new york lit agency.....Help

smnoreen · Apr 23, 2007

Hi there to everyone. I am new to this site and to trying to publish. I have recently recieved a responce from N.Y.L.A, I was very excited. However looking over this site I have discovered that it may be a fraud. Is this true?? If so what do I do...I havent paid money..Yet, but I have signed the contract. Help what do I do? There is enough info here to lead me to believe that it is a scam but how do I get out?? PLease help me.

LloydBrown · Apr 23, 2007

smnoreen said:
Hi there to everyone. I am new to this site and to trying to publish. I have recently recieved a responce from N.Y.L.A, I was very excited. However looking over this site I have discovered that it may be a fraud.

"May be" a fraud? Are you sure you read *this* site?

There is absolutely no doubt that the New York Literary Agency and its various deceitful, fraudulent incarnations are all phony.

Don't worry about the contract. Ignore it. You were offered a contract by an autoresponder that replied to your e-mail. No humans were involved. Just don't send them any money and move on. Find a real agent.

smnoreen · Apr 23, 2007

All of the first e-mail were automated but when I started asking questions I got a pretty nasty e-mail from Sherry Fine. They cannot hold me to the contract?? Sherry Fine now has a list of books that they have supposedly sold....I am mostly concered about that contract... but I guess they dont have a whole lot of info on me.

Thanks for your info
Stephanie

stormie · Apr 23, 2007

Stephanie,
Welcome to AW boards!
I'm so glad you found out about NYLA before you sent any money. Delete their emails. Run. They also go by other names, too. Check out the Bewares and Background board here. Stick around, read the through the threads.

Moon Daughter · Apr 23, 2007

Welcome, Stephanie. Sorry to hear about the bust on NYLA. You'll find some others here who have been through the same ordeal. Sorry again, but never give up!

James D. Macdonald · Apr 23, 2007

The NYLA (and all its other incarnations under other names) is on Writer Beware's "Twenty Worst" list.

The nasty letter from "Sherry Fine" was probably also an autoresponder. They get questioned enough that they have a form letter for that, too.

On the off chance that you got a new, original letter from "Sherry Fine," could you please post it in the WL Writers Literary Agency thread? I'd be particularly interested in seeing it if "Sherry Fine" did indeed provide a list of books they'd supposedly sold.

My best advice is to send them a letter telling them that they do not represent you, then forgetting that you ever heard of them.

Oh, and welcome to AW!

Ol' Fashioned Girl · Apr 23, 2007

Welcome to the Water Cooler... sorry about NYLA. Be sure to check Bewares and Background checks before you go with ANYone.

glassquill · Apr 23, 2007

to AW, Stephanie. As others have said, the Bewares and Background board is a must-read. All the best with your search for a home for your book.

narnia · Apr 23, 2007

Hi Stephanie! I am too new to add anything useful, other than to say I have read through the Bewares and there are a lot of wise folks on this site whose advice is too good to ignore!

Welcome!

Cath · Apr 23, 2007

Glad you came here before you went there.

louisgodwin · Apr 23, 2007

Hey, at least you found out before you sent them any $$$. I got caught up with Desert Rose before I found this place and wasn't so lucky.

Welcome to the Cooler!

smnoreen · Apr 23, 2007

Here Is the list of supposed book sales:

We just signed a deal for a Bipolar book with HCI, the publishers of Chicken Soup for the Soul. Here are a few more sales, not all. One is Dario Castagno who wrote "Too Much Tuscan Sun" which is now in 3 languages and was nominated for a Ben Franklin award (published by Globe Pequot). Pastor Billy Crone is due to be published soon with his work, "A Marriage Built to Last" . We have one sale to a publisher in the UK and another sci-fi sale just occurred as well. We are very proud of our track record. Of course we wish it were more, but when you consider that most agencies only sell 1 deal, we feel that we're doing pretty well.

Best regards,
Sherry - VP Acquisitions

the E-Mail of supposed book sales:

triceretops · Apr 23, 2007

but when you consider that most agencies only sell 1 deal, we feel that we're doing pretty well.

Arrrrr....tell that to the William Morris Agency, Sheri o so Fine.

Tri

Nickie · Apr 24, 2007

Welcome to the Cooler, Stephanie. Sorry you had to find out the hard way how difficult it is to find a good agent/publishier!

Nickie

Maude · Apr 25, 2007

Check out all agents before sending any ms. As a new writer trying to get published, it's a good idea not to be too trusting.
You have to register the ms. with the copyright office if you get into a problem and need to go to court.
I make sure that the agent is a member of AAR.
I hope you find an agent soon.
Maude

LloydBrown · Apr 25, 2007

Registering your copyright before you submit it is the sign of an amateur and will sometimes get your manuscript rejected out of hand. It's not a smart thing to do. The topic comes up regularly here.

PattiTheWicked · Apr 25, 2007

smnoreen said:
Here Is the list of supposed book sales:

We just signed a deal for a Bipolar book with HCI, the publishers of Chicken Soup for the Soul. Here are a few more sales, not all. One is Dario Castagno who wrote "Too Much Tuscan Sun" which is now in 3 languages and was nominated for a Ben Franklin award (published by Globe Pequot). Pastor Billy Crone is due to be published soon with his work, "A Marriage Built to Last" .

Globe/Pequot does not require authors to use an agent. I checked on Billy Crone, and his book is published by Mapletree, a Christian publisher. They also do not require authors to have an agent for submissions.

You're lucky you haven't sent these people any money yet. Now's the time to break free.

Jacob Spire · Apr 25, 2007

smnoreen said:
Here Is the list of supposed book sales:

We just signed a deal for a Bipolar book with HCI, the publishers of Chicken Soup for the Soul. Here are a few more sales, not all. One is Dario Castagno who wrote "Too Much Tuscan Sun" which is now in 3 languages and was nominated for a Ben Franklin award (published by Globe Pequot). Pastor Billy Crone is due to be published soon with his work, "A Marriage Built to Last" . We have one sale to a publisher in the UK and another sci-fi sale just occurred as well. We are very proud of our track record. Of course we wish it were more, but when you consider that most agencies only sell 1 deal, we feel that we're doing pretty well.

Best regards,
Sherry - VP Acquisitions

the E-Mail of supposed book sales:

Exact same email as I got.

Do you want to see something really, really cool?
Tell you what; look up Too Much Tuscan Sun on Google, and check out what's written on the book's homepage.

Go ahead, try it. The author mentions something about how he got his book published.

jcheney · Apr 30, 2007

Welcome, Stephanie. I got tangled with NYLA briefly but found info here and other sites and ran away fast. Good Luck.

new york lit agency.....Help

smnoreen

LloydBrown

smnoreen

stormie

storm central

Moon Daughter

James D. Macdonald

Your Genial Uncle

Ol' Fashioned Girl

Hand? What hand?

glassquill

RB's favourite chewtoy

narnia

Cath

The mean one

louisgodwin

Back from the dead

smnoreen

triceretops

Nickie

Not too old to learn

Maude

LloydBrown

PattiTheWicked

Unleashing Hell.

Jacob Spire

jcheney