[Editing] Anita D. McClellan Associates

[WantMy15Minutes]

Has anyone had any dealings with Anita McClellan? She told me she works on two tracks: 1) No fee and 2) fee for service.

I'm not sure if she's legit or not, or has a good track record.

Anyone?

Thanks.

 

[Atomic Bear]

Yogs Law: money always flows to the writer. Agents make their money when they sell your book.

You can ask her for a list of books she has sold with the authors and publishers(I could not find it on her site), check them out by store or google to make sure there are ligit publishers and not vanity). If the publishers are ones you have never heard of you can look for them in the index at the top of the B&B page and maybe read more about them.

I find the line "Authors who know our work include:" bothersome. That does not say anything about what the firm has achieved.

Selling gift certificates for editing and services is not cool and does not sound very professional.

She does not list who the Associates are anywhere on the site.

She does not belong to any association of Agents with an ethical guideline and such.

Hopefully someone with more experience will jump in and post their thoughts as well. I would not go with them based on the fact that there is no information and they want money from you.

 

[Popeyesays]

http://www.writersservices.com/agent/us/anita_mcclellan.htm

This lists her as AAR.

P&E lists her as: Anita D. McClellan Associates: a literary agency. 5/21/03: A writer reports this agency might not be open. (Anita McClellan: Literary, Adult) Contact at:


50 Steams Street
Cambridge, MA 02138

I don't see a website for her.

Regards,
Scott

 

[JennaGlatzer]

Website is http://www.anitamcclellan.com.

Kind of odd... the site is definitely set up to appear that she is not an agent anymore, but a "literary consultant" (that is, that she charges flat fees for editing, contract review, etc.). To my mind, it's odd to try to work it both ways (up front fees for some people, a standard agent agreement for others).

If I were going to simply pay a flat fee for a contract review, I'd certainly rather pay that to a publishing attorney.

I'm still surfing around the site... my impression isn't fully formed yet. Mostly just wanted to drop in the link so my cohorts could take a look, too. Her name rings a bell and I don't know why.

 

[James D. Macdonald]

http://www.writersservices.com/agent/us/anita_mcclellan.htm
I don't see a website for her.

Isn't this her?

http://anitamcclellan.com/

 

[JennaGlatzer]

Further impressions:

She is listed in the AAR database, which means she had to have agented some deals at some point. However, she doesn't mention her AAR membership on her own website (where she lists lots of other memberships); I wonder if she's let the membership lapse and they just haven't updated their database.

A search of Publishers Marketplace reveals no deals for Anita D. McClellan (I also tried it without the middle initial). While this doesn't mean that she hasn't made any deals, it's not a positive sign. If I were to wager, I'd guess she was a selling agent many years ago and has now changed her business model to shift payments up front.

So!

WantMy15Minutes, depends on what you're looking for. If you're looking for a literary agent to present your work to publishers, this isn't who I'd choose. I'd want someone whose sole business is agenting, who has a recent track record of commercial sales, who can readily show a client list, and who has no potential conflicts of interest (paid editorial services).

If you're looking to hire someone to critique your work... well, I can't comment either way on how good she might be at that; I'd run down the list of writers who she says are "aware" of her work and begin e-mailing them to ask if they've worked with her and if they were happy with her work. The fact that she has industry experience is a plus, but there are many freelance editors and "consultants" out there to choose from, so if that's what you want, do shop around.

 

[CaoPaux]

What I get from this is: she did agent for a time, but is now freelance writer and consultant.

 

[nicolesingslave]

She seems like a one time heavy duty agent. This is from her website (http://www.anitamcclellan.com/bio.htm):

ANITA D. McCLELLAN is a commercial writer, book reviewer, and publishing consultant. Formerly Executive Editor and Senior Acquisitions and Development Editor at Macmillan, Inc., and Houghton Mifflin Company, she has attracted such authors as Dian Fossey (Gorillas in the Mist), Gay Courter (River of Dreams), Dr. Andrew Weil (Health and Healing, From Chocolate to Morphine), Elizabeth Noble (Essential Exercises for the Childbearing Year), Susan Wittig Albert (China Bayles mystery series), Oriana Fallaci (Interview with History), Malcolm Margolin (The Earth Manual). She has worked as a scriptwriter in Shanghai. Her excellent networking has led her across the U.S., Europe, Africa, and the Far East. Her speaking and teaching typically include writers’ conferences, online courses, workshops. She has been resident editor and visiting literary agent at Bennington Writers’ Workshops, Cumberland Valley Writers Conference, International Women’s Writing Guild, and served as the U.S. PR director for the International Feminist Book Fairs.
PROFESSIONAL AFFILIATIONS
The Authors Guild
Bay Area Editors Forum (BAEF)
Better Business Bureau Accredited
Cape Cod Writers Center
Editorial Freelancers Association
Grub Street
Independent Book Publishers Association (formerly PMA)
International Women's Writing Guild (IWWG)
National Book Critics Circle (NBCC)
RedRoom.com
Sisters in Crime (SinC)
Society of Children's Book Writers and Illustrators (SCBWI)
Women's National Book Association (WNBA)