Would it be in my best interest to hope for positive feedback from them or take a flyer on NYLA?
Roger J Carlson said:Let's suppose you have a terrific book that publishers would fight over to publish. Now further suppose that NYLA is your "agent" and bulk mails it to multiple publishers.
Just curious, Oracle, did NYLA suggest that your ms. needed further editing? Because I understand that's what they do, and where they make their money.oracle said:My novel has been professionally edited and needs minimal polishing.
RadioFreeBabylon said:After sending a "please delete my chapters and cease contact" email to "Ms. Sherry Fine," I received a "Your chapters have been deleted," reply.
Then I get a standard "We've reveiwed your chapters and find them promising. With a little polish, they would be ready for submission to a publisher." I didn't reead any further. All future emails from NYLA are headed straight to the trash.
haefner919 said:I am completely green in the areas of publishers and literary agents. It's just me andmy little manuscript trying to figure this whole world out. I did send a query to NYLA and of course heard back right away. I was ecstatic, but at the same time it did seem to sound too good to be true. Now I know better. I have already sent my ms via email to them. Okay, was it just the dummest move ever???? I am going to send an email asap to delete my ms and cease communication immediately. Should I be worried?????
haefner919 said:I am completely green in the areas of publishers and literary agents.
Yeah, I've read all the negative blogs concerning the agency, actually after I signed with them.
Everything's been quite professional thus far. The fees everyone talks about, minimal office fees for mailing purposes, and yes they suggest their own editor, which yes you have to pay for like most editing services, which was actually a hundred dollars cheaper than my previous novel I had edited by Mark Sullivan's Literary Agency, who strung me along like a tangled yo-yo. Of course, it all comes down to whether Stylus has success or not selling my current novel.
In the end, are the blogs truly warnings or just whiny complaints from disgruntled writers?
I'll find out firsthand I guess, which is a lot better than assuming these bloggers have any credibility. If it were a handful of renowned authors posting it would be whole different story.
But thanks anyways for the heads-up.
I appreciate it.
It would be nice if they were able to prove the negative hype wrong, and yes those worries are always in the back of my mind.
Kasey Mackenzie said:The questions he SHOULD be asking are "Has this agency sold several/many sales to verifiably reputable publishers?" and "Can this agency sell my book?" Well, you did the best you could do. Not your fault if he chooses to ignore valuable advice.
My feeling--the same as most
professional writers--is that you should never
subsidize an agency's "office fees for mailing
purposes." They're a literary agency, not a law firm.
As an experiment, you might try asking them a few
questions, and see if they respond:
1. Where exactly have you submitted my novel, and
what have been the responses? (Can you send me copies
of these responses?)
2. What projects have you sold for other clients
within the past year?
3. Did the editor to whom you referred me send you a
"referral fee" (kickback)?
Thanks for the advice Matt.
I'll keep those questions in mind for future dealings with the agency.
RadioFreeBabylon said:I got duped over the weekend. Should've known better. Promptly followed up my five chapter submission to "Ms. Sherry Fine" - with a thanks but no thanks not 15 minutes later, after discovering these many posts. Not sure which makes me more angry: being stupid enough to fall for that crap or letting my hopes get up because an "agent" wanted to work with me.
First clue should've been: Why is this high powered agent sending me emails on a Saturday night?