Slimy Scams

From Anonymous........

"I submited my children's book to an agency and was thrilled when they showed interest in it. I didn't think anything of it when they referred me to one of their editors that charged a rate. I am new to all this and didn't know it wasn't standard practice. On the advice of my family and friends, I did an extensive search and it turned out that they were on the Writer' Beware list and mentioned on the BBB as being investigated. What a slimy way to make money....making people believe as if one of their dreams is coming true."


Here is the url that was included with this email........

http://www.childrensliteraryagency.com/

Moral of the story.........I have had experience (personal, even, way back when) with this so called "Literary Group" and can tell you straight off the bat.....just looking at the website should've given you a clue. Websites of agencies and publishers are a key factor in whether or not they are indeed credible. If the website looks unprofessional or a lower standard than what you would expect, you probably shouldn't do business with them. Always check and do research on any company you get involved with. In some cases, lack of information might only mean that it's a fairly new company, which isn't always a bad thing.

You can always ask the person you are doing the business with (the agent, publisher or editor) for more information regarding the company. You can even ask for their authors contact information....that way they know you intend to follow up. There's nothing worse to a professional than to find out someone you are doing business with is running around asking questions behind your back. If you ask for the contact info up front and inform that professional that you will be contacting these people to learn more, they won't have a problem with it, as long as they know about it.

Do your research....and if they ask for $$$....run as fast as your legs can carry you!