Eyes Wide Open: Protecting yourself in the publishing world.



This morning I came upon troubling news. Someone is impersonating a well-known literary agent, and contacting writers regarding book deals (read more on the story at GalleyCat).


Writers looking for agents ought to be aware of a few important things. 

Be suspicious of an agent who charges a fee for reading. Agents get paid when they help you make money. Steer clear of agents who ask for an upfront fee.

Watch out for other fees. Some agents charge for postage and office supplies, but a legitimate agent will not charge 'submission fees' or fees for marketing.

Read your contract carefully. Know whether you're partnering with an agent for a particular book, or for subsequent books.

There are two main resources where writers can check potential agents against a list of agents on a watch list. These sites contain huge amounts of information on publishing in general. They're good to have bookmarked.



Any other ideas about protecting yourself?

14 comments:

  1. Thanks, Les! Hope you're staying cool this summer!

    ~Debbie

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  2. Hi Debbie--actually, the hotter the better! I grew up in East Texas and New Orleans and it's never warm enough in Indiana. Not enough humidity, although the eye candy that is my wife Mary disagrees...

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  3. So maybe you wouldn't care for our 70 degree days here in the mountains. Send Mary on over!

    ~Debbie

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  4. With all the changes in publishing, it's best to really question things. Don't be afraid to ask questions. Going with your gut has always helped me, too. Today, there's an interesting conversations at the Bookends blog about how that agency is getting involved in self-publishing. It's another sign the industry is changing. (http://bookendslitagency.blogspot.com/2011/07/bookends-strategy-for-self-epublishing.html) And, LOVED the photo.

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  5. Thanks for a timely reminder, Debbie!

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  6. Glad you liked the photo! I did see the Bookends post. It's interesting how things are branching off in different directions. Who knows where things will be next year?

    ~Debbie

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  7. Wow. I had no idea this was happening. Thanks for sharing this story, Debbie!

    Lorena

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  8. You're welcome, Lorena! It's hard to believe someone has the gall to try this.

    ~Debbie

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  9. Sad that we now have to be conscious of this too. Thanks for sharing.

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  10. Thanks for this, Debbie. I'm bookmarking these sites now. I appreciate the heads up!

    Be well,
    Janette

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  11. Debbie,
    I enjoy your posts. They are timely, pertinent and to the point!

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  12. It's sad to see what lengths people will go to. I'm not sure how they'd get away with it, but they sure are trying!

    ~Debbie

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