Clark, Mendelson, and Scott (formerly Capital L.A., Washington L.A., et al.)

Writer Beware doesn't have a search function, nor do we list agencies' names. We do maintain a database of writer complaints and documentation, though, and answer questions in private e-mail.

Can this be moved to the Bewares forum? Thanks...

- Victoria

What is the stated purpose of this $250 "fee?" Is it to cover photocopying and shipping? Or is it simply a fee?

The fee is supposedly to cover photocopying and postage. The contract is for just four months, so the author would have to re-up with a new $250 every quarter.

Writer Beware has collected a lot of documentation on this agency, which has been in business since 1998 or 1999 and as far as we're aware has never made a sale. We've seen some of its submissions lists, which frequently include publishers that are totally inappropriate for the subject/genre of the manuscript. On the other hand, there's no evidence that it ever actually submits anything, so it hardly matters.

The owner of the agency also owns a vanity publisher, Trident Media a.k.a. Washington House/Mandrill, which charges clients around $3,000 for editing services and employs a standard POD publishing model (minimal selectivity, no marketing or distribution apart from Amazon, etc.). Clients of the agency receive solicitations from the publisher, without acknowledgment of the connection. I recently heard from a writer who successfully took the publisher to small claims court for non-performance.

- Victoria

Writer Beware Info - how to get it

You can search on Preditors and Editors and get a bit of information, but to get detailed information on an agent, publisher, etc., from Writer Beware, you must write us a note or an email. The addresses are on the site, and it states this quite clearly.

The email for Writer Beware is [email protected]

Generally, you'll get a response within 48 hours, sometimes a bit more. Remember, we're volunteers.

Yes, American Literary Agents of Washington, Inc., is on our list. They fee-chargers who have never made a single sale to an advance and royalty paying publisher.

Avoid.

-Ann C. Crispin
Writer Beware
www.writerbeware.com
Author: STORMS OF DESTINY/HarperEos
www.accrispin.com

They have changed their name to Capital Literary Agency. They're still using the old American Literary Agents' web site and email addresses.

Is Trident Media Inc. being discussed here the same as Trident Media Group?

http://www.tridentmediagroup.com/

While the photos on their site make the agency office look like a Scientology Mission, I had them on my "genuine" list and now I'm wondering...

SonoranWriter said:

Is Trident Media Inc. being discussed here the same as Trident Media Group?

Click to expand...

No. Different Agencies.

Trident Media Inc. = bad
Trident Media Group =good

rugcat said:

No. Different Agencies.

Trident Media Inc. = bad
Trident Media Group =good

Click to expand...

May I suggest that even this is could be misleading? What we should really be saying is:

• Trident Media (and affiliated companies) in Washington, DC area, key word "Asinugo", is a fee-charging agency and front for a vanity press, and is therefore inappropriate for authors who have any self respect
• Trident Media in New York, key word "Gottleib", is a multi-form agency with an extensive track record of actually placing works for authors with commercial publishers, and is therefore appropriate for authors who have some self-respect

One of the reasons that this can't simply be phrased as "Inc. = bad, Group = good" is that there is an Trident Media Group of questionable value to a US-based (or, indeed, non-Australia-based) writer in Australia, while there are also a Trident Media Ltd., a Trident Media Group Ltd., and a TridentMedia PLC that one might run across.

Jaws said:

May I suggest that even this is could be misleading?

Click to expand...

Yes, I should have been more specific.

However, I was replying to a question about a) the specific agency referred to in the thread, and b) the specific agency for which the poster provided a link. There's plenty of info about both in AW threads; I was just trying to be succinct.

Capital Literary Agency is listed on the IILAA / International Independent Literary Agents Association site.

It's interesting to note that on the ALA/Capital webpage, they have seven titles listed in their "successes." All of them are published by Mandrill, a subsidiary of ALA, or Washington House, which has no web presence but one can gather that it too is a subsidiary of ALA.

They have 35 more under consideration. I wonder who will publish them?

allen

Mandrill, of course, is a pay-to-play vanity press with no distribution.

They're now advertising in AW's Google Ads. And I'm about to show Mac how to make sure they no longer can advertise in AW's Google Ads.

Ugh.

Spread the word far and wide: Writers, you do NOT want any agent who advertises in Google Ads. Real agents don't need to pay to advertise to writers. They're flooded with submissions, and they make their money selling the work to publishers, not charging writers up-front fees.

Capital Literary Agency

Hi,

I was wondering if anyone had any information concerning Capital Literary Agency located in Washington,DC. I was going to get in contact with them, but something is making me question the agency.

Sparkle

Sparkle said:

Hi,

I was wondering if anyone had any information concerning Capital Literary Agency located in Washington,DC. I was going to get in contact with them, but something is making me question the agency.

Sparkle

Click to expand...

RUN AWAY NOW!
These people are scammers and will take you for as much as they can and will doing nothing to advance your career.

Glad you're asking questions before signing on the dotted line. They're on the Writer Beware "Thumbs Down Agency" list. They're also listed as not recommended at P&E.