mailed 4 publishers and they all replied with in 24 hours, all of them have asked for the manuscript. Knowing by now that agents and publishers have set rules and demands for the format etc of the manuscript, I fist enquired about each of their rules, not one of you are going to believe this, they all said they will even accept hand written manuscripts. I think I have finally realised, home is better.

Tony, you called me a few weeks ago asking about my experience with NYLA, the status is still the same, they are still responding and treating me well, I have no reason to believe they are not who they claim to be other than the writings on this site.

I do urge you to start researching SA Publishers such as Kwela, you can find the list on the PASA site.

I wish all of you well in the publishing and marketing of your dreams and ideas, I am staying home for now.

Love
Cara

Author: Cara Vermaak
Date:   05-31-06 00:26

Sorry, I just had an after thought...

I have to add a wonderful aspect to SA Publishing, when I sent the enquiries, I asked if they work only with literary agents or if they also consider work directly from the author, the answer was unanimous, the literary agent syndrome has not hit SA Publishing as yet.

I think this is the majority of discontent in larger countries, the literary agent syndrome has opened the door to the current implied scam. I am sure there are numerous other scams in the workings as we are innocent in this strange world.

I was wondering if there is a law that protects authors against such scams, if there is, why is no one pressing charges?

Author: John Doe
Date:   05-31-06 15:43

As posted on a B.B.B. message board.

Their domain name uses a proxy for registration purposes. See below:

I guess you could phone the number on Scottsdale and see if you can tease some info from them. Probably wouldn't get the real registrants name.

Registrant:
Domains by Proxy, Inc.

DomainsByProxy.com
15111 N. Hayden Rd., Ste 160, PMB 353
Scottsdale, Arizona 85260
United States

Registered through: GoDaddy.com, Inc. (http://www.godaddy.com)
Domain Name: THESCREENPLAYAGENCY.COM
Created on: 20-Sep-05
Expires on: 20-Sep-06
Last Updated on: 20-Sep-05

Administrative Contact:
Private, Registration THESCREENPLAYAGENCY.COM@domainsbyproxy.com
Domains by Proxy, Inc.
DomainsByProxy.com
15111 N. Hayden Rd., Ste 160, PMB 353
Scottsdale, Arizona 85260
United States
(480) 624-2599

Technical Contact:
Private, Registration THESCREENPLAYAGENCY.COM@domainsbyproxy.com
Domains by Proxy, Inc.
DomainsByProxy.com
15111 N. Hayden Rd., Ste 160, PMB 353
Scottsdale, Arizona 85260
United States
(480) 624-2599

Domain servers in listed order:
NS29.1AND1.COM
NS30.1AND1.COM

DomainsByProxy.com (DBP) (who I believe to be a reputable company) allows someone to register an internet domain, using DBP as their contact and mailing address. This protects the privacy of the party registering the domain. Quite legal and not morally objectionable.

The Screenplay Agency uses DBP for its own and sister web sites. DBP's standard business terms include ...

"Representations & Warranties

You warrant that all information provided by You to DBP is truthful, complete, current and accurate. You also warrant that You are using DBP's private registration services in good faith and that You have no knowledge of Your domain name infringing upon or conflicting with the legal rights of a third party or a third party's trademark or trade name. You also warrant that the domain name being registered by DBP on Your behalf will not be used in connection with any illegal or morally objectionable activity (as defined below in Section 4), or, in connection with the transmission of Spam. "

To repeat the line again, "You also warrant that the domain name being registered by DBP on Your behalf will not be used in connection with any illegal or morally objectionable activity".

In the same legal section, DBP states: "You further understand and agree that if DBP is named as a defendant in, or investigated in anticipation of, any legal or administrative proceeding arising out of Your domain name registration or Your use of DBP's services, Your private domain name registration will automatically revert back to You and Your identity will therefore be revealed in the Whois directory as Registrant. "

Hmmmm !

Since the Screenplay Agency has a mail address at 275 Madison Ave NYC, I am tempted to pen a complaint to Eliot Spitzer's office (NY Attorney General, and the office that nailed Edit Ink for this kind of stuff in the late 90s), with a cc to DBP.

Then wait and see if The Screenplay Agency's real contact info gets put up in the WHOIS database.

Author: John Doe
Date:   05-31-06 16:23

I was wondering if there is a law that protects authors against such scams, if there is, why is no one pressing charges?

Because they're agency is gonna mysteriously shut down in September 20, 2006 if not before the end of summer. It's hard to press charges against a company that doesn't exist. In fact, it's not a company. It's just one guy sitting in at home. The contract that was sent to a friend of mine, left a bit of an incriminating digital fingerprint on it. Check your digital contract. Open it in Word, go to FILE > PROPERTIES > and you'll see that author is one Bob White.

Author: Madame Sophia
Date:   05-31-06 19:51

The following entities might be appropriate to carbon copy:

Office of Eliot Spitzer, Attorney General of NY
Better Business Bureau of NY
New York Office of the FBI (mail fraud)
Federal Trade Commission
Office of the Attorney General of Florida
Better Business Bureau of Florida
Florida Office of the FBI (mail fraud)

Scammers are pretty slippery in general, and I think a lot of them operate covertly on a thin line just under the "letter of the law," and not the "intent of the law." You could maybe get them shut down--I would hope, but to collect any money even though you may win in a civil suit, would be pretty tough, especially if he just packs up and opens under a new name.
A state or federal criminal case on the other hand...

Author: Cara Vermaak
Date:   05-31-06 20:26

What if Authors do something drastic, start a union of sorts, with our own laws and protections in place, what if we no longer pursue the agent and instead have a body in place for our interests. A protection against scammers and rude agents who have too much power.

How much planning will it take to have a central database and head office for all authors world wide, where we have lawyers and editors who work for us.

A place where we submit our work and know it is safe and taken care of, allowing us to get on with our writing? Where we have a marketing department who will know which publisher is right for our needs and only work for them.

What if we call a halt to wasted time and dreams because we have to search for a friendly answer? What if we cut out the middleman that has opened the door to behaviour where the writer is a target?

What if we take back the power and change the rules?


Please remember we are the reason the world has literary agents and publishers, without us they have no reason to exist, we already have the power to change the world!


PS
L'Afrique, I loved your site and your article about home!

Author: Madame Sophia
Date:   05-31-06 22:45

The contract I had was signed by Robert West (using a rubber stamp, which I thought to be rather odd), but when I checked the properties, it was written by Robert Fletcher. I have a feeling that all of the names are aliases. Also, in an e mail I received, the origin of the IP was Amsterdam. Not being all that familiar with computer language, I don't know if that means anything or is of any significance.

Author: Adam Decker
Date:   06-01-06 16:44

Sherry Fine sent me the "good news" that they want to work with me. I told her to give me a call. This should be very interesting or not interesting at all.

Author: Madame Sophia
Date:   06-01-06 19:04

If it's a lady with an English accent, she also goes by the name Jocelyn Blair. My advice is: caveat emptor.

Author: Adam Decker
Date:   06-01-06 20:03

She'll never call.

Author: Hollan Read
Date:   06-01-06 20:08

Heres what I got back when I wrote to them and told them I wanted to see whom they've published and pointed out all the complaints about them. I havent signed anything and am going to brush them off. But I thought I'd share with you all...:> Try the Childrens Writers and Illustrated Guide for legitamite web literary agents. Im sticking to it after this. Feel free to email me and comment.





Dear Hollan please see below.


-----Original Message-----
From: Hollan Read [mailto:noisygirl_24@yahoo.com]
Sent: Tuesday, May 30, 2006 9:12 PM
To: SherryContract@childrensliteraryagency.com
Subject: Re: Children's Literary: Contract & Critique Referral


The fact that you dont address me by my name and that the writer's websites are full of warnings against your "business" makes me not interested in further contact. Sorry.
It seems a little too easy. What books have you published? Here are just a few sales, not all. One is Dario Castagno who wrote "Too Much Tuscan Sun" which is now in 3 languages and was nominated for a Ben Franklin award (published by Globe Pequot). Pastor Billy Crone is due to be published soon with his work, "A Marriage Built to Last" . We have one sale to a publisher in the UK and another sci-fi sale just occurred as well. We are very proud of our track record. Of course we wish it were more, but when you consider that most agencies only sell 1 deal, we feel that we're doing pretty well.

What authors have you worked with? Send me a list of that and I'll think about it. I'm giving you two answers to your question about what you've read. The first answer is the short one, and the second is the long one. I apologize in advance for any 'attitude' that you read in my reply, but it's a gut/core issue for us and we feel pretty strongly about certain things.


