Charlotte Gusay Literary Agency

Yes? No?

Did you even click the link?

Not sure whether this needs to be merged with the current thread on this house, or if it needs deleted, but I do know it doesn't belong in Novels

Do try reading SoccerMom's link, chauvantruong. She knows what she's talking about, and she's being helpful.

And welcome to AW.

Read it when I click on the link. Thanks Soccer for me but I still don't know if Gusay is legit or worth the fee..

Seems to me 9 out of 10 people vote No to Gusay

50/50

Sounds like The Zack Company. They charge a similar fee, but their reason is for getting a "quick review." It costs $60 for them to respond to a requested sample chapter within 10 business days.

chauvantruong, I understand you're new, but you've been told multiple times now not to keep posting your question all over. The last two times you posted the identical question were after being told that.

The more identical posts you have, the more you look like a spammer. Especially when the post is filled with links to your writing, rather than links relevant to your question. So please stick to this thread for this question, and stop making new ones.

Yes but Gusay got a track record and paper trail.

ok, but I'm no idiot-savant on this.. Give me a break and I will figure it out..

Hi, chauvantruong, and welcome to AW!

chauvantruong:
Yes but Gusay got a track record and paper trail.

Click to expand...

It sounds to me that you've made your mind up already and you're right in saying that Gusay has made commercial sales. However, there is no guarantee that in sending the $35 reading fee, your manuscript will be read. As Victoria Strauss has said several times in this discussion, there's been a suggestion that manuscripts have been rejected the same day as being sent, thereby leaving the author out of pocket and without representation.

Essentially, there are plenty of other agents out there with a solid track record of sales who do not charge a fee. Personally, I'd suggest you try those agents before spending your cash, but the final decision is yours.

MM

Never pay any fee to any agent for any reason.


If Ralph Vicinanza started charging a fee, I'd say "Cross Ralph off your list."

chauvantruong said:

50/50

Click to expand...

Did it occur to you that half the posts were BY THE SAME PERSON?

In fact the both of you seem bent on irrationally defending the agent. Odd, no?

Sorry, my patience meter just hit empty...

Hi all,

This is my first post, so hello! I have to say I was quite shocked to recieve Charlotte's startling form letter as she appeared quite legitimate from Jeff Herman's guide and her own website. Sure, she has sold books, but her track record isn't exactly phenomenal (average of one or two books sold a year) and not enough to justify contributing to an activity that is frowned upon by not only authors but other agents.

What makes me even sadder about this situation is that she is tuned in with the psychology of struggling writers- that we are all so desperate for representation that most of us will gamble with the $35 in the slight chance that it pays off. I think it's important that writers send a message that this practice is unacceptable. And if my book is as fantastic as she wrote in biro on her form letter asking for money, then I'm sure a more reputable agent will scoop it up. I will definitely not be sending any money to Charlotte Gusay.

Welcome, KC! And...wise choice.

Okay, it doesn't matter what anyone says here in defense of Ms. Gusay. There are no reputable agents who charge fees; charging any kind of fee is ipso facto a strike against that agent.

Even worse, the agency is deceptive. They reply to a query with a request for mailing address for "paperwork" and only then do you find out there's a "processing fee." How many people would continue if the email reply mentioned this?

Sent eMail before I read this thread (she does scripts too?) and got a request for a paper request for a release. Very annoying, but got swept up into a agent query blitz. If she still asks for a fee before a sale I can tell her to f*@% off.

No request for a fee! Rejected rather bluntly, but no fee request. Oh well.

