[Agency] Brown Ink Books

JamieB · Dec 19, 2008

Searched, but couldn't find anything....

Aisha Johnson at Brown Ink Books. Anyone have any info, good or bad? Here's the website. http://msbrownink.com

veinglory · Dec 19, 2008

I had a quick look around and couldn't find a record of any current or previous clients/sales. But it wasn't an extensive search.

victoriastrauss · Dec 19, 2008

There's no info on her at her agency website, which is always a warning sign--especially with a new agent, you want to know their professional background, so you can judge whether or not they're qualified to be an agent.

Googling Aisha "Ms Brown" Johnson turns up this. CEO of Brown Publishing. Self-pubbed through Lulu. Conflicts of interest and no professional publishing experience, oh my!

- Victoria

aishawrites · Jan 5, 2009

To set the record straight

If you have any questions for me please email me at [email protected]. I would happy to provide you with any information that you need.

M.R.J. Le Blanc · Jan 5, 2009

aishawrites said:
If you have any questions for me please email me at [email protected]. I would happy to provide you with any information that you need.

Why don't you answer them here?

Unimportant · Jan 5, 2009

From their website:
New agency established in 2008. No "name" clients listed. No sales listed. No previous work experience at AAR agencies listed. Location is the "chic" (?????) DC area.

It's fairly easy to rank them on the "are they good enough to query" scale, where ten is a dream agent and one is an only-if-I'm-desperate agent:
- Three points for being an AAR member.
- Three points for verified sales to large commercial presses.
- Two points for having worked at an AAR agency.
- One point for verified sales to legitimate small/indie presses.
- One point for being located in NYC.

I don't feel the need to ask any questions, at this point.

M.R.J. Le Blanc · Jan 5, 2009

I've got one:

If you have no obvious publishing experience, what makes you qualified to be an agent?

cantgetnosleep · Jan 20, 2009

I don't know Aisha Brown, and she does seem to be a little short on experience, judging by her website. However, there's a strange irony at work here in some of these replies.

"If you have no obvious publishing experience, what makes you qualified to be an agent?" could easily be: "If you haven't published a book, what makes you qualified to be an author?"

Noah Body · Jan 20, 2009

M.R.J. Le Blanc said:
I've got one:

If you have no obvious publishing experience, what makes you qualified to be an agent?

LOL...

Fifteen days later and no reply...gee, wonder what that means.

M.R.J. Le Blanc · Jan 20, 2009

cantgetnosleep said:
I don't know Aisha Brown, and she does seem to be a little short on experience, judging by her website. However, there's a strange irony at work here in some of these replies.

"If you have no obvious publishing experience, what makes you qualified to be an agent?" could easily be: "If you haven't published a book, what makes you qualified to be an author?"

Publishing experience comes mainly from working in an already established agency or publishing house. Sort of like someone who wants to be a carpenter apprentices under an experienced carpenter. If Aisha Brown has never worked in a reputable agency or publishing house, or somewhere she would have developed the experience and contacts necessary to be a successful agent, then she has no business advertising as one. Better to have no agent as opposed to an amateur or inexperienced one.

victoriastrauss · Jan 20, 2009

cantgetnosleep said:
"If you have no obvious publishing experience, what makes you qualified to be an agent?" could easily be: "If you haven't published a book, what makes you qualified to be an author?"

A writer is a creative artist. A literary agent is a businessperson. A writer needs creativity. A businessperson needs knowledge. No comparison.

- Victoria

veinglory · Jan 20, 2009

The proof of the pudding is in the doing. Thus the author's proof is the manuscript and the agent's is her cleints and sales.

Turtle's_Daddy · Oct 6, 2009

WE ARE NOT ACCEPTING SUBMISSIONS AT THIS TIME! Please note: IF YOU SEND A QUERY, IT WILL BE DELETED!

and the "Our Authors" page is blank except for "Coming September 2009"

CaoPaux · Jan 29, 2011

Site is gone, as is site for last book (press release here), which lists Brown Ink as editor and publisher.

So, at best, it was a self-publishing operation.

[Agency] Brown Ink Books

JamieB

veinglory

volitare nequeo

victoriastrauss

Writer Beware Goddess

aishawrites

M.R.J. Le Blanc

aka Sadistic Mistress Mi-chan

Unimportant

No COVID yet. Still masking.

M.R.J. Le Blanc

aka Sadistic Mistress Mi-chan

cantgetnosleep

Noah Body

Entertainment Ronin

M.R.J. Le Blanc

aka Sadistic Mistress Mi-chan

victoriastrauss

Writer Beware Goddess

veinglory

volitare nequeo

Turtle's_Daddy

CaoPaux

Mostly Harmless