The short answer ....
We told the self-proclaimed industry watchdogs to shove it.
----------------------------------------------------------------------------
-------------------------------------------
We told the so-called watchdogs that they are hurting authors by maintaining 'old school' ideas. We explained that the agency business is so competitive now, that we can only focus on one thing, selling the work. The author has to take responsibility for bringing their work to industry standards. In short, we told the industry watchdogs that they don't get it, and they are promulgating old ideas that no longer apply. It didn't go over very well and they chatter incessantly, but if you think a writer has thick skin, you should try being an agent.

We've been in business now long enough to know that our model works, and that buyers respect the fact that EVERY AUTHOR WE REPRESENT HAS BEEN THROUGH A RIGOROUS CRITIQUE AND EDITING PROCESS. What you read on the boards is just authors whining about having to do more work, which they want us to do for free. Think about it for just a minute. If you were buying an unpublished author's work, wouldn't you want to buy work that had been through the proverbial wringer? And wouldn't you want to buy work that could get to market faster, because the grunt work, the editing, had already been done.

In the end, the truth of the matter is that you really want an agency that is willing to break a few rules on your behalf. The 'old school' doesn't
want you to get in, and that's the truth. We have 4 sales, most agencies
only have 1 or two. We will double that this year we think and you really need to consider whether some 'anonymous' board poster really has your best interest at heart or if you should give us a try, eyes wide open, and see if we don't keep our promises which are * We respect what you have accomplished thus far as a writer, * We believe that great authors are made, not born. We are willing to develop talent. * We pledge straight talk in a confusing and old-school industry. * We can't promise a sale. We can promise a professional relationship.



------------------------------------------------------------------
Here's one author's reply to this email. We hope you are this discerning. "Thank you for the trouble you took to explain what's on those boards. I think I understand your frustration with the critics and nay sayers now. I have reviewed again the on-line comments and sources and agree that there is really nothing substantive in either their remarks or criticisms. In fact most of them whine about nearly everyone".
-----------------------------------------------------------------


Here's the long answer:
----------------------------------------
We are keenly aware of the negative material on a lot of writer's message
boards. I thank you for 'seeking first to understand". Once again, sorry
for the length of this email, but there's a lot to try to communicate to you.

I know it is confusing to authors. Luckily most authors can detect that there's something very negatively one sided about most boards, and a good author will ask for more information.

I think you would agree that it's tough to even get a reply from an Agency. Most authors (98%) can't get the time of day from an Agent. Why? Because invariably the author's work needs improvement and if an Agent takes the time to say, "I like the idea, but you need a little help" the Agent is blackballed by every writers blog on the net. So, it's easier to say no, or not reply, than to actually try to help a writer with a good idea and a good start.

Successful writers of books and screenplays use editors and coaches, always have, always will.. if you've never worked with an editor, you should. I would say that 95+% of the books on the shelves today have had an editors touch, either through the publishing company or as directed by an agent. There are two levels of editing. The first is our internal level. The second is the publisher level. When you pass our first level, it means that we will put our reputation on the line for you, however, it doesn't mean that it has been exhaustively edited, like a publisher would do. Their edit is MUCH more extensive. Our edit requirements are related to pitching and selling only.

THIS IS THE REAL ISSUE: If an agent assists the writer by telling them to get editing and then the agent will represent them, they get blackballed. So, here's a situation where potentially great work is 'waiting in the wings' so to speak, and can't get access to the market because Agents are overwhelmed and gun-shy.

Luckily (for those authors that can see through the bs), we've decided that the old model is dead and we want new fresh talent. We want authors that want to improve and have their chance. And, our management team is a group of business warriors that basically say, "screw the naysayers because buyers love our model".

Why do buyers (publishers and producers) love our model? Because they know that we've forced the writer to jump through a series of hoops to prove their mettle. And the writers whine, whine, whine, and the publishers say, "whew, thanks for bringing us great work and for filtering out the crackpot writers that want the world and don't have an understanding of how competitive the market is." BUYERS WANT WRITERS THAT HAVE INVESTED IN THEMSELVES AND THEIR WRITING.

But why all the negative press you might ask? In short, the message boards attract unsuccessful writers. It's quite a statistical anomaly isn't it. A successful writer isn't sitting around responding to message boards, a successful writer is improving their craft, making submissions, and writing. As I'm sure you've seen the pettiness on the boards.. That pettiness is, to me, worse than a National Enquirer that you read in the grocery line, and frankly, I think the message boards attract the same caliber of people. Also, just for the fun of it, you should ask the people that work the boards to be your agent, and see how many writers run to help you.

LET ME STATE THIS AGAIN.. ASK THE PEOPLE ON THE MESSAGE BOARDS, BECAUSE THEY ARE SO SMART, WHAT THEY'VE SOLD, AND WHO THEIR AGENT WAS... And whether they'd be your agent.

That said, we've come to thank these boards. The boards weed out three main categories of writers that we are actually glad to be rid of: 1) Authors that don't have a clue, 2) Authors that can't make up their mind for themselves and don't have any "grit", and 3) the SFN's (writers that want Something for Nothing). I hope that you aren't in any of those three categories. The Something For Nothing authors really get my goat, but that's another rant. Those are the authors that think we'll bear all their expenses because they've 'written the next bestseller'... egads...


Reread the 4 bullets under my signature. That's our promise. It's simple and it's understandable, and we deliver on it all day, every day. (Like this email really).

So, in conclusion, this is what I would do, if I were in your shoes, I'd proceed with us, eyes wide open, and see if we meet or exceed our four business tenets below, A) Respect, B) Building Talent, 3) Straight Talk, and a 4) Professional Relationship.

Just for grins, and so that you know we provide a service of value to aspiring authors, I would like you to see some of the unprompted quotes that we receive on a daily basis. Our clients say it best. The quotes below are unedited and as you can see, quite from the heart. (We have lots more of
these.) If you are really cynical, you will probably believe we made them up, but I promise you, we can prove every one of them.

=======================

"Just a note to say, whatever the outcome of my submission, it's refreshing to engage an agent who will a) take an email submission, b) turn it round as quick you've committed to do and c) actively work with a writer. Submissions are daunting enough anyway without having to wait ten weeks for an impersonalized slip of paper. Here's to you."

"It is refreshing to get an honest professional opinion of my work, it make me realize just how much I don't know about the written word and its presentation."

Dear Georgina, I'd like you to know how highly and gratefully I regard the clarity with which you explain the process as well as your reliability. I have complete trust in both your abilities and ethical standards. Best wishes, Judith

It's been a long time since I left school with considerable number of years passing before I became interested in writing again. I would like you to thank you for working with me and let it be known that I look at this as a new beginning and rebirth of my education.

You don't know how nice it is to have such timely responses. I am sure I am not the only writer that puts a lot of heart into their work and I have to say, I have "kept mine tucked away in the closet" for many, many years. I just enjoy writing, but didn't know if I would ever try and submit it to anyone. Making the decision to do that has been somewhat of a nerve-wracking process. Your timely responses and professional, yet "down-to-earth" responses are making the process a lot easier. At this time, I am not submitting my work to anyone else, because you have impressed me the most up to this point. Even if we do not end up working together, I felt it was important to pass this along to you.

Dear Georgina: Your professional zeal and resourcefulness cannot be overemphasized seeing the volatile-oceanic-wave called the American Hollywood with its impregnable sales frontiers. I hold you dearly to my heart in my every prayers towards our mutual success now and...very soon in subsequent works. I doff my heart after your every professional spirit imagining the energy, sweat and traveling involved. Thanks for everything you stand for professionally.

Thank you for your constructive feedback. I found your critique of my work very informative, and it concluded many things that I already knew. I really do need to improve on my punctuation skills, and that has been something I have struggled with for some time. I appreciate your suggestions on materials to improve this, and I plan on taking an advanced grammar and punctuation class at the college I am attending. Several other points you made were also very informative. I know I have a long way to go before I am a "professional" writer, but I am glad that you agreed that the potential is definitely there. I'd also like to thank you and your company for staying in contact with me through this process. I would, and will, come back to your company if I need further material critiqued. Thank you again for your time.

I just want to say I have been rejected for years by Agents and Publishers. After awhile it all seems pointless. But I am in this for the long run and will never give up and never give in. Whether you accept me or not you have restored my faith and hope that someone out there is concerned and listening to what writings go through. I look forward to learning all that I can from you and your associates.

"After having reread all the information sent to me, I must say that I am impressed by the way your agency has handled the science, or art of appreciating new sources of writing. If only all agencies displayed your model the world may be a better place. Your FAQ has answered all of my questions and I am eager to get to work."

===========================

WE ARE CREATING THE MOST POWERFUL AGENCY GROUP IN THE UNITED STATES. Every author that we represent has been fully edited and we know, beyond a shadow of a doubt, that their work is good enough for publication. Unfortunately, the ones that 'wash out', tend to grouse and *****. If you can make it through our process, then you will be in an elite group that buyers respect. We never promise a sale, but we can promise that if we present your work, it will get respect from our buyers.

