A
very odd agency. They've got some middling-well-known clients, most of whom are known for things other than writing books.
(Dear me. Until this moment, I'd somehow missed knowing that Iain Duncan Smith published a
novel. Apparently it's best known for getting uniformly
terrible reviews. Even Ann Widdecombe and Edwina Currie had trouble finding something nice to say about it.)
(Tra-la.)
FRA are all over the map. They've sold books to prestigious publishing houses and bottom-feeders. As GothicAngel pointed out, they've sent out at least one
letter that I would never have imagined a real agency sending a client. Their site enthusiastically features a list of film and television projects that are "in development" (that and three bucks will get you a small cappuccino), but I'm not seeing any mention of projects greenlighted or released.
You know what? I'm guessing that (1.) the original partners are doing little or no business; (2.) Guy Rose is the only active volcano in the chain; (3.) Rose doesn't know much about being a literary agent; and (4.) he's got lots of social connections to B-list and C-list celebrities, out-of-power politicians, London barristers with literary ambitions, and extremely miscellaneous others.
What I'm not seeing in his client list: more than a scattering of mere literary nobodies who just write books. I wouldn't bother with him. We're not part of his regular diet, and I can't imagine him wanting or knowing how to manage plain old writing careers.