Alanworks Studio Productions

ETA: Nevermind, I think I made a big mistake. He's legit, and he works for a photographer. Disregard what I said I said about him being a scammer.

ETAA: Okay, so I guess my gut instinct was right. What else is new?

CREATIVOLOGY
Alanworks specializes in publications on contemporary photography, art, writers, fashion works, and architecture.

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Heehee. "Creativology" makes me giggle.

I'm assuming this (http://www.alanworks.net/) is the site you're talking about?

The only page on that site I see for publishing is this one, where they offer a photo book publishing package. Was the guy looking for authors or photographers?

ETA: N/m, just saw Alan Yee's post.

ETAA: Curiouser and curiouser. The whois shows as:

Administrative Contact:
Alan, Miller [email protected]
1133 Broadway Suite 706
New York City, NY 10010
US
+1.2126966583

Googling "1133 Broadway Suite 706" yields some interesting results indicating it's essentially a faux address for a bunch of scam sites.

ETAAA: You know, I need a hobby. Maybe I'll take up writing. Anyway, here's the company that offers the faux addresses.

Maybe it's someone trying to paint Alan Miller in a bad light? I'm sure there are perfectly valid reasons for using a mail drop service... maybe... or maybe AM is branching out, poorly.

Whoever "PresterJohn1" is, he doesn't sound very credible.

If it's any help at all, the guy's user ID info showed a Denver server, or somewhere around Denver.

Alan Miller (the one in question here--there are many so named persons) is a photographer who operates Alanworks. As far as I can tell, their primary business is publishing high quality photographic prints, primarily of fashion models. They have one book in print (if you consider POD being "in print") and it is of photographic images. No where in any information I can discover about Alan Miller is there any claim that he aspires to being a literary publisher.

But that's not the issue.

The gentleman who visited the chatroom Friday night under the nickname PresterJohn1, only claimed to work for Alanworks. He did say he was an agent. Once. He did not say what kind of agent. We might infer that because in almost the same "breath" he said he worked with writers and then asked what sorts of writing the members of chat did, that he may think he's a literary agent.

My personal supposition is that PresterJohn1 works with photographer's models and may serve as agent for them. I don't believe he is a literary agent, especially since he works for the company that potentially is a publisher.

I think it's a good thing to be wary of anyone making claims that seem to lean off plumb. And, I think that anyone who would take up an offer made by someone in a real-time chat room should be examined by a mental health professional.

Alan Yee, Babe, your instincts were good. There was something way wrong about that guy.

HapiSofi said:

Alan Yee, Babe, your instincts were good. There was something way wrong about that guy.

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Which guy? Alan Miller, or the person behind the PresterJohn1 persona?

"PresterJohn1" could be anything, including a bored sixth-grader. On the scale from bored sixth-grader to legitimate agent, I'd put the needle way close to the left side of the dial.

The page at Alanworks.net that deals with publishing is here: http://www.alanworks.net/book.html

In the future, when someone shows up and says they're an agent, the questions to ask are who are some of your clients and what have you sold? To whom?

Not to mention, a successful agent, who is already drowning in submissions, has no reason to solicit new writers in a chatroom.

- Victoria

victoriastrauss said:

Not to mention, a successful agent, who is already drowning in submissions, has no reason to solicit new writers in a chatroom.

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Exactly. And anyone who would take up an offer presented in a chatroom hasn't done adequate research.

Pthom said:

Exactly. And anyone who would take up an offer presented in a chatroom hasn't done adequate research.

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Peter, Peter, Peter... what can I say? I'm a longtime follower of Jim, Teresa and Patrick Nielsen Hayden, Writer Beware, and Preditors & Editors. Naturally, when I first heard him, all the alarm bells went off at once. If that guy does come back (which he may or may not do), I'll ask the standard "What have you sold, who are your clients, and who have you sold to?" I'm not expecting anything fascinating, or even a response from him.

I've almost had heart attacks in the chatroom, actually. We've had a number of clueless writers, or ones who were asking about some not-so-desirable agents. It was a bit overwhelming to see some of the cluelessness, but I always at least manage to teach them Yog's Law, give them links to Writer Beware and P&E, and, if relevant, tell them how much PA sucks.

Thankfully, most of the cluelessness was reparable, and we managed to save some potential victims. Thank God for chatrooms and instant responses.

From Alan Miller of Alanworks

Good Morning,

This is Alan Miller of Alanworks Studio Productions.

This conversation was forwarded to me and I guess there’s a few questions that needed to addressed.

One, we offer publishing to other photographers and authors of graphic design through BookSurge Publishing, a branch of Amazon.com. We are not a publishing house or acting as a literary agents for anyone. We are just too busy with our fashion shows, shoots and television production.

This “PresterJohn1” is an unknown person or persons and has absolutely no affiliation with our studio. So take that for what it’s worth.

The question about our NYC address is that we rent out space at that address i.e. conference room whilst planning NYC events – fashion shows – shoots etc. and acts as a mailing address for our east coast clients since we travel a great deal of the time. For anyone familiar with the fashion industry, it is always on the move.

We really don’t have a website, but rather a web sketchbook of themes that travel in and out of the studio. Again, time is the reason. I don’t have much to do with the website but I do know it is been hit over 5 million times, but mostly by people connected with the fashion industry.

As far as Alanworks acting in scams etc… I find it silly since not one of you bothered to email me… you know, ask the questions that needed to be asked… Oh well..

ALAN

[email protected]

Alan, thanks for the info.

I don't think that anyone here was saying that your studio is a scam. We were concerned with the dubiousness of this PresterJohn1 character, who was claiming (falsely, we figured) to be affiliated with you.

- Victoria

victoriastrauss said:

Alan, thanks for the info.

I don't think that anyone here was saying that your studio is a scam. We were concerned with the dubiousness of this PresterJohn1 character, who was claiming (falsely, we figured) to be affiliated with you.

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Although I actually said that initially, I removed the statement after Peter talked some sense into me about "PresterJohn."

Thanks for clearing it up, Alan M.