Best to you in your career whatever your decision. I hope you give us a chance to prove ourselves. What's your real risk anyway?

The members of AW have basically proven that the complaint that was sent to us is more then likely true and that the community has no problem spamming or harassing anyone that does not give in to their demands, and if the truth is not good enough then they will make up a story (this can also be proven as most of you have posted on the same blog). Which of course justifies what I asked when I asked for the email to be removed to start with, which of course we all know started this whole mess.

So now you know our side of the story please keep the emails and spamming of the sites rolling in we are gathering all this information (including IP addresses for later use when we start contacting the various Internet service providers) there is nothing better then when you are proven right by the very same people that are trying so hard to prove you wrong.

Now on a personal note I would like to ask a question.
How can AW and its members claim to be searching out the truth and attacking scammers when the members them selves (and possibly the owner/s) have no problem creating and spreading misinformation and lies?

Those of you that are wondering about this, just maybe what you thought you were supporting to be the truth just might have been placed there to lead you around in the dark and use you as puppets for someone else’s personal gain. Is it so well I do not know, all I know is what has happened and what is yet to come about when the truth is brought out.

The full story can be found at www.jccordray.com .



It's vindication for us.

Author: Cara Vermaak
Date:   06-01-06 23:11

We have established we have been taken on a joy ride, what are we going to do about it?

While we lament our sorrows, writers sites and search engines are still offering these literary agents as real as an option to other would be suckers, can we appeal to places like Google to remove the links to their sites?

We now have the knowledge, we need to warn others, but how do we do it?

Author: Madame Sophia
Date:   06-02-06 08:43

It's unfortunate, but there will always be dishonest people in the world who prey upon others. The only way I can feel ok looking at this is knowing that they teach us hard lessons. I think putting solid information out there on sites like this is a powerful weapon. I'd also encourage writers to ask a million questions of these people, because just getting familiar with their language, style, claims, etc. will add fuel to your good judgment. This agency was very evasive about answering questions as to what publishers were actually contacted, which leads me to believe, that if anything, I was added to the slush.

Author: Steve Caruso
Date:   06-02-06 16:55

I am as skeptical as they come, and I almost fell for this line of BS. The whole thing seemed too easy, too FAST. I did a Google search on Ms. Fine, and sure enough, I wound up here.

I didn\\\'t send any money, but this is still embarrassing as hell. I sent them my whole manuscript (albeit without the all-important password), and an effusive letter of acceptance after I was offered representation.

But check out the letter I fired off after I got wise.

================================================

Sherry,

You are a crook.

Disagree? Then just answer three questions. As with your clients, three positive responses will earn you a positive review, and we can do business.

1. Do you solemnly swear that neither you nor anyone else at NYLA earns any revenue whatsoever from critiques purchased through \\\"Writers\\\' Literary\\\", whose name and website bear a striking resemblance to yours? Get down off your soapbox; it\\\'s a yes or no question, Sherry, or whatever your name is.

2. A several-part question:
A. How many writers send you queries every month? Of those, how many are rejected, and how many are asked to send in more of their writing?
B. Of the writers who do send in more writing, how many are offered representation? How many agents do you employ, and how many clients do they represent each?

3. I am a good writer, and a smart fellow, but sometimes I am absent-minded. Sometimes I forget the most obvious things. Which leads to my last question: HOW THE HELL DID YOU DECIDE YOU WANTED TO REPRESENT ME, WHEN I DIDN\\\'T SEND YOU THE PASSWORD TO OPEN THE GODDAMNED FILE?

Let me tell you about you.

You love money. As Mark Twain said, the almighty dollar is your God, and how to get it is your religion. The highway is jammed with thousands of wannabe writers, the vast majority of whom will drown in a sea of form-letter rejections. And you are keen to prey on their naivete, to build up their hopes, all in the name of a hundred thousand $90 critique fees.

What do you do with the money, Sherry? Do you buy cars? Houses? Do you go to BJ\\\'s and stock up on giant tubs of Now & Laters? And when you are driving, or lounging, or eating, does your conscience bother you, even a little bit? Please tell me it does, so as to restore just a tiny bit of my faith in the human race.

Your boilerplate, knee-jerk responses are perfectly predictable:
A. I am suffering from sour-grapes syndrome; or
B. I want something for nothing.

What is it, again, that I am sour about? You offered to represent me! I am the one who is taking my business away (unless, of course, you can explain yourself.)

And as for wanting something for nothing, surely you realize that a statement like that carries little weight coming from someone who doesn\\\'t know me, and has never even read my book.

Yeah, I worked hard. It took me four months to write the blog posts that made that book, and another four months to refine and edit it. I\\\'ve spent my own personal money--a hell of a lot more than $90--on blog-related expenses, in an effort to publicize what I was doing. Your argument holds less water than an upside-down cup.

Stevo

Author: Madame Sophia
Date:   06-02-06 20:03

Well said, Stevo. It's they who "want something for nothing." They want your money, and then do nothing with your manuscript...except lose it. I know that for a fact.

Author: Misty Smith
Date:   06-03-06 12:22

mistsmith@yahoo.com
I owe you guys and Angela Hoy at Writer\'s Weekly some flowers and a big thank you. I asked Angela about NYLA after I sent the first three chapters of my manuscript to them and she sent me to this thread.
Any agency that asks for money, or asks you to pay for services that they are referring you to is not legitimate. As far as I know, agents take a cut from the profits your book makes, which includes any cost that publishing your book has incurred, such as editing. That is also why it is so hard to get an agent. You have to be making money first so they know they will get paid.
Also, I heard that cold calling publishers and/or agents gets your name on thier blacklist, so there\'s one more thing to worry about if NYLA is just cold-calling \"buyers\" and asking them to buy your book.
By the way, my work has already been edited by a professional editor and copyrighted, so I think I\'m safe.
Thank god I started asking questions early!

Author: Gregory Benoit
Date:   06-06-06 21:29

I'm glad to have discovered this thread. I had filled out the application form on the NY Literary Society's website, and had not heard back from them. So I did a search to find their site... and found this discussion instead! Hooray for Ask Jeeves!

Based upon the information contained in this discussion, I will avoid this outfit altogether. I guess that I'm fortunate in having not heard back from them, judging from the experiences that others have endured.

Those who are wondering what we can do about it, rest assured that just sharing your bad experiences here has been something worthwhile that you've already done.

Author: Tara Rochelle
Date:   06-13-06 18:51

You and me both!! Thank you all so much. I received my reply yesterday. They want to represent me!! Ha! My money in the bank is what they want to represent. No money has been sent and no contract signed!!! I'm sorry but no real agency accepts this many manuscripts!

Author: Lisette Brodey
Date:   06-23-06 16:18

I wrote to this agency after receiving their email requesting my manuscript. After reading this thread, and doing other research on the web, especially http://www.anotherealm.com/prededitors/pubagent.htm, which said this agency was in the TOP TWENTY to avoid, I sent this agency a letter telling them that because of my findings, because of their unprofessional email rife with errors, etc. etc., I would be looking elsewhere.

I was clearly telling them that I would not consider working with them, and received this very silly response:

<
We don't want to work with skeptics. The Agent-Writer bond is a fragile one anyway and we have enough data to know that eventually, a skeptic tends to turn on us, one way or another. So, I'll save each of us time right now by making the call, as tough as it may seem to you. Since you have already made up your mind nothing we do or say will please you at this point.

So, the end result is, we've chosen to pass on you at this time>>


I wrote back to let them know that they indeed were not being "tough with me." I would hardly voice my skeptism to any agent I still hoped to work with, and that in case they missed it, I had already passed on them, vice versa.

This is really a joke. These are some pretty pathetic people desperately trying to prove their legitimacy. STAY AWAY -- STAY FAR AWAY!!

Author: billy neukum
Date:   06-27-06 20:20

ok so yeah i am totally screwed because i am young and really naive because not only did i send them first two chapters but also signed a contract. so does anyone have any idea of how i should go about approaching this.

