Savvy Literary Services (Leticia Gomez)

Where did your friend find that agency listed?

You may be thinking of Leticia Gomez, who is marketing herself as an agent under the name of 'Savvy Literary Services': http://www.writers.net/agents/46289

She writes romance: http://www.ericafuentes.com/pub/leticiagomez/index.html

Her bio doesn't mention any experience as an agent.
She is listed as representing a poet: http://www.grimsite.zoomshare.com/

I'm not sure why www.thegrits.com would be pushing Gomez as a Literary Service - they are a YADS site with their own 'literary service' - http://thegrits.com/literaryservices/

Good luck,

Mac

She has been a "lead agent" for The Literary Agency Group, Robert Fletcher's thing.

Oh my gosh,

Run. Run. Run.

Judi said:

He's so excited he's ready to sign the contract as soon as he gets it, no questions asked.

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Scam artists feed on people who are too excited to think about what they are doing. I would advise your friend that a bad agent is many times worst than no agent at all.

Out of curiosity, did your friend approach her, or the other way around?

"DANGER WILL ROBINSON, DANGER!"

"When in danger or in doubt, run in circles, scream and shout."

Your friend is in danger, or at least his wallet is.

Judi said:

She says of his book it is "so well written and edited that she was going to submitt it to editors and publishers".

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Judi - Tell your friend anyone who says the book is so well written they're going to submit it to editors should be regarded with doubt. Agents may suggest editing, but shouldn't suggest a specific editor. They certainly wouldn't submit to editors; there's no money in it unless the author pays.

Besides, if the books so well written and edited, only minor editing should be needed, and agents tend to work with the author themselves on such.

Tell your friend these are shark-infested waters and to take care. The swim is part of being a writer.

One other point: Don't trust an agent who can't spell submit.

BarbJ said:

Judi - Tell your friend anyone who says the book is so well written they're going to submit it to editors should be regarded with doubt. Agents may suggest editing, but shouldn't suggest a specific editor. They certainly wouldn't submit to editors; there's no money in it unless the author pays.

Besides, if the books so well written and edited, only minor editing should be needed, and agents tend to work with the author themselves on such.

Tell your friend these are shark-infested waters and to take care. The swim is part of being a writer.

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I think the "agent" was referring to editors at publishing houses. But I'm curious as to what said "agent" would do if the book wasn't "so well-edited". Not submit it to publishers? Send it to authors instead?

Elektra said:

I think the "agent" was referring to editors at publishing houses. But I'm curious as to what said "agent" would do if the book wasn't "so well-edited". Not submit it to publishers? Send it to authors instead?

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Greetings Judi and everyone here at the Absolute Write Water Cooler!

I'm Marlive Harris, the founder and business owner of TheGRITS.com, an online book promotion service for authors, especially self-publishers. I can certainly put your mind at ease Judi and say that I am no agent and do not own a Literary Agency. So I'm definitely not the person who has promised your friend a literary contract. My specialty is online book promotion for authors. So all of the endorsements that you saw on my site are from authors that I've worked with on the promotion of their books.

Marc, you are correct, I have no idea who Leticia is and there are no agents listed anywhere on my website or online reading community.

Thanks!

Hi Marlive!! *waves* Welcome to AW.

Elektra said:

I think the "agent" was referring to editors at publishing houses. But I'm curious as to what said "agent" would do if the book wasn't "so well-edited". Not submit it to publishers? Send it to authors instead?

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I'm betting that the "agent" will then come back to your friend telling him that even though there's been some positive responses, the bottom line is that his work does need a little 'editing' after all, perhaps a tweak here and there, and this is a process that would be best undertaken by an industry professional...

She'll then recommend an editor that she knows and trusts, and when this service has been completed and paid for, she'll confidently resubmit his work. And when this doesn't produce the required results, she'll then advise your friend that they should seriously consider moving on to the next stage, as in: 'let's get agressive on them - we're so close, it would be a crime not to.'

'Agressive' could mean many things; create a website; submit to every publisher on the planet; have the work edited again by an even more experienced editor. The cost of all this to be borne by your friend.

And when every scam avenue has been exhausted, your friend might then be told that his "agent" has finally received an offer, as she always knew she would. Only problem is, the offer is from a vanity publisher.

Savvy Literary Services

Hi Judy, I am a writer who is represented by Leticia Gomez. She is a very hard working and professional woman. Her agency is small, and she is the only agent. However she actually has about 7 clients she represents. What I think she meant about your friends manuscript might be that it was a good written book, as it is a good story, good book. In spanish it translates the same. I have had very good experiences with her. It is always a good idea to check for background information, but she is a very fine and decent person. Your friend should have no problems with her. She herself has published about 2 books, and has worked as an editor and proofreader in New York. And recently she has her story "Three Little Words" being published in Chicken Soup for the Soul Celebrating Brothers and Sisters, which will be released on September 15.
I hope this information helps.

Mariela

Hi Mariela,

Leticia may be a fine and decent person, but my mother is a fine and decent person. That doesn't mean that she'd be a good literary agent.

