Kick-Butt Author and Publishing Tips & Ahas: Author Alert Tip

Beware of ANY Literary Agent Who Charges You UPFRONT for ANY Service

A legit literary agent represents the author’s intellectual property (in most cases, a manuscript for a book to be published) to a legitimate publisher. When a sale occurs, the agent receives a commission—usually 15%. He or she handles the contract side; advance moneys (if there are any) are sent to the agent who in turns deposits the check and immediately sends the author 85%, hopefully with virtually hugs and kisses. If an agent is demanding/requiring that an author pay moneys upfront … exit immediately. No exceptions. My two bits.

Below is a scenario shared by Carolyn Howard-Johnson in her newsletter (she has blogs also—visit her website and subscribe.   

Dear Subscribers: Today I heard about a new kink in the old agent-for-upfront-fee scam. One of my longtime friends on Facebook told me that just as she had been waiting for the “right time to terminate” her relationship with her agent, she received a mass e-mail informing her of the agent’s new fee-for-service plan. My friend then terminated her contract and ask that the mention of her books be removed from this former agent’s Web site. The agent refused her request (and others’ requests) citing that she was the “agent of record” for those books. My friend says, “I feel bad for new writers who fall into this trap of paying her upfront fees.” This agent also added another wrinkle to her fee collecting program—a cancellation-of-contract fee. Learn more at (

Learn more at (http://accrispin.blogspot.com/2017/02/red-flag-alert-loiacono-literaryagency.html?m+1 ) I have no idea whether keeping a book that is no longer represented by an agent on an agent’s site is legal, but it certainly is misleading if not downright unethical. One of the tools that authors use to judge the effectiveness of an agent is their catalog of book sales. It is important that you are all aware of this practice and double check with some of the authors who have been (or are) represented by any agent you are considering.

Be aware that some agents “sell books” to presses that would take any book presented to them, often called (rather erroneously) self-publishing presses and that were once called “vanity publishing or presses” and still are by anyone who cares to flaunt their #bookbigotry. Of course these agents usually still take their 15% for “handling” and “representing” or “selling” the book to that press. There is more on that in the blog link above. You will also find more on finding reputable agents and editors in both The Frugal Book Promoter and The Frugal Editor including things to look for and questions to ask both the professional you are considering as a hire and those clients they provide as references. There are all kinds of ways you can be misleading—both intentionally and unintentionally.