Author: biff kevans
Date:   07-07-06 08:28

i just want to thank all of you for showing me the light. i was ready to sign the contract and had even sent my credit card details, then i found this forum. i have just sent an e-mail demanding no money be withdrawn and my details be erased from their files. ive also told "sherry" where "she" can put her contract!! i'll let you know how it turns out. what a crock of s##t! thanks again

Author: Bill Copeland
Date:   07-07-06 11:33

I've read with interest all of the complaints about NYLA and am a little surprised. No one gives any specific examples of how this company is a scam. None. Yes, a lot of form letters, but if anyone read the Q&A section, that was explained. I've read that they steal mss, but no one has written on the forum who had a mss stolen. I've read the contract and can't see what there is to gain for them, and no one has written to say what they have asked in terms of money. The critique? $75 and they let me pick my own editor, which I did, but they requested a same format as the company they represented. (They want to compare apples to apples, not apples to lemons, so the same format makes sense.) They're upfront about electronic communication and tell us if we send hard copies they won't return them. Do any of you realize what it takes to return all the mss received? Right to cancel comes in the first 72 hours, after 90 days, and after one year. Can't see the catch in that either.
Now I have an agent with NYLA. No sales as yet. But she actually Communicates with me, and not form letters. And she is a real agent! (I checked her out on the net and other places.)
Oh, for those who say Sherry Fine doesn't exist, I checked with the National Writers Assn and GA Writers Assn and found she does exist and has a good reputation.
So, what is the bad side to NYLA? Will someone please tell me how they scam people, someone who has been scammed, please. Someone who KNOWS what they are talking about.

Author: Lisette Brodey
Date:   07-07-06 19:59

I'm a bit confused as to why this particular post was e-mailed to me. Any post defending "Sherry Fine" seems to have been written by "Sherry Fine." Maybe not . . .but I'm suspicious.

Legitimate agents do not have the time to play around trying to whip every ms. that crosses his/her path into shape. Agents want to see polished work. A legitimate agent will not collect fees from you to send to the editor of their choice.

The emails they (NYLA) write defending themselves (herself) are so transparent they're bordering on the absurd. They are rife with all kinds of errors, and then make silly disclaimers stating that it's not their job to write well -- it's yours. Gee, I want an agent who knows how to write well and who can spell and use grammar correctly. Call me difficult, but I prefer to have someone with literary talent on my side. We all make mistakes…but these people are not professional at anything except exploiting dreams.

Please go to the web page for Editors & PreEditors. One will see that this NYLA has many different names (Christian Literary Agency; Children's LA, and so on.) Something for EVERYONE! And every last one of them is STRONGLY NOT RECOMMENDED and labeled to be one of the top 20 agencies to STAY AWAY FROM!!

If you have thousands of new writers searching the web for an agent, you'll definitely find many who unfortunately will not see the scam at first. Those "editing fees" add up and they can make some bucks from the unsuspecting. I don't know what else they do to rob people, but they are NOT LEGITIMATE. If you have signed with them, I would imagine it would not be too difficult to extricate yourself from the contract, as I would doubt these people REALLY want their activities scrutinized.

Author: biff kevans
Date:   07-08-06 05:57

after reading all the above messages i sent in a request to the "agency" to delete my files. i have just received this e-mail from "sherry"

We have deleted your materials and removed you from consideration. If
you should happen to get another email from us, please disregard it and
that will remove you from our process completely. Our company has a
time lag in certain communications from department to department.

short and sweet dont you think? no long dragged out crap this time around. they know they wont see a penny of my money so they must feel they no longer have to act like a legitimate agency towards me (not that they did in the first place mind you). and if all my details are deleted i should receive NO more e-mails from them... unless all of their responses are automatically sent to people at pre-set dates regardless of what people send them. you could send them a shopping list and they'd probably agree to represent you... This is my first novel so the excitement of being accepted so quickly clouded my judgement. it seemed too good to be true... and it was! thank God i found this forum when i did. i wont be making this mistake again, thats for sure!!

Author: abhijit dasgupta
Date:   07-12-06 00:58

Oooops! And I had thought that finally I had cracked it! Jesus, thank God, I found you guys!
Abhijit Dasgupta
Calcutta
India

Author: Madame Sophia
Date:   07-19-06 00:13

I sent in a hard copy because it was illustrated. Then I sent in several more illustrations, because they requested them. Less than one day later, I canceled with them and requested they send back the material and offered to pay all shipping costs. After several calls to them, they acted like they did not have any idea what I was talking about. They had "lost the manuscript" within a matter of less that two days! Don't waste your time munching on slime. Find a real agent. I did, and it worked.

Author: Georgina Gozum
Date:   07-26-06 17:48

Hello Charles and everyone on this board (whose skepticism I\'m beginning to trust):

After reading through these and other boards relating to NYLA and Sherry Fine, I\'d come to a very Twilight Zone-like juncture where reality and fantasy are starting to blur (a good theme for a new novel!) and so I wrote Miss Fine and her associate Andrea (a new accessory?) and this was the reply (please forgive the length of these e-mails...maybe Sherry\'s epic e-mails are catchy and I\'ve caught on?):

I hope someone will please make sense of this surreal reply: are they or aren\'t they? Are they firmly entrenched in their own bogusness? Inquiring minds wanna know!

THanks,
Georgina

===================================================

From: \"Andrea - Dir. of Customer Service \"
Subject: RE: contract + questions
Date: Wed, 26 Jul 2006 16:09:21 -0400

There is a strange belief within the literary community that believes
that NO ONE should ever pay, or be asked to pay, any fee, of any kind,
in seeking representation for their work.

And, within certain parameters, they are absolutely correct. If you
rank
in talent among the top two or three percent of writers in the world,
if
you are only interested in being published by one of the top twelve
mass-market publishers, if you are a noted celebrity with built-in
market power, if you are at the center of some event that has captured
world attention and have information the public wants to know or can be
convinced they want to know, if you have a connection to the world of
publishing and can be granted a personal audience with a publisher
then,
by no means should you ever pay anything to have your work represented
or published.

This faith also believes that it is wrong for marketing people to
participate in any profits that might arise from assistance provided to
emerging authors in the preparation of their work. It\'s okay for
McDonald\'s to own potato farms and beef ranches. It is okay for
Time-Life to own printing presses and paper mills (not to mention
television networks, radio stations, newspapers, bookstores, etc.) But,
for some reason, anyone who wants to be a manuscript marketer (literary
Agent) must be willing to do so at his own expense, solely on
speculation, regardless of the caliber or quality of the author he is
representing to avoid being labeled a scam artist or worse.

The result of this faith is that 97 (probably 99) percent of the
writers in this world cannot obtain representation or publication.
Under
this belief system I would refuse to represent anyone who did not meet
the special categories I listed previously. I would not invest my time
and money in anyone that wasn\'t a sure bet.

Before the advent of personal computers and desktop publishing the
publishing industry was very exclusive. It was very expensive to
produce
and market a book and there were only a handful of companies able and
willing to make the investment.

The information age has revolutionized publishing. Today there are more
than 70,000 small publishers just in the United States and this does
not
include self-publishing. These are publishers who are producing works
written by others. Most are averaging 6 to 10 publications annually,
some more. By definition, to be recognized as a publisher they must
have
six or more titles. At minimum this represents more than 400,000
titles,
in the market, each year.

Amazingly, these publishers are, collectively, publishing less than one
percent of the available manuscripts produced annually. Publishers I
have spoken with receive more than 600 manuscripts for possible
publication each year. Some of the better known publishing houses
receive that many, or more, daily.

We have chosen to specialize in the other 97 percent of the market --
authors of promise with a good story to tell. Furthermore, we are
aggressively investing in other companies in the publishing space. We
are buying into publishers, we are investing our own money in promoting
our authors\', and we are establishing numerous joint ventures where we
can.

This arrangement makes us scam artists in the opinion of many in the
literary field. If this qualifies us as such in your opinion than you
should backpedal quickly and get out of the situation.

We believe we are providing a valuable service for people who aspire to
be writers and published authors. Furthermore, the number of clients
offering letters and messages of appreciation, even praise, far
outweighs the number
Of our detractors. Unfortunately, real writers and business-people
Don\'t
Have time to hang out on negatively slanted bulletin boards.

I hope this helps in your decision.


Warmest regards,
Andrea - Director of Client Relations

-----Original Message-----
From: Georgina Gozum
Sent: Monday, July 24, 2006 8:55 PM
To: andrea@newyorkliteraryagency.com;
SherryContract@newyorkliteraryagency.com
Subject: contract + questions

Dear Andrea:

Sherry Fine advised me to write you with any
questions.

I received the contract from NYLA, and while I\'m very
pleased to be accepted for representation by your
literary agency, I am also quite concerned and hope
you will illuminate me and possibly dispel any
reservations I may have.

In the aforementioned contract there is an initial
clause that states:

The Literary Agency is prepared to offer you a
contract for acceptance as our client for Agency
Representation based on:
1) the manuscript you submitted,
2) the information that you have provided to us and
the plan of action that we have agreed upon.

My guess is that (2) refers to the \"polishing\" that my
work will require before it is ready to be shopped to
publishers. My concern stems from numerous warnings
I\'ve received from friends and on message boards
online suggesting that the NYLA makes its revenue from
the editing packages it sells to new authors from the
initial critique to the ongoing edits.

If I provide my own source of editing as I have a
network of writers and editors willing to work with me
on my manuscript, will that disqualify me for
acceptance for representation with your literary
agency?

