Read Online Get a Literary Agent: The Complete Guide to Securing Representation for Your Work by Chuck Sambuchino - Free Book Online Page B
Authors: Chuck Sambuchino
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books to editors, so a writer’s query process was complicated.
Now fee-charging agents have been essentially eliminated from the mainstream marketplace. Today it’s standard practice that an agent will never charge a writer any amount of money to review his work or represent his books. An agent should only make money when you make money. All agents are different, sure—with different personalities and skill levels and experience—but the biggest thing to watch out for is that agents do not charge you money up front.
“Watch for red flags. Reputable agents generally don’t charge reading fees or require other up-front payments, they don’t sell (or at least, don’t brag about sales) to vanity presses, and they will readily identify other authors and projects they’ve represented.”
—Howard Zaharoff, copyright and publishing lawyer
While today’s pool of literary agents won’t have a “fee-charging” category, the new danger to watch out for is false agencies on the Internet. Some scammers got wise to the Web years ago and realized that people who were uneducated in the publishing world were relying on Google too much and simply searching for “literary agency” online. This led to the creation of fake agencies.
These supposed agencies work like this: After you submit, the agency sends you a form letter saying that they read your novel and love the writing. They offer you representation, and you agree, even signing a letter of consent. Then, once you’re hooked, they say the book needs some work. This is where the euphemisms come into play. It’s never a “fee”; it’s always something like a “marketing investment” or an “editorial review.” You fear you’re already in too deep to stop now, and you fork over the money and hope for the best. But the fake agency never provides any worthwhile edits, and they pocket the money. And whether the agency edits it or not, they have no true ability to sell the book, because they’re not a legitimate establishment and have no real connections. Bingo—you’ve been scammed.
But like I said, writers today are generally savvy to the submission process, and the mere fact that you’re reading this book makes me think you have nothing to worry about. All you have to do to protect yourself is two simple things.
USE TRUSTWORTHY DATABASES THAT SCREEN FOR ANY QUESTIONABLE AGENCIES. In addition to the Guide to Literary Agents , I suggest Querytracker.com and Publishersmarketplace.com. Stick with the documented professionals, and you will steer clear of any worry. While not every rep has a charming personality or the IQ needed for MENSA admission, I do assure you that legit agents will not rip you off and will not steal your work—and that’s what’s important.
RESEARCH, RESEARCH, RESEARCH. When in doubt, research . Before you submit to an agency, look for interviews with their agents. Investigate them on Facebook and Twitter. See what books they’ve represented. Believe me: If the writing public has concerns about an agency, the Internet will tell you very quickly. You see, writers are a thoughtful, intelligent bunch—but they’re also vindictive. And if an agency online is scamming people, writers will swarm over to message boards and forums like piranhas to sound the alarm. That means if XYZ Agency is not a legit choice, all you would have to do is Google “XYZ Agency”—some of the top results would be warnings not to submit to them.
If you ever have a strange gut feeling about dealing with someone, feel free to check out the following popular watchdog sites that alert writers about deceitful individuals.
WRITER BEWARE: www.sfwa.org/other-resources/for-authors/writer-beware
PREDITORS & EDITORS: Pred-ed.com
Both of these sites were created to protect writers from scammers. Use them on your journey.
BEWARE OF EDITING SERVICE REFERRALS
If you do your homework and only use trusted databases of agents (whether in print or online), your likelihood of
Now fee-charging agents have been essentially eliminated from the mainstream marketplace. Today it’s standard practice that an agent will never charge a writer any amount of money to review his work or represent his books. An agent should only make money when you make money. All agents are different, sure—with different personalities and skill levels and experience—but the biggest thing to watch out for is that agents do not charge you money up front.
“Watch for red flags. Reputable agents generally don’t charge reading fees or require other up-front payments, they don’t sell (or at least, don’t brag about sales) to vanity presses, and they will readily identify other authors and projects they’ve represented.”
—Howard Zaharoff, copyright and publishing lawyer
While today’s pool of literary agents won’t have a “fee-charging” category, the new danger to watch out for is false agencies on the Internet. Some scammers got wise to the Web years ago and realized that people who were uneducated in the publishing world were relying on Google too much and simply searching for “literary agency” online. This led to the creation of fake agencies.
These supposed agencies work like this: After you submit, the agency sends you a form letter saying that they read your novel and love the writing. They offer you representation, and you agree, even signing a letter of consent. Then, once you’re hooked, they say the book needs some work. This is where the euphemisms come into play. It’s never a “fee”; it’s always something like a “marketing investment” or an “editorial review.” You fear you’re already in too deep to stop now, and you fork over the money and hope for the best. But the fake agency never provides any worthwhile edits, and they pocket the money. And whether the agency edits it or not, they have no true ability to sell the book, because they’re not a legitimate establishment and have no real connections. Bingo—you’ve been scammed.
But like I said, writers today are generally savvy to the submission process, and the mere fact that you’re reading this book makes me think you have nothing to worry about. All you have to do to protect yourself is two simple things.
USE TRUSTWORTHY DATABASES THAT SCREEN FOR ANY QUESTIONABLE AGENCIES. In addition to the Guide to Literary Agents , I suggest Querytracker.com and Publishersmarketplace.com. Stick with the documented professionals, and you will steer clear of any worry. While not every rep has a charming personality or the IQ needed for MENSA admission, I do assure you that legit agents will not rip you off and will not steal your work—and that’s what’s important.
RESEARCH, RESEARCH, RESEARCH. When in doubt, research . Before you submit to an agency, look for interviews with their agents. Investigate them on Facebook and Twitter. See what books they’ve represented. Believe me: If the writing public has concerns about an agency, the Internet will tell you very quickly. You see, writers are a thoughtful, intelligent bunch—but they’re also vindictive. And if an agency online is scamming people, writers will swarm over to message boards and forums like piranhas to sound the alarm. That means if XYZ Agency is not a legit choice, all you would have to do is Google “XYZ Agency”—some of the top results would be warnings not to submit to them.
If you ever have a strange gut feeling about dealing with someone, feel free to check out the following popular watchdog sites that alert writers about deceitful individuals.
WRITER BEWARE: www.sfwa.org/other-resources/for-authors/writer-beware
PREDITORS & EDITORS: Pred-ed.com
Both of these sites were created to protect writers from scammers. Use them on your journey.
BEWARE OF EDITING SERVICE REFERRALS
If you do your homework and only use trusted databases of agents (whether in print or online), your likelihood of
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