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Writers’ Agencies: Con Artists or Useful Publishing Friends?

Posted on August 30th, 2010 in Writing by Jimmy Shilaho
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Writers should beware of con artists masquerading as literary or writers’ agencies. These men and women have never written a thing leave alone publish but are offering heaven on earth for “free”. When all is said and done, the author discovers it wasn’t for free at all for they take him or her through “intermediaries” that must be paid by those who want to be published!

They now number in their thousands, they are all lined up, looking for authors to represent, and they are all promising heaven. They want to read your book and help you publish it out there! It doesn’t get better than that or so you think and click their links and they entice you, sometimes with very good sounding proposals. Are these people for real?

The agencies are made up of men and women who have never written or published anything; they do not understand the pain nor frustration of completing a work of art and obviously do not care. They want to make money out of your sweat, but they don’t tell you so and instead talk of free services.

These literary or writers’ agencies will promise you heaven as you walk down the winding paths that publishing can be. They promise not to ask for any payment until you have published and are selling, for that is when they will get a percentage of your total book sales, something like 10% of what you make from royalties!

Amazing, isn’t it? You rush to sign up, you are in a hurry to be represented by these well established agents, and you want your work in print by the end of the year for they promise never to rest until you succeed!

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Then comes the fine print that most people do not realize until it’s too late at times. They say your work can not be accepted unless someone independent proof-reads it and write a report. Well, and they are willing to help by suggesting some reputable firm that will offer this service for only $100. There you are!

Are these people genuine literary agents or con artists? Are they serious about helping writers for free? Maybe and again maybe not. My advice to friends who are eager to publish remains this: Do not pay for services you can get for free!

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