That is, is the basis of my acceptace based on whether
I will agree to internal edits by your agency? (I do
not mind edits from internal editorial departments
from the publishing houses themselves as this is
standard practise).

Furthermore, I\'ve been speaking to people in the
industry, published authors who find the initial
critique unorthodox. One author friend\'s literary
agent charges him the commission of 15% from sales of
his book which includes editing services. I am
willing to have my manuscript critiqued by a
professional author and judge of literary awards. I
do not feel comfortable however with the notion that
my literary agency will provide an ongoing additional
service for editing, which in a way sidetracks the
initial offering of a \"no upfront fees charged
policy,\" and yet will charge editing fees later on.
This is of great concern to me as to the agency\'s
methodology, if such is the case.

Yes, I am committed to getting my work to industry
standard levels, as I am also committed to finding my
own resources for meeting those standards through my
own network of editors. I am a writer by trade and
have these contacts.

I am serious about my interest in working with you as
I have commercially viable work and the talent to back
up my claims as I make a living as a freelance writer.

I am also seriously concerned about the claims of
those websites and message boards such as:

http://www.writers.net/forum/read/10/127303/127297Vf
http://www.anotherealm.com/prededitors/peala.htm

Seeing my earnestness in working with you, I hope you
will dispel some of my concerns concerning some of the
points raised in those boards. I would like to
believe, as I do, that what goes around comes around,
in the sense of \"good business karma,\" and good
business practises should be reflected even among
detractors and fans. The allegations on those boards
are more than a bit disconcerting:

(1) that your place of business, the physical address
in Madison Avenue is a mere drop box which wounds its
way to your former CEO Robert Fletcher\'s address in
Boca, Raton and that there are no offices therein;

(2) the integrity of Mr. Fletcher himself seems to be
questioned including some fraudulent practises that he
was arrested for in the past;

(3) the lack of transparency as far as the citing of
real book deals: giving the author\'s name, book title
and any reviews from Amazon.com or Barnes & Noble or
even search engine findings on Google;

(4) the questioning of whether legitimate business
practice is taking place between NYLA and the
publishing houses it wishes to sell author\'s
manuscripts to, as a faxed checkbox list page
(guaranteed for failure or rejection) is sent along
with the submissions to the publisher;

(5) the success rate is being challenged: are the
literary agents really pushing for sales in behalf of
the authors or relying on the revenues from editing?;

All of these and more are points of concern to me.

I will be glad to hear back from you before I proceed
with signing the contract.

Thank you so much for your time and consideration thus
far, and I sincerely look forward to working with you
with the explicit request that the above issues be
addressed as soon as possible.

All good wishes,

Georgina Gozum


--- Sherry Contract - VP of Acquisitions
<SherryContract@newyorkliteraryagency.com> wrote:

> Congratulations and my warmest wishes for our mutual
> success! And again, we
> thank you for your understanding and your acceptance
> of our business
> philosophy. We look forward to working with you and
> because you have
> indicated such a strong commitment to your work you
> can rest assured that we
> will be excited and committed to doing what we can
> to work just as hard for
> you!
>
>
> PLEASE READ THIS INFORMATION CAREFULLY AS IT WILL
> SAVE YOU TIME AND REDUCE
> YOUR STRESS (and mine!):
>
>
>
> 1. Attached is our Contract for Agency
> Representation.
> ===================================================
> It is simple and straightforward and we\'ve used it
> for years. It is also
> non-negotiable. I\'m happy to answer any questions
> that you may have, but
> 99% of the time we will not make a change to it if
> requested. If you want
> to have a lawyer look at it, by all means do so, but
> we\'ve spent great time
> and energy with our lawyers making it simple enough
> for a business person to
> understand. Because we offer an electonic signature
> option, the contract is
> \"open\". Changes to the contract are not deemed
> acceptable without express
> written permission.
>
> You don\'t have to be nervous because you can back
> out very easily. We very
> clearly state that your \'out\' from the contract is
> that you can fire us in
> 90 days if we don\'t perform or you don\'t like our
> services for any reason.
> This rarely happens, but it\'s there for you if you
> want it.
>
> Your work is completely safe and remains your work.
> You keep your copyright
> and this contract is only for the work you submit,
> not all your works. (You
> can discuss other works later with your agent).
>
> We are not trying to tie your hands in any way, and
> as you will see from the
> contract, we only get paid if you get paid. There
> are no other payments to
> us.
>
> We ask that you regular mail us two signed copies of
> the contract. The
> address is within the document. International
> authors can either fax the
> contract or mail it. Please allow up to 30 days to
> receive the
> counter-signed contract back in the mail. The
> contracts are sent to our NY
> office and depending on the travel schedule of our
> President, it may take
> that long to get them signed and back to you.
>
> We ask that you get the critique started in parallel
> with sending in the
> contract. Send in your contract at the same time you
> are getting your
> critique. Don\'t wait for the critique to send in
> your contract.
>
>
>
> 2. Referral for the Critique/Evaluation
> ===============================================
> As we mentioned in the prior email, if you have a
> critique or evaluation
> similar in format to those we sent you earlier
> please send it to us along
> with your contract. (Don\'t email it separately, we
> have a hard time matching
> it up. Simply print it and put it with your
> contract). If you want us to
> tell you if what you have is acceptable then email
> it to me as quickly as
> you can.
>
> If you do not have a critique, please email the
> following address and tell
> them that we referred you.
>
> AdminNY@writersliterary.com All you have to say
> is \"Sherry referred me\".
>
> They will send you a very clear set of instructions
> on how to proceed with
> the critique, send your manuscript, payment, etc.
>
> Writers Literary offers a discounted price to
> referrals that we send them
> ($89). We send them so much business that they will
> prioritize your work
> and this will speed up the entire process. We can
> also lean on them if we
> need to make them work more quickly!
>
> When they complete your critique they will send it
> to you and to us at the
> same time. Remember, we are unique in that we are
> willing to help you
> develop your talent, so there is no need to worry
> about what the critique
> will say.
>
>
> What\'s Next?
> =================
> During the next 30 days we should receive your
> contract and your critique.
> Once we receive your contract and your critique is
> finished and in our
> hands, you will be put in touch with your Agent. At
> that time the Agent
> will review the critique with you and the two of you
> will develop a strategy
> to market your work as quickly as makes sense given
> the information that we
> see in the critique.
>
> The Agent will then become your primary contact and
> will answer questions,
> guide you, and hopefully, before too long, come to
> you with the good news of
> a sale! (Note: we never, never promise a sale,
> that\'s a checkbox for you
> within the contract by the way).
>
> I am happy to answer any questions that you have and
> I have enjoyed our
> interaction. My sincere best wishes for your
> writing career.
>
> Best regards,
> Sherry - VP Acquisitions
>
> If you can\'t open the pdf attachment, try clicking
> on this link:
>
www.newyorkliteraryagency.com/nyla-contract-representation.rtf
>
>
> A Few Frequently Asked Questions (I can\'t resist,
> you know me by now)
>
========================================================
> Please send the contract in parallel with getting
> the critique. That way
> we\'ll have you in the system when the critique is
> finished. Don\'t wait to
> send in the contract until your critique is
> completed. Send the contract in
> immediately and please allow 2-3 weeks for
> notification that we received it.
>
> If you need an extension, simply email me and we
> automatically grant one, so
> don\'t stress if for some reason you haven\'t heard
> from me. Non-US authors
> are automatically granted an extension.
>
> If you have a critique already please be sure it
> matches the thoroughness of
> the critique example we sent you. If it doesn\'t we
> will reject it. If it
> does, we will move forward quickly. If you want me
> to look at it just email
> it to me.
>
> What\'s Next? Once the critique process is complete
> you will be connected to
> the Agent that will be working with you. You will
> discuss \'next steps\'
> based on the results of the critique. As we
> mentioned in a previous email,
> we are willing to develop talent so there is no need
> to worry unduly about
> the results of the critique.
>
> We look forward to working with you. Once we receive
> your contract and enter
> it into our system you will receive an email
> confirmation.
>
> In the meanwhile don\'t forget to contact
> adminNY@writersliterary.com to get
> your critique started. They will tell you exactly
> how
=== message truncated ===


\"I\'m tired of following my bliss. I\'m just going to ask where they\'re
going and hook up with them later.\" ~ Joseph Campbell

Author: gymnopedie sweet
Date:   07-30-06 22:10

Hi Charles:

I thought you might be interesteed in seeing this new bit of proof that the NYLA is a total scam! Check out my submission form under the pseudonym Ghistlaine du Plessix and the subsequent novel description, etc. It's pathetic in a funny way that they think this is worth accepting for representation:


From: "Sherry - VP Acquisitions" <sherry@newyorkliteraryagency.com> Add to
Subject: NY Literary: Thank You For Your Query
Date: Sun, 30 Jul 2006 11:16:39 -0400
Thank you for your query to the New York Literary Agency. Based on
your
query form information we would like to see more.

