Charlotte Gusay Literary Agency

I would be more impressed if she was a member of the AAR. It seems she would be eligible if she didn't charge the reading fee.

michaeloppen said:

I queried her maybe five years ago and received a request for $35. When I questioned this, she claimed it was to keep nonprofessionals from bothering her. My long list of publications did faze her. It was $35 or don't bother me. I classify her as a sleazeball.

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I once read a book by an UK agent who stated he charged a 10 pound fee for the same reason.

Flapdoodle said:

I once read a book by an UK agent who stated he charged a 10 pound fee for the same reason.

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Wouldn't it work the other way around? The good authors would avoid you because they know this isn't right, so most of what you'd get would be the "nonprofessionals."

I just received the same form letter, requesting the $35. They even state they are not going to critique.
A processing fee. Processing what?

Consider that a very inexpensive lesson in checking out agents before submitting work.

-Ann C. Crispin
Chair, Writer Beware
www.writerbeware.com

Here is an odd spin from http://cciarts.org/train_couns.htm

CCI is a nonprofit group sponsoring various kinds of workshops and training sessions in the arts, and they seem to be legit (they pull in some foundation money to support their work).

But Ms. Gusay is listed as one of the "Trainers and Counselors." Here's what she has to say about herself:

Charlotte Gusay is a trainer and counselor for aspiring and early to mid-career writers. She is the founder / owner of The Charlotte Gusay Literary Agency, a signatory to the Writers Guild. A former bookstore owner (George Sand, Books on Melrose), Charlotte’s agency represents both fiction and nonfiction books, selected children’s books with movie potential, and screenplays. Her literary areas of interest include adventure, contemporary fiction, feminist fiction, historical fiction, literary fiction, humor, travel, sports and multicultural fiction.


A "trainer and counselor" for writers. Well, okay--but not where I would go looking for an agent.

As to her $35 evaluation charge, I would see no problem whatsoever with it--if she deducted it from the author's royalties on the books she sold!

More on Charlotte Gusay

Being a literary agent and being a signatory of the Writer's Guild is a little odd in the first place, since the Guild represents screenwriters, not authors of books.

Nonetheless, I decided to check up on this odd bit of info and called the Guild. The Charlotte Gusay Agency indeed was a signatory with the Guild until 2005, but is no longer on their list. She persists in listing her agency as a signatory, however, in blurbs and on her website.

They had many complaints about--surprise!--her charging fees for reading books and scripts. (Representing both books and screenplays is a little unusual in any case.)

Yes, she has sales of some titles to some legitimate publishers. But at least one conference organizer I contacted was shocked to find out that she charged reading fees, since it is against the conference's policy to invite agents that do so.

This is my first post, so I hope I'm doing it right!

I took a class/seminar thingy with Charlotte Gusay at Surrey Writer's Conference two years ago. One of her clients, a debut author with St. Martin's, joined her. (The author was a very sweet lady, 72 years old, who had written an historical literary novel.) I was shocked at how rude Gusay was to her client. In front of the entire group, Gusay complained about all the things this author had done wrong when submitting her manuscript, how much she (Gusay) had spent on photocopies, and how little she'd made on the sale because she had to invest so much time in this one client.

She is definitely not someone I would ever want to work with.

mysterygrl said:

This is my first post, so I hope I'm doing it right!

I took a class/seminar thingy with Charlotte Gusay at Surrey Writer's Conference two years ago. One of her clients, a debut author with St. Martin's, joined her. (The author was a very sweet lady, 72 years old, who had written an historical literary novel.) I was shocked at how rude Gusay was to her client. In front of the entire group, Gusay complained about all the things this author had done wrong when submitting her manuscript, how much she (Gusay) had spent on photocopies, and how little she'd made on the sale because she had to invest so much time in this one client.

She is definitely not someone I would ever want to work with.

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Thanks, mysterygrl, that's interesting. I believe the author was Janet Warner (now deceased). On her page at Publisher’s Marketplace, Gusay quotes Warner as saying, Special thanks...To my wonderful agent, Charlotte Gusay, and, Agent, mentor, friend, and midwife to this book.

Yes! It was Janet Warner! How sad that she passed away. I was so inspired by her it's-never-too-late story.

XThe NavigatorX said:

I would be more impressed if she was a member of the AAR. It seems she would be eligible if she didn't charge the reading fee.

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Maybe, maybe not. Certainly they won't as long as she does this, and she's been doing it a long time, so she evidently doesn't give a rat's behind about AAR. I saw her once on a panel at a meeting, and got an impression I didn't like, and I've heard from more than one writer who queried her that she can be, let's say, less than polite.

caw

UrsusMinor said:

As to her $35 evaluation charge, I would see no problem whatsoever with it--if she deducted it from the author's royalties on the books she sold!

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Doesn't she charge this to writers she doesn't even take on as clients?

caw

blacbird said:

Doesn't she charge this to writers she doesn't even take on as clients?

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That was my point, though perhaps I shouldn't have been so tongue-in-cheek.

Preying upon us with Post-its!