Adding links.
Agency's homepage: http://www.gusay.com/contact/default.asp
A 'not recommended' tag @ P&E: http://www.anotherealm.com/prededitors/pealc.htm
An old 2007 review by Miss Snark: http://misssnark.blogspot.com/2007/02/author-pages-at-publishers-marketplace.html
PM page: http://www.publishersmarketplace.com/members/CharlotteGusay/
93 references on googlebook:
http://books.google.com/books?q=Charlotte+Gusay&lr=&sa=N&start=20
43 hits on Amazon (about 75% non-fiction):
http://www.amazon.com/s/ref=nb_ss?url=search-alias=stripbooks&field-keywords=Charlotte+Gusay&x=0&y=0

New to the board, but hopefully I can add something new to the discussion. Used to work for Charlotte Gusay Literary Agency. She works from her home, as many agents do. Unpaid interns answer the phones and handle all the query mail.Charlotte seemed to get upset whenever fewer checks were being received. So, unwritten policy among the interns was to generously request sample material from authors in order to receive the accompanying $35 check. As everyone probably already knows, sample material may not be given much of a serious consideration. Interns are a fickle and disrespectful bunch, and will toss a submission out for trivial reasons having nothing to do with the material's merit. Interns are the ones deciding the fate of query letters and are the ones writing out those standardized notes that come with the rejection letters- "It's a fascinating idea, but needs more subplot development." "Flesh out the characters more." "The relationships don't seem real enough."

Sure, Charlotte has some publications under her belt, but please consider that she's been a working agent for something like twenty? years. Don't expect much from an agent that charges a reading fee. And please, don't send gifts, she'll only send them back. Also, strongly consider interning for a publication company/ agent/ pubished writer/ etc... That'll offer you the best insight into the dismal publication process.

I know this is an old thread, but I discovered it after I received a request to review my work from the Charlotte Gusay agency, and was asked to send $35 as a processing fee with my first 3 chapters. This did not feel right to me, so I immediately began searching and now know that it is unethical for an agent to ask for a fee of any kind just to read your work. I will not be submitting, even though I am tempted, like many, to send in the money and see if I have a shot. She preys on the desperation of new authors who want to be read and who figure $35 isn't that much to lose.

I knew something was a little strange when I first received her reply back to me:

"Thank you for your email query. Due to the overwhelming volume of electronic queries the Agency receives, we decline most immediately, however, we have read your query and are interested in proceeding to the next step.

Please send a copy of this email, along with this same query and a Self Addressed Stamped Envelope-SASE, by snail mail to the address below. After we have received your snail mail query, we will then send you specific instructions for submitting your project to the Agency, which includes a signed release.

Alternatively, if you wish to expedite this process, you are welcome to forward your snail mail address to us by return email (complete with zip code) and we will then forward to you our submission instructions."

Starting out the letter by essentially saying I was lucky they chose me because they don't choose just anyone seemed a bit fishy to me. Also, I had included my mailing address with my original query letter, which was quoted in this email. But I dutifully followed instructions by emailing back my mailing address.

Three weeks later, I received in the mail a printout of every page of the agency's website along with the manuscript submission form. The form said that I needed to review the provided information about the agency and IF I felt like my book was a good fit, I should send the first 3 chapters plus my $35 "processing fee". I was told not to expect any critique of my work and that if the fee was objectionable to me that I shouldn't bother sending my manuscript.

Pretty much everything about my interaction with this agency has made me feel as though they never actually read my query letter - I just received a standard form email. So I am fairly confident that my work will not be seriously considered either.

I found the Charlotte Gusay Literary Agency in Jeff Herman's Guidebook for Literary Agents, so I emailed him directly to let him know of the agency's practice of charging a fee.

I was disappointed at Mr. Herman's reply in which he stated he is aware of CG Agency's practice but he keeps her in his book because she has a proven track record and she tells people upfront about the fee.

I'm sure CG gets considerable business from the guidebook - I know I've leaned on it heavily in the past because I was under the impression only reputable agents were listed. I hope making people aware of this agency will discourage writers from sending in money for nothing.

Sorry for the long post, but I hope I've helped others in a similar situation.

question on Charlotte Gusay

Hi, does anyone have a good experience to report? Just curious. Thanks.

I foolishly sent the fee to Gusay (that they say *isn't* a reading fee) before I found this site. As everyone said above, waste of time. I'm out $35 and postage for not doing better research. Live and learn!!

I had a partial request from this agency on May 22. They didn't ask for a reading fee though.

Just an update: got a kind and reasonable rejection on my partial today. No shady requests for reading fees or anything like that. Maybe she has changed her ways?