1) Would you please send us an electronic copy
of your work for further evaluation?

Please email your manuscript to
manuscript@newyorkliteraryagency.com .

2) Would you please answer these 2 questions
in the body of the SAME email? (Just copy and paste
the questions).

A. How long have you been writing, and
what are your goals as a writer?

B. Do you consider your writing 'ready-to-go',
or do you think it needs some polishing.


You may send either 3-5 chapters or the entire manuscript, whichever
you are
more comfortable sending. Your manuscript is completely safe within
our
company. We take care to properly manage all access and if we don't end
up
working together, we delete all files.

Please DO NOT include any questions with your manuscript submission.
If you
have a question, please send it to question@newyorkliteraryagency.com
where
the proper people may address your question. Most of the questions you
may
have are answered on the website and at the bottom of this email.
Please
see the FAQs below.


Below is the result of your feedback form. It was submitted by
on Tuesday, July 25, 2006 at 08:35:18
---------------------------------------------------------------------------


FormSource: CLA

FormDate: 7/25/2006

Name: Ghislaine du Plessix

How Did You Hear of Us: Google ad

Title of Work: Fletch: The Man and His Method

Synopsis: A bogus literary agency in Boca Raton headed by a fraudulent
rackateer named Robert Fletcher attempts to lure hapless new writers in
order to siphon them of their hard-earned money by pandering to their
need
to be published in as short a time span as possible. Fletch, a
heartless
man, purveyor of broken dreams finds his comeuppance when the writers
he
swore to represent rise up in arms to expose him, which leads to his
secoond
life arrest and subsequent death.

NYP-Work Been Edited: yes by the Writer's' Guild of Paris

NYP-Sample Illustrations: Maurice Sendak

NYP-Bio: lovely French aristocrat with tons of money hopes to be
ensnared by
bogus literary agency so she can expose to them to the legitimate
literary
world and public. Ghislaine du Plessix is the winner of the Booker
Prize
for Literature for her first novel, "The Man Named Fletch: Poseur,
Loser,
User and Devil Incarnate, His Life, Incarceration and Death

PP-Who Published: Gallimard Press, Paris

PP-How Many Copies: 2,500

PP-Was Work Edited: The Writer's Guild of Paris

PP-Activities: tv spots/ interviews/ radio commentary/ guest
appearances in
France 2

PP-Bio: Ghislaine du Plessix, winner of the Booker Prize for Literature
loves to expose bogus literary agencies for what they are and hopes she
can
do that for the New York Literary Agency and Robert Fletcher and Sherry
Fine, among his numerous alias

PP-Website: none, but I hope you will aid me in creating one for only
$145

---------------------------------------------------------------------------

Author: DS Reese
Date:   08-20-06 22:20

This is hilarious!

Yes, add me to the list of one more unsuspecting google search victims that almost parted with some hard earned cash. Here I was, working day and night because someone was actually interested in looking at my work. Thank you all for this forum, and the warning.

Perhaps there is an honest agent out there who will appreciate my work...sigh.

Author: Raymond Welsh
Date:   08-24-06 07:03

Hi All

Just to be different! I too, nearly got swept away with the excitement of an all to easy acceptance. As soon as 'they' asked for money (and writersliterary is them, make no mistake)all the bells started ringing. Fortunately, I am in contact with a real agent and I simply asked their advice. Just for the record this was their reply:

Automated response to a submission is not rare in early stage, but if this is so when making offer I would have concerns as it shows a lack of detail one would expect. Also if they are recommending a service it will be affiliated to there service and if you looked elsewhere for a critique they would state that this was not up to scratch and once more recommend their service. I may be off key here but if they have read the work they should be able to offer their own critique as this is what offering representation is all about!

We can offer direction and would not want to cast aspersion, but it all seems rather formulated, this industry is anything but that! Ask some questions regarding your work, test their depth of knowledge, you will probably find they have not read the material, if this is the case avoid. END

Thanks to everyone on this thread for saving me $89 or about £65.

Ray

Author: Palehorse What
Date:   09-13-06 09:28

Its pretty much normal to employ a third party company to give an independent look at your work. I went here and they had great prices and a fast turnaround.
www.scribendi.com

Author: Lisette Brodey
Date:   09-13-06 12:04

Everything I write is edited by a professional editor before I even send it out. Yes, it's pretty much normal to have something professionally edited if you are serious about your work.

It is NOT "pretty much normal" to have an "agency" accept EVERY single manuscript submitted and "EVERY single credit card submitted, too." Give me a break!

No legitimate agent would ever engage in the silliness this supposed agency does. This is a scam pure and simple, and anyone who condones this "agency" is likely connected with it.

Author: Cara Vermaak
Date:   09-27-06 22:30

I became weary of all the agent nonsense, went ahead and published my book, I informed NYLA that I will be doing this, in case it was still all above board, alas they are not well.

After almost 4 months of silence.....

"To Make sense of the mails read from the bottom up, I have posted the mails as they were received and answered?"

Hello Georgina

A few months ago I told you I will self publish the book and maybe use you to market to the public, you agreed.

My book has been published and has been on sale since the 11 Aug and is doing quite well.

The marketing I was referring to was to promote the book to ppl in the street.


Cara



----- Original Message -----
From: GeorginaC - Senior Agent
To: 'Cara'
Sent: Wednesday, September 27, 2006 3:43 PM
Subject: RE: Agency Marketing Options


Dear Cara,



I’ve been reviewing the history for your work, and for whatever reason, your work isn’t currently resonating with our buyers. This is a nice way of saying that we are concerned whether or not we can sell it. This doesn’t necessarily reflect on you, it might just be that the buyers we know aren’t open to this genre at this time. And believe me, things change over time, so we’re not saying that we want to let you go, we’re just saying that until something changes we’re placing this on the back-burner.



Please feel free to contact me about every 45-60 days. Things do change.



Also, as we’ve told you before, our desire is to see you succeed and it might behoove you to start looking for other agents. Other agents have different contacts, and it won’t hurt our feelings if you begin looking for another agent.



So, in conclusion, if you can be patient, we’ll keep this active and hear from you every 45-60 days. If not, then you might look for another agent.



We’re not giving up, we’re just saying that we can’t work on this as actively as we were in the past.



Best Regards,

Georgina – Senior Agent







-----Original Message-----
From: Cara [mailto:carav@sentechsa.com]
Sent: Tuesday, September 26, 2006 11:55 PM
To: GeorginaC@newyorkliteraryagency.com
Subject: Re: Agency Marketing Options



Hello Georgina



I want to reach real life people on the streets in stores etc.



----- Original Message -----

From: GeorginaC - Senior Agent

To: 'Cara'

Sent: Tuesday, September 26, 2006 6:01 PM

Subject: RE: Agency Marketing Options



Dear Cara,



Here are a couple of examples of what the pitching websites look like.



www.childrensliteraryagency.com/SneeblySnailGoesToSchool.html



www.childrensliteraryagency.com/AbbiesBouquetOfHats.html



www.childrensliteraryagency.com/HasACatEverToldYouAStory.html



www.childrensliteraryagency.com/OurBestFriendWillie.html





Best Regards,

Georgina – Senior Agent







-----Original Message-----
From: Cara [mailto:carav@sentechsa.com]
Sent: Tuesday, September 26, 2006 12:02 AM
To: Georgina@newyorkliteraryagency.com
Subject: Re: Agency Marketing Options



Hello Georgina



Thank you for the offer but I already have a website for Confessions.



Do you have other marketing ideas?

----- Original Message -----

From: Georgina - Senior Agent

To: 'Vermaak, Cara'

Sent: Tuesday, September 26, 2006 1:39 AM

Subject: Agency Marketing Options



To: Cara Vermaak



Re: Other Marketing Options for "Journal of the Dyslexic Virgin: A Touch of Love"



Our agent team was reviewing our marketing efforts thus far for Journal of the Dyslexic Virgin: A Touch of Love and we would like to discuss additional options for you and our results thus far.



Sometimes the LFN process can be maddeningly slow.



At this time, we are planning ahead and asking certain authors about whether they would like to create a website to assist us with marketing your work in more circumstances.



If you remember, email and having a website is one of the methods we use to market your work. It's more aggressive than just waiting for the LFN database to give a hit. The way having a website helps us is that we have a certain group of buyers that we send an email pitch to. You can also reference your website in any communications that you initiate.



The pitching website mimics your hotsheet, except it's placed on the web in an attractive and industry accepted format.



