Her literary agency website has all of one page.
Granted, it is shiny-new, but hardly inspires confidence.
Dawn Dowdle has been reviewing mysteries for years and has made many publishing contacts.
Reviewing books in one genre and making contacts might
sell a book, but how does that qualify one to negotiate a literary contract?
Those are very complicated, tricky critters, and if you don't know what you're doing they can bite you in the arse.
My last contract ran to 11 pages of 10 pt. Times Roman fine print with a number of clauses possessing some very complicated wording.
My agent, who started out at Spectrum Literary Agency, was able to explain, in detail, anything I didn't understand fully.
She negotiated to add clauses that were in my favor.
She has contacts with European publishers and actively works to sell my books to those markets. Every year she's off to the European Book Fair, attends ABA conventions, and any number of other publishing-related conventions.
She calls up various editors to arrange new book deals for me. Because of this, there are several new anthologies in the stores with my name above the titles.
It is not enough to love to read and to know people, you have to know the business side inside out and be prepared to keep detailed meticulous records year in and year out.
You have to be able to understand a royalty statement. In 18 years I've still not figured out that one!
No mention is made of Ms. Dowdle apprenticing at a literary agency, which would be in her favor for such work.
The big red flag is, "We will bill monthly for copying and mailing expenses."
Once more with feeling--a legit agent takes those charges out of the author's payment AFTER a book is sold.
My agent has always done so, always informing me first. (Gill--there's 25.80 in copy expenses this time around, just giving you a heads up on that...")
She's likely a nice person, perhaps an honest, well-meaning person, but without practical experience in the industry, that just doesn't cut it in publishing.
YOG'S LAW. Believe it.