Let's look at the facts:

1. She represents a poet. Is there a single poetry publication that requires an agent? Is there a single poetry publication that makes enough for an agent to make it worth while trying to sell to ... without the agent having to ask for money from the author?

2. Has she ever sold something for a client? Does she make enough from her client's sales to have sustainable business?
If not, then it is a hobby (with another income stream so she doesn't starve to death) or she needs to be charging the authors for services. If she is charging the authors for editing or anything like that .. then she isn't going to be regarded as legit, due to the massive conflict of interest.

3. If she was truly a lead agent for Robert Fletcher's group 'The Literary Agency Group', then she should be avoided at all costs.

'The Literary Agency Group' is a well known scam. I can safely say that without getting sued for very obvious reasons.

If she was a lead agent for them, it either indicates that she didn't have the experience or knowledge to know something that is well known, or she DID know that and chose to work for them anyway.

Either way, it doesn't bode well.

4. You mention that she 'worked as an editor and proofreader in New York'. That may well be true. However, the New York Literary Agency is famous for pretending to be New York based - even though it isn't. If an ex-NYLA person starts claiming experience 'in New York', I'd be looking for more details. No matter what location she was in, working for a dodgy agency is NOT experience that she can be proud of.

5. There are dozens of people on this board who have had short work published in the 'Chicken Soup' series. If that is the qualifications you are after, you should find someone here who is even more qualified. However, you'll find that they aren't selling themselves as agents (despite having more qualification than Leticia - and without the terrible black taint of the Literary Agency Group). Since they seem to be much more qualified as agents than she is ... why aren't they selling themselves as agents?

Could it be that they realise that being a nice person and having had a couple of books of their own published IS NOT qualifications for being a good agent?

Good luck,

Mac

Hi Mac,

I don't know where you are getting this information about Leticia Gomez, which is UNTRUE. Yes one of her clients is a poet, what does that matter.

She does not ask money from her clients either, so again, I don't know where you are getting this information from.

Yes she has sold something for her clients, and has a steady income. She is not based in NY, but in The Woodlands, Texas. She worked at several publishing companies, and she has also been a novelist, journalist and translator.

Her company "Savvy Literary Services" is legit and this is what she does for a living, and is not a hobby.

She has NEVER been a lead agent for Robert Fletcher's group 'The Literary Agency Group', again, I don't know where you got this info from, which is not true.

She also published a scholar (educational) book about Bolivia, and a romance novel, in addition to the Chicken Soup for the soul edition.

Your facts are incorrect. Like I said before, she is a serious agent and a good person who works hard at representing writers. All the other information you think you have is not true.

Next time you try to obtain information about a person, make sure it is true, before you analyze and critique them.

I know the agent in question sold one manuscript as the "agressive" agent for WLA. I do free-lance for the publisher.

Apparently Fletcher, charges for an agressive agent, skims some of that fee and gives the balance to the agent who'll take it.

Regards,
Scott

m.s.n. said:

Hi Mac,

I don't know where you are getting this information about Leticia Gomez, which is UNTRUE.

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Not to cause more trouble, but we're not getting any facts from you. Ms. Gomez may be the greatest person in Texas, but merely saying so is not enough. Do you have any facts about authors/sales/prior experience that would assist writers researching for an agent? It would be helpful, and that's what this board is about. Thanks.

Hi, m.s.n. and welcome to AW.

m.s.n.:
I have had very good experiences with her.

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Could you expand on this? Has she sold any manuscripts for you? If so, can you share who your work was sold to?

m.s.n.:
Yes one of her clients is a poet, what does that matter.

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I think that Mac's point is that there's a very small market for poetry in publishing, which means that many agents don't represent it. It's not uncommon for agents to represent people who write fiction/non-fiction and poetry, but agents generally won't represent poetry alone because there's no money in it.

m.s.n.:
Her company "Savvy Literary Services" is legit and this is what she does for a living, and is not a hobby.

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One of the reasons why the original query was raised on Savvy is because there's a lack of information about what they do and what their experience is. There are however some things within the Writersnet advert that would raise obvious questions - e.g. the fact that the range of material submitted is so wide for such a small agency:

Currently looking for commercially viable fiction in the following genres: Suspense/Thrillers, Children's, Young Adult, Romance, Chick-lit and Women's Mainstream.

Non-fiction: Memoirs, Biographies, Self-help, medical, health, alternative health, and reference.

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I'm not saying that there's anything inherently suspicious in that, but for a small agency it seems like rather a wide remit (in general, start-up agencies seem to focus on a smaller range and then build up as they gain experience and deals).

There's also the fact that you say that Leticia is also in the process of writing and submitting her own work (which you say she has a track record for). Maybe one of the more experienced AWers can tell me if that's usual or not, because it's certainly not something that I've ever come across before.

m.s.n.:
Next time you try to obtain information about a person, make sure it is true, before you analyze and critique them.

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The purpose of AW is to share and exchange information. One of the previous posters said that Leticia had worked for WLA and another poster has supported it. You say that Leticia has worked at several publishing companies - do you know which ones?