If you would like to be included, you must have a website that the buyer can click to. If you have one of these websites it gives us many more options with marketing your work, so if you can afford it, we strongly suggest that you have it.



If you would like to proceed in this manner, we found a web creation and hosting company that does a great job and we have negotiated a greatly

reduced price for our authors ($145 total cost.) That's the only cost for the website for up to 2 years, and it includes creation, and hosting for that time period. Of course if you can get a website done yourself that's fine too, it needs to match this format exactly.



Here are a couple of examples of what the pitching websites look like.



www.childrensliteraryagency.com/SneeblySnailGoesToSchool.html



www.childrensliteraryagency.com/AbbiesBouquetOfHats.html



www.childrensliteraryagency.com/HasACatEverToldYouAStory.html



www.childrensliteraryagency.com/OurBestFriendWillie.html



www.christianliterary.com/Deeper.html



www.christianliterary.com/BloodOfInnocence.html



www.newyorkliteraryagency.com/InTheStillness.html



www.newyorkliteraryagency.com/NoHoldIsDeepEnough.html



www.newyorkliteraryagency.com/RedInk.html





So, let me know your thoughts about proceeding with a website, or if you'd rather wait and let the LFN process continue to move along.



I look forward to your reply.



Best Regards,

Georgina - Senior Agent





p.s. If you believe this email is in error, please let me know. We recently had to restore our database from a backup copy and it's possible that a few records were restored inaccurately.

Author: Debi DeSantis
Date:   09-28-06 17:23

Boy oh boy you are very bitter. I am a writer and I do spend all of my time writing but I occasionally take some "me" time as well. It is amazing how much negativity you have towards NYLA. Are you angry because they didnt want your work or did they take thousands of dollars from you and run? I dont think that they would still be going by the name New York Literary Agency if they indeed have been as crooked as you and some of the others are saying. you can find them all over the internet and if people were being scammed I am sure that they would be under investigation by now.

I am only speaking through experience. They have always been available when I had issues or questions and they told me up front that they often send form letter responses. And you only need to pay for the editing if you want to go on with your manuscript, if not then you are not required to pay anything. And if you are not willing to help yorself become better at writing and help your agent make sure that your work is good enough to be published then that is your bad. There are hundreds of jobs out there that require extra schooling or meetings that also cost money, but again how are you going to succeed and gain more knowlege without these tools. And sometimes even after attending these courses you can lose your job for any reason.

Nothing is for free in this world and like they say you have to spend money to make money. There is always a cost for success, physically, mentally, or economicaly. Everything has a price, but it is up to us as individuals whether or not we want to take a chance.

If we listened to every food, movie or book critic out there, there would be a lot of poeple out of business.

I hope I wasn't too harsh , but it seems to me that you are crushing other peoples dreams because yours did not come true.

People that have trouble succeeding often poison others in order to keep them at the same level that they are at.

Sorry to be so blunt, but ease up a little.

Author: Debi DeSantis
Date:   09-28-06 17:38

Hey Bill, I am in total agreement with you. I too am being represented by them. My agent is Georgina. I have had several conversations with Sherry and a few others at NYLA and they have always been real live people. I have been signed with them since August 2005 and I am now headed toward the publishing process. I paid money for my final edit and it was very thorough and I am am very please with it. My editor took his time and made sure that my formatting and puncuation was correct. This process only helped me write better.

When I read my contract it said the the agent does not get paid until your work is published. It says nothing about the editing process being free.I dont know what these people are complaining about. Stick with it and good luck..

I will keep you updated on my progress.

Just FYI...I self published my childrens book wnd it cost me $1000 by the time I was finished. Unfortunately this did not include expert editing and now my book is available on Amazon.com with spelling errors that were never corrected. So needless to say it is pretty much a waste of money and unsellable(if this is a real word)

At least I know that my money went for a good cause...the editing of my work and making it, in my eyes, A MASTER PIECE! LOL

Author: Alice Cain
Date:   10-11-06 17:14

NEW YORK LITERARY AGENCY - they were ready to jump on my work, quite ready. Boy, did they get angry when I asked what anyone dealing with a company would ask - the last name of "Sherry" who responded to my message, their physical address and the business license number. Here's what I received in response to my request.

I'm sorry that you've fallen into the 'skeptic' category already. Frankly,
we've been at this for years, and we have so many applicants, that we look
for reasons to say no, not reasons to say yes.

We don't want to work with skeptics. The Agent-Writer bond is a fragile one
anyway and we have enough data to know that eventually, a skeptic tends to
turn on us, one way or another. So, I'll save each of us time right now by
making the call, as tough as it may seem to you.

So, the end result is, we've chosen to pass on you at this time.


Best regards,
Sherry Fine - VP Acquisitions

Author: David Tieck
Date:   10-18-06 02:38

I recently approached an independant editing company to edit one of my works, and even though I was willing to fork out a solid some of money to them to be edited, they told me that they only recomended me moving forward if I was interesting in self publishing my book. If I was hoping to sell to a publishing house they would have their own editors, and edit in their own in house styles and formats, and prefer to receive work unedited for this reason. This advice only cost them, so they have no reason to lie.

If an agentcy is asking for money for editing before selling to publishers then they are a scam, stay away.

Author: Cara Vermaak
Date:   10-18-06 22:46

I thank the NYLA for giving me the courage to say No to all and any agents. After making my sad name toffee by defending them initially, hoping against hope they were real, I took time out to think about the situation.

In this world we are abused at every moment, whether it is a child demanding, a boss demeaning, a lover cheating, no matter what part of our life. It is my choice to no longer be a target and this is why I have to thank the NYLA, one dear lesson I learned from my dealings with them is that the world is not all good, no matter how pleasant the e-mails are.

Long reflections lead me to the discovery that agents, publishers, editors, never write more than a few words, often writing them wrong, yet they assume they may rape my work, my mind and my confidence. All this after I was a favourite of agents, unusual was the offers from agents to represent me, I had no idea how most writers are treated and was more than saddened when I realised I had decided to go with fakes to represent me and my work.

I declined every agent, publisher and related people and started searching for self publishing options, there are numerous good publishers, I was torn between two, Dorrance Publishers who offer a very comprehensive service at a minimal cost and AuthorHouse, both of these publishers design the cover and the book according to your specs, they market and distribute, theY encourage and offer help.

Advice from my investors had me choose AuthorHouse, although my heart wanted to go with Dorrance. Yes, I have to pay for everything I want, yes, I have to be proactive in the entire process, which is good.

Within weeks my book was designed, and published, it was listed all over the world, a press release with an offer of a complimentary book was made to 197 News papers, magazines and radio stations, when a book is requested for a review, I am informed. I receive quarterly reports of the sales and can check all the sites that carry my book anytime.

My advice is if we start self publishing, agents who now control our thought patterns will have to rewrite their lives or try write a book!

We deserve better.

Thank you NYLA for changing my view of the world, thank you for giving me the courage to say NO NO NO NO No thank you!

The money I spent on the NYLA 'critique's, the 'edits' etc was a good investment.

Author: Cara Vermaak
Date:   10-18-06 22:56

Hello Debi

Unless your book is only 40 pages long the so called 'edit' did not include the entire book. My book that they edited, yes I paid for both edits, only went as far as chapter two, which I had to review and re-correct anyway as the editor decided to think for me and write the situation from her point of view, changing the entire concept. The two edits were never full length.

I did not leave them until months later when I received exactly the same answer to all my inquires about the progress.

I have all the mail telling me what an incredible book it is and what a nice person I am as they refuse to represent 'Diva's etc.

I will be most impressed if your book is published and fully edited, if so, then I demand their editors to do the same for me as I have paid the same price.

Good luck!

Author: Lisette Brodey
Date:   10-18-06 23:24

Quote from David:

<< recently approached an independant editing company to edit one of my works, and even though I was willing to fork out a solid some of money to them to be edited, they told me that they only recomended me moving forward if I was interesting in self publishing my book. If I was hoping to sell to a publishing house they would have their own editors, and edit in their own in house styles and formats, and prefer to receive work unedited for this reason. This advice only cost them, so they have no reason to lie.

If an agentcy is asking for money for editing before selling to publishers then they are a scam, stay away.>>

First of all, I agree 100% with the last paragraph and NOBODY will EVER convince me that the NYLA is legitimate in any way. Just the way they write is hilarious, and they write the silliest things that legitimate agencies would have neither the time nor notion to be bothered with. I will not expend any unnecessary energy explaining in detail WHY they are bogus; I think it's pretty obvious.

However, on the notion of editing, David, I'm not sure why the editing house wouldn't take your money. I have gone with professional editors that I know personally, and they have both been a great help to me.

Author: Lisette Brodey
Date:   10-18-06 23:32

That last message sent itself before I had finished it.

While it IS true that different publishing houses have different formats and styles, it makes little sense to me that they would suggest you NOT polishing your manuscript.

