A couple weeks ago, I sent Victoria Strauss an email about my experiences with the commercial side of writing and, after having given it some extra consideration, I thought I would share it with everyone else here, too.
In the spring of 2003, I completed my first book, a short story compilation entitled "Champions of the Dead." I was anxious to see my work in print and decided to forgo the usual route of book publication in favor of seeking out a POD publisher. Six months and about $1000 later, "Champions of the Dead" was available for sale through InfinityPublishing.com. With some help from my friends, I managed to sell about 60 copies. Although Infinity Publishing was on the level and did it's job, the feedback I got (from friends, co-workers, and total strangers) led me to believe that my book would be much more successful if it had professional representation.
Enter Mocknick Literary Agency. I saw the company listed on a google search, and I contacted Dave Mocknick. It took him three months to reply to my query, in which he requested a copy of my book. Within two weeks of sending him a copy of Champions, he sent me a letter and a contract offering his services for a $450 yearly fee. I wasn't crazy about paying even more money to get my book where I felt it belonged, but I was anxious to get the proverbial ball rolling and I didn't know that I should beware of anyone charging fees for representation, so I paid the money and signed the contract in August of 2004.
Every quarter, I received a report from Mr. Mocknick. Every report consisted of copies of 5 form letters sent out to random publishers, some of which specialized in genres far different from those I wrote about. The form letters contained a blurb about my book and boxes for the prospective editors to check, signifying either approval or disapproval. Of course, the "disapprove" box was always checked. I suspect, though I can't confirm it, that the form letter was all that the publishing companies actually received (the manuscript I sent Mr. Mocknick may well have never been sent out for review). After two years and $900 down the drain (yes, I was desperate, naive, or dumb enough [depending on your POV] to do this twice), I wised up and let the contract expire.
In May of this year, I got the courage up to try another literary agency. After another google search, I found WL Writers Agency and sent them a query letter. They reviewed a couple stories from my book and stated that although my work was commercially viable, I would need to have it critiqued before they would represent me. They sent me a link to what looked like an in-house critique service. This time, I decided to do some checking before agreeing to anything. When I found out that WL Writers Agency was one of several related companies that had been in trouble with the law, I decided against having anything to do with them (a real no-brainer there).
I'm not sure where I'm going to go from here in terms of representation, but for those who have never had any direct contact with either of these so-called "agencies", I wanted to share my experiences.
For those who have and continue to help expose the dishonest and the disreputable members of the literary community, I wish to extend my sincerest thanks!