MM

Hi Momento Mori, and all:
Leticia Gomez and I have been working together since January of this years, and so far she has sent my manuscript (historical fiction) to 6 publishing houses, mainly in Spain, Mexico and some in the U.S and to an international literary contest (Tusquets), due to the fact that it is written in spanish, so there is a smaller market compared to english. However, we had some rejections and also interest in my novel, but as of know I am still waiting for a better offer, since there are a couple editors who still need to give us an answer. Therefore, she has kept me informed on everthing that has been going on with the editors, any feedback, or any relevant information regarding my book.
I don't ask her on her finances, but what I know is that she does well. Again, she is the only agent who specializes in minority groups or any writer whose genre is misrepresented. Although as you say, she has a wide interest for genres, she might be interested in many areas but she does in fact have a small client load, because she cannot do too to much on her own. She focuses mainly on representing her clients, but since she was a previous writer before starting up her agency, she had a story that she was able to get printed in the new edition of Chicken Soup for the Soul. However it is not an unusual thing in the literary world, there have been and are many writers who are editors or agents.
I know there are bigger agencies who can market themselves better with a website and have many agents, but like I said this is a very small agency who does things the old-fashioned way and mainly because it is a small one. She is no scam artist, I assure you that. You can find her info on the author profile information in the new edition of Chicken Soup for the Sould Brothers and Sister (amazon or Barnes and Nobles).
She was also the publisher and editor of "El Voceador", a bilingual newspaper which served the Southeastern New Mexico and West Texas Panhandle area. I believe the publishing house she worked at was Virtual Tales Publishing, I don't recall the others, but can find out.
I just wanted to give some true facts about her, she is a very good agent, very professional and hard working. True that she is not the biggest agent out there, but she does her job very well.

Hi MSN,

Just to clarify:

1. I did not state that she asks for money from her clients. I said "Has she ever sold something for a client? Does she make enough from her client's sales to have sustainable business?" .. with the questions following from there. They were questions.

2. You mention that "Her company "Savvy Literary Services" is legit and this is what she does for a living, and is not a hobby. "
That's great. That means that she hasn't just made a couple of sales of her clients' work - she has been making them continually. If she can be supported as an agent for a living (making 20% of her author's income) then she must have at least five authors making a full time living by their writing .. or perhaps one author with the income of five!

Anything less and she can't be doing it for a living .. she would be living off her saving for a living - or perhaps using income from her own writing.

I know you are sure that 'she does it for a living' is true, but it doesn't seem to fit with other information you provided .. like the fact that she is representing only about 7 authors including poetry.

3. You claim that "She has NEVER been a lead agent for Robert Fletcher's group 'The Literary Agency Group', again, I don't know where you got this info from, which is not true."

I will show you where I got this information from. Then you can judge if it is true.

Check out sample letters on the website for 'The Literary Agency Group' which mentions her by name: http://www.theliteraryagencygroup.com/agentingsamples.rtf

To quote HER OWN LETTER:

My name is Leticia G. I am a Lead Agent for the Literary Agency. I’ve tried numerous times to reach you by phone but have been unsuccessful. I was hoping to speak with you regarding a high-quality Science Fiction novel.

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You may choose to believe that 'Leticia G' is NOT 'Leticia Gomez' .. but she has used her full name in the file properties.

To quote the file properties:

_AuthorEmailDisplayName: Leticia Gomez
_AuthorEmail: [email protected]

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You've also had it confirmed here by someone who worked freelance for the publisher.

4. "Like I said before, she is a serious agent and a good person who works hard at representing writers. All the other information you think you have is not true.

Next time you try to obtain information about a person, make sure it is true, before you analyze and critique them."

I have done the utmost to ensure the information I have is true. I haven't disputed that she is serious, that she is a good person nor have I claimed that she isn't working hard at representing writers.

Clearly some of the information you have about this person is incorrect. I don't know if that is because you have been deliberately lied to, or for some another reason.

All information that I have provided can be verified for yourself.

Good luck,

Mac

Additionally, that book (The Chronos Project) spoken about in those letters went to and was published by PublishAmerica.

Tri

Hi Mac:

All I am going to add is that there are several Leticia Gomez in the literary world. The Leticia G. from the Literary Agency you think is the agent for Savvy Literary Services, is not the same person. You have your opinion on this matter, and I will not try and change it or convince you otherwise.
She is my agent, she represents me, and her company is a legit one. She has not lied to me, and I am very happy with her work towards getting my book published and on working on all other projects including the translation for my works. All I wanted to give was true facts about her, not try to convince anyone to work with her.

All I am going to add is that there are several Leticia Gomez in the literary world. The Leticia G. from the Literary Agency you think is the agent for Savvy Literary Services, is not the same person.

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That's good.

What are the odds, though !?

1. Leticia Gomez #1 (From The Woodlands, Texas) is a literary agent who once worked for the scam agency 'Literary Agency Group'.
2. Leticia Gomez #2 (From The Woodlands, Texas) is a literary agent who has never worked for the Literary Agency Group - she is a different person.

They both live in the same place and work in the same role in the same industry! They both like to have email addresses of the form leticia@(email provider)

Pretty long odds!

Good luck,

Mac