To anyone who has researched agencies and agents (especially in Jeff Herman's annual directories), one would see that one of the most COMMONLY given pieces of advice is to ALWAYS send the most-polished and professional manuscript possible. Even the smallest of typos and grammatical errors can ruin your chances.

It is important to note that there are no hard and fast rules for dealing with legitimate agents, unlike NYLA and their various bogus offshoots. If you read the summaries provided by the various agents in Jeff Herman's book, you will see that agents can differ a great deal in how they want to be contacted by writers. One thing that I have NEVER seen, is an agent who doesn't want a polished manuscript because the publishing houses will edit it in their own way.

For one thing, my one friend, a professional freelance editor for major NY houses, tells me that many of the editing/proofreading phases that were once standard have been eliminated, thereby explaining the presence of all sorts of mistakes in published manuscripts.

Agents want polished manuscripts, not your credit cards so they can get the manuscripts polished for you.

My advice: read the words of the agents and educate yourselves. And stay away from the NYLA at all costs.

Author: Jared Rice
Date:   01-12-07 12:14

I fell for their scam and now I\'m so far in that I don\'t know what to do.

I signed their contract, paid the money and fell like an all day sucker.

I\'ve gone way past the 90 days that are stipulated in the contract for termination of their service and I don\'t know what to do now.

Can anyone please tell me how to get out from under this bogus agency so I can find a real agent.

Thanks.

Jared

Author: James Macdonald
Date:   05-09-07 04:50

Do y'all remember Debi DeSantis back on 09-28-06?

Boy oh boy you are very bitter. I am a writer and I do spend all of my time writing but I occasionally take some "me" time as well. It is amazing how much negativity you have towards NYLA. Are you angry because they didnt want your work or did they take thousands of dollars from you and run? I dont think that they would still be going by the name New York Literary Agency if they indeed have been as crooked as you and some of the others are saying. you can find them all over the internet and if people were being scammed I am sure that they would be under investigation by now.

Author: Michelle Brown
Date:   10-03-07 04:33

My experience with The New York Literary Agency went a little further than what has been posted. I first signed on with them last year. I did do a search with BBB and there was not much on them at the time. I signed a contract, paid for the critique ($85), paid for my own editor ($750). (Most editors I spoke with charge by the word, page or by a flat fee). After editing, I went into the data base for several months. I contacted them after 3 months and told them it was time to get more aggressive. I was then signed up for the AA program (Aggressive Agent) which cost $95 to notify 5 publishers and $175 for 10. I elected for the five. This fee is suppossed to cover the amnistration fee for mailing your manuscript and query letters to publishers.

Actually, I have e-mails from four different people claiming to work for NYLA. Nicole-- Aggressive agent program; Leslie-Admin, GeorginaC-Senior Editor, and Marta-Admin. My earlier emails did come from Sherry.

I was told that 2-3 weeks after I send payment, I will receive a query letter that I would need to approve and a pitch list. I received the query letter 4 weeks afterwards. According to an email from Nicole, I needed to wait for the pitch list (List of Publishers.) I e-mailed her back to let her know that I wanted tracking information of the publishers that my manuscript was sent to. Her response was that the information would be provided to me 2-3 weeks after the mailing.

After receiving the query letter, I started researching them again and found a bunch of disturbing news. I immediately e-mailed them to cancel my contract and also requested my $95 dollars back. I cc all listed above. Two days after my cancellation I received the pitch list from Nicole. It took her another day to acknowledge that I had cancelled the contract. I received my \'official\' statement of cancellation today from GeorginaC. Of course, it still hasn\'t been mentioned about the $95.

I really don\'t know what to expect, because not only have I spent money on this company, I have spent valuable time. It has been a full year and some months.

Whoever signs on with them do not let yourself be talked into the the LFN database. You could sit there for months, with no publishing contact.

I wish everyone luck in their endeavors.

Author: Michelle Brown
Date:   10-03-07 04:33

My experience with The New York Literary Agency went a little further than what has been posted. I first signed on with them last year. I did do a search with BBB and there was not much on them at the time. I signed a contract, paid for the critique ($85), paid for my own editor ($750). (Most editors I spoke with charge by the word, page or by a flat fee). After editing, I went into the data base for several months. I contacted them after 3 months and told them it was time to get more aggressive. I was then signed up for the AA program (Aggressive Agent) which cost $95 to notify 5 publishers and $175 for 10. I elected for the five. This fee is suppossed to cover the amnistration fee for mailing your manuscript and query letters to publishers.

Actually, I have e-mails from four different people claiming to work for NYLA. Nicole-- Aggressive agent program; Leslie-Admin, GeorginaC-Senior Editor, and Marta-Admin. My earlier emails did come from Sherry.

I was told that 2-3 weeks after I send payment, I will receive a query letter that I would need to approve and a pitch list. I received the query letter 4 weeks afterwards. According to an email from Nicole, I needed to wait for the pitch list (List of Publishers.) I e-mailed her back to let her know that I wanted tracking information of the publishers that my manuscript was sent to. Her response was that the information would be provided to me 2-3 weeks after the mailing.

After receiving the query letter, I started researching them again and found a bunch of disturbing news. I immediately e-mailed them to cancel my contract and also requested my $95 dollars back. I cc all listed above. Two days after my cancellation I received the pitch list from Nicole. It took her another day to acknowledge that I had cancelled the contract. I received my \'official\' statement of cancellation today from GeorginaC. Of course, it still hasn\'t been mentioned about the $95.

I really don\'t know what to expect, because not only have I spent money on this company, I have spent valuable time. It has been a full year and some months.

Whoever signs on with them do not let yourself be talked into the the LFN database. You could sit there for months, with no publishing contact.

I wish everyone luck in their endeavors.

Author: Michelle Brown
Date:   10-03-07 04:34

My experience with The New York Literary Agency went a little further than what has been posted. I first signed on with them last year. I did do a search with BBB and there was not much on them at the time. I signed a contract, paid for the critique ($85), paid for my own editor ($750). (Most editors I spoke with charge by the word, page or by a flat fee). After editing, I went into the data base for several months. I contacted them after 3 months and told them it was time to get more aggressive. I was then signed up for the AA program (Aggressive Agent) which cost $95 to notify 5 publishers and $175 for 10. I elected for the five. This fee is suppossed to cover the amnistration fee for mailing your manuscript and query letters to publishers.

Actually, I have e-mails from four different people claiming to work for NYLA. Nicole-- Aggressive agent program; Leslie-Admin, GeorginaC-Senior Editor, and Marta-Admin. My earlier emails did come from Sherry.

I was told that 2-3 weeks after I send payment, I will receive a query letter that I would need to approve and a pitch list. I received the query letter 4 weeks afterwards. According to an email from Nicole, I needed to wait for the pitch list (List of Publishers.) I e-mailed her back to let her know that I wanted tracking information of the publishers that my manuscript was sent to. Her response was that the information would be provided to me 2-3 weeks after the mailing.

After receiving the query letter, I started researching them again and found a bunch of disturbing news. I immediately e-mailed them to cancel my contract and also requested my $95 dollars back. I cc all listed above. Two days after my cancellation I received the pitch list from Nicole. It took her another day to acknowledge that I had cancelled the contract. I received my \'official\' statement of cancellation today from GeorginaC. Of course, it still hasn\'t been mentioned about the $95.

I really don\'t know what to expect, because not only have I spent money on this company, I have spent valuable time. It has been a full year and some months.

Whoever signs on with them do not let yourself be talked into the the LFN database. You could sit there for months, with no publishing contact.

I wish everyone luck in their endeavors.

Author: Richard Todd
Date:   11-15-09 15:03

I did the same things a few years ago but I never thought that they were robbing me or using me at all.

The agency actually worked for me since I was hounding them once or twice a week. I wanted results from them, and I didn\\\'t sit around to let them take advantage of me.
They did the work, they sent me everything that I needed and I checked if they did contact each publisher.
I ended up with their sister company which has been nice to me, and I got last names. I demanded to know who I was talking with, who they were, their background and where they were from.

I forced them to get results as I still do with Eloquent Books. The only thing is, I\'ve noticed that they have been giving me little money.
rwtodd@sympatico.ca
I collected each and every e-mail, if I want I could sue them but I won\\\'t. I only have seven years with the company and I\\\'m making them work, it\\\'s the only way to get through to them.

I was bumped up to the LFN database, I have spoken with more than a dozen publishers. Real publishers and these stupid self publishers, now I won\\\'t send a manuscript to either of them.
I know seven years is a long time, and I can move on but until they fold I won\\\'t be giving them anything in that time.
I\\\'ve done hounding both company\\\'s, plus I\\\'ve made some contacts along the way. Though I need a new agency to work with.