Happy Monday Everyone! One of my projects
this year is to update the agent spotlights. One thing I have noticed is that
there is a warning on many agency websites informing writers that people are
impersonating agents at their literary agency. Then Caitlin Blasdell at Liza Dawson
Associates Literary Agency mentioned that she and another agent at her agency had
been impersonated when she reviewed her agent spotlight for me. She recommended
that I warn my followers about this scam. Here’s what you should know not to be
scammed.
Warning Signs That You Are the Victim of an Agent Scam
Writers seeking an agent and self-published authors are often the targets of individuals pretending to be a real literary agent. Another scam is pretending to be a literary agent at a fake agency. Here are some warning signs to watch for:
·
Charging you fees. Some fake literary agents offer
to help you obtain a publishing contract but will charge you reading, editing, or
other fees before they get you a contract. A legitimate agent will not charge
these fees and will only charge a commission, which is paid only if you sign a
publishing contract.
·
Contacting you out of the blue. Individuals
impersonating agents will contact you out of the blue. The reality is that
legitimate literary agents do not have the time or need to search for clients because
they are overwhelmed by queries from writers. One way to know the person
contacting you is a fake is to check their email address to see if it is a personal
rather than an agency email address or research the agency they claim to be
from.
·
Claiming a publisher is interested. Some fake agents
claim that a publisher is interested in your manuscript and that they will
negotiate your contract for an upfront fee.
·
Marketing your book. Scam agents may also promise to
get your book into bookstores, get you a spot on a radio or television show, or
launch a press release campaign for an expensive fee. Many of their marketing
methods may not be effective and are overpriced. In addition, these scammers
don’t fulfill their promises.
·
Offering to get you reviews. Another scam that
fake agents are promoting is to promise an author that they can get them reviews
of their book—for a few hundred dollars each. Legitimate agents would never
charge this type of fee.
·
Making unrealistic promises. If an agent’s
promises seem too good to be true, they probably are, and it’s a red flag that
the person is a scammer.
You can protect yourself from a fake agent and other publishing scams. Here are five tips you should follow:
1.
Educate
yourself on how the publishing industry works and how literary agents are paid.
2.
Be
very skeptical if you are contacted by an agent out of the blue unless an
author you know has referred you to an agent.
3.
Do
not pay any upfront fees to obtain representation or other services from an
agent.
4.
If
you are unsure of the identity of the person contacting you, research them thoroughly.
Also, do not click on any links in their email.
5.
Keep
up-to-date about potential scams by reading Victoria Strauss’ Writer Beware blog and other trusted
blogs or other publishing industry publications.
Here are the links to articles I read when writing this post and some helpful-looking podcasts on this issue:
https://annerallen.com/2022/08/bogus-agents-scam-warnings-for-writers/
https://writerbeware.blog/2022/07/29/metamorphosis-and-impersonation-a-new-front-for-an-old-scam/
https://writerunboxed.com/2022/02/25/out-of-the-blue-too-good-to-be-true-beware-soliciation-scams/
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AvQEwEmoCdw
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HDg0Kt1xIzc
Have been contacted by someone pretending to be an agent? Do you have other tips on how to avoid being scammed? Share your advice in the comments.
Upcoming Interviews and Guest Posts
Saturday, April 1 I’m participating in the Honey Bunny Giveaway Hop
Wednesday, April 5 I have an interview with debut author Lauren Thoman with a giveaway of her YA mystery I’ll Stop the World and my IWSG post
Thursday, April 6 I’m participating in the Dancing in the Rain Giveaway Hop
Monday, April 10 I have an interview with debut author Meg Eden Kuyatt and a giveaway of her MG contemporary Good Different
Wednesday, April 12 I have an agent
spotlight interview with Roma Panganiban and a query
critique giveaway
Monday, April 17 I have a guest post by debut author Justine Pucella Winans and a giveaway of her YA thriller Bianca Torre Is Afraid of Everything
Monday, April 24 I have an agent spotlight interview with Jennifer Chen Tran and a query critique giveaway
Hope to see you on Saturday!
13 comments:
Yeah, no real agent is going to contact writers.
Tonja Drecker contacted the IWSG about a similar scam and we're posting about it next week. Seems like a lot of them out there right now.
Excellent information, Natalie. Thanks for being a resource for writers.
The agent alert is timely and important. Sharing...
The sad fact of life is that if it seems too good to be true, it usually is. Good advice on what to look out for!.
The scammers are at it again? Thanks for the heads-up as there are always new writers who don't know the methods for scamming that never seem to change. Money flows towards the writer. I wish such things weren't lucrative for the scammers as that's the only thing that'll ever stop them.
It's good to warn writers that scam artists are out there. Sadly, if someone contacts you to offer you a publishing deal, agenting contract, movie deal, translation deals, etc they are generally scams. Thanks for the reminder!
Writers need to do their research - this is excellent, Natalie.
This is SOOOO important. Thanks for posting this!
Great article, Natalie, thanks! I routinely recommend your site, Literary Rambles, as a good source for finding reputable agents. Best of luck with your agent updates!
Good on you for posting this, Natalie.
This is a great post, Natalie. Thank you so much! It's true, agents do not have time to seek out writers (randomly). Nor do they charge or make money until a book sells. It's sad that people are impersonating agents and taking advantage of writers. People. UGH. Thanks for putting out the word!
Thanks so much for publishing this. It's really important information.
Snake oil salesman always find new angles!
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