Quick update - no sympathy

[A.S. King]

SO, it seems I will have to wait until next week to talk to C.S. - and get my work back.

Funny thing is - and this is kinda hilarious (as I've been finding juicy morsels about this agency all day) I talked to the contact I usually talk to and I asked her a very straight question. "Is it true that your agency charges fees?"
The answer was - get this - "9 out of 10 authors we represent have paid no fees unless they used an editing service outside our agency."
I pushed. "So you're saying all that I've read about you guys is false?"
"Absolutely."
"And you're just a typical traditional agency who takes the 15%?"
"Uh huh."

Wow, huh? And I have to say she really sounded convincing!!

A.C. Crispin - your site is great - the links invaluable.

A.S.K.

[Kaz]

You've forwarned them with your questions. If they don't push the editing service, they'll wait and try the publishing connection where you'll be offered an invitation to have your work considered by SterlingHouse or Ceshore. The contract they offer looks like most any other...until you reach the section where the author is required to purchase a ton of books for thousands of dollars.

[ACCrispin]

Kaz is right.

The proof of any literary agency is how many verifiable sales they have made to advance and royalty paying commercial publishers.

In Lee Shore's case, this was zip, last time Writer Beware checked.

(We do periodic checks of stuff claimed on their website. Their "sales" always turn out to be to POD, e-books or subsidy publishing outfits...including their own.)

-Ann C. Crispin
Writer Beware
www.sfwa.org/beware