I just one of Charlotte's submission forms from her in the mail with a little post-it on it saying "Looking forward to reading some of this." Of course, given that it's only my second bite (of I'd say ten other queries), I got all excited. Then I read the thread about her and her agency and I feel very much manipulated. If indeed she treates writers in some of the nasty ways described here, I can't in good conscience pay the fee and send her my chapters. However, it is painfully difficult NOT to given the suppsed interest in my work. The $35, I don't think, is worth all of the what ifs. But maybe it is?!?!

I'm struggling with my decision here, and any additional input would be instructive.

Cheers!

jporter:

"Supposed" interest is right. Her main interest is your money.

jporter -- Louis L'Amour had something like 400 rejections before he sold ONE story. 10 rejections, though (trust me I know) horribly painful, are NOT reason enough to go with an agent you can pretty safely KNOW is not going to do anything more than waste your time and steal your money. There are a LOT of agents out there...get the thick skin we all need and send out more queries to good agents. Someone somewhere will bite.

And in the meantime, keep on writing on your next/another project.

Hang in and don't give in to the bad ones out there.

jporter said:

The $35, I don't think, is worth all of the what ifs. But maybe it is?!?!

I'm struggling with my decision here, and any additional input would be instructive.

Cheers!

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JPorter, it is NOT worth $35. Do not do it.

Is this a reputable Agency? I received a request to submit my work to the Charlotte Gusay Literary Agency. But, there is some kind of "processing fee" mentioned in the paperwork. Anyone have experience with this Agency?

Thank you

Dave Sloane said:

In authors heaven there would be no need for agents. I guess most of 'em are
just self-serving bloodsuckers but they seem to be a necessary evil.

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Umm, no. If you talk to most published authors, they will tell you that they LOVE their agents.

Yes, agents are in the business to make money. Who works for free, after all? But the way respectable agents make money is by finding books that they believe in, shopping them around and making SALES. A lot of times, if your MS is requested from an agent, the agent will read and critique it if they are turning you down. They will not charge a fee for this. They depend on commission to make money. They make 15% of your sales. This motivates them to sell and not to just waste your time requesting manuscripts when they have no intention of selling it.

I think that, if you want to go the traditional publishing route, you will have to realize that agents are there to work with you. If you have a marketable product, they will help you polish it, shop it around to editors and negotiate a fair contract.

On top of that, there are some extremely generous agents out there who take time to keep blogs or even websites dedicated to helping new writers learn the query process. Rachel Vater comes to mind-she recently accepted literally hundreds of hooks and critiqued them on her blog. For free. She did this to show how to write an effective hook to pique agent interest in a book. This was NOT self-serving, and was an awful lot of work for free.

I'm getting off my soapbox now, I promise.

Is THE CHARLOTTE GUSAY LITERARY AGENCY legit?

Is THE CHARLOTTE GUSAY LITERARY AGENCY legit?

I got a request from THE CHARLOTTE GUSAY LITERARY AGENCY. They want to charge me $35.00 for processing fee. What do you think?
Chau Van Truong

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I've been trying to answer you. Please don't keep posting scattershot and then running. that isn't the way to get answers.

Soccer Mom said:

Here is the info you are seeking. It isn't necessary to post the same question so many times. Once will do. FYI: there is a forum dedicated to asking questions about specific agents and agencies. Just click the link above.

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chauvantruong said:

Is THE CHARLOTTE GUSAY LITERARY AGENCY legit?

I got a request from THE CHARLOTTE GUSAY LITERARY AGENCY. They want to charge me $35.00 for processing fee. What do you think?
Chau Van Truong

Get your copy of THE NAISA MAFIA: Chronicle OF The Godfather deliver to your home/bookstore by calling 1-800-431-1579.. Visit http://www.NAISAMAFIA.COM to read the scripts... Watch clip - NAISA, SECRETS KEPT'S PITCH, RELENTLESS PURSUIT, THE EXCHANGE @ google video. Join me at http://www.myspace.com/naisamafia , http://chauvantruong.blogspot.com/ , http://bookmarket.ning.com/profile/ChauVanTruong ..
Fans can also read at http://www.novelmaker.com/ …. SECRETS KEPT script .. http://novelmaker.com/readCommentRate.php?m=295& , A KILLING STAR script.. http://novelmaker.com/readCommentRate.php?m=297& , THE NAISA MAFIA - 8 chapters.. http://novelmaker.com/readCommentRate.php?m=292& ..

Listen to JUDYTH PIAZZA interviewed CHAU VAN TRUONG (author/filmmaker).. link at <a href='http://www.msplinks.com/MDFodHRwOi8vdGhlc29wLm9yZy9hcnRpY2xlLnBocD9pZD03Mj I0' target='_new'>Interview on the American Perspective Radio Program</a> or http://thesop.org/article.php?id=7224 . THE NAISA MAFIA: Chronicle OF The Godfather can also buy it at http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/tg...glance&s=books on http://www.amazon.com , on the recommended list at http://www.bookwire.com , http://www.tuluc.com , and other venues. The Naisa Mafia: Chronicle of the Godfather can also be requested at your local bookstore.

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