Updating link to article: http://entertainment.timesonline.co.uk/tol/arts_and_entertainment/books/article605481.ece
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[Agency] Inspira Group
- Thread starter DaveKuzminski
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Your instict serves you well. I was going to add him to my query list and something about him (a few others I neglected to add to my trusty flip book), told me to put my pen down and close my flippy.
I see intuition is always your friend.
PS:
Sound familiar?
It's like a broken record. It's like a popular phrase everyone uses from various generations (such as 'far out,' or 'I'm stoked' or my personal favorite 'sick!')
And why do they keep saying only 'serious' authors are willing to 'go the distance' therein paying fees? I thought writers did their job when they spent days, months, years turning their vision into a manuscript? When did this change?
I see intuition is always your friend.
PS:
Sound familiar?
It's like a broken record. It's like a popular phrase everyone uses from various generations (such as 'far out,' or 'I'm stoked' or my personal favorite 'sick!')
And why do they keep saying only 'serious' authors are willing to 'go the distance' therein paying fees? I thought writers did their job when they spent days, months, years turning their vision into a manuscript? When did this change?
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It's just a way of trying to justify their fees. They bank on the naive, those who are new or don't know the business very well. It's all part of the illusion of looking legit to the point where anything they say is believed.
And selling them to marginal/dubious publishers. E.g., Chipmunka Publishing, John Hunt / O Books, and Twenty First Century Publishers.
What I don't get is how this guy has been listed in The Writer's Handbook (an established print directory in the UK from a massive publisher, Macmillan) every year for about ten years (that I know of)? Should I assume if I pay for a directory that they check out the businesses they list, but they're just in the dark about this one? Or should I assume that no checking has been done and they could all be suspect...?
Like I say, the Writer's Handbook is from a massive publisher and has been around for decades... longer than this forum or even the internet itself! You'd think you should be able to trust them...
Like I say, the Writer's Handbook is from a massive publisher and has been around for decades... longer than this forum or even the internet itself! You'd think you should be able to trust them...
My presumption is that the Writer's Handbook does minimal checks on those who offer themselves for listing
The Writer's Handbook is a directory and as such does not do background checks on the businesses listing within it (just as the Yellow Pages doesn't check out the credentials for everyone who it lists).
While it's a good resource, it shouldn't be taken as the be-all-and-end-all and writers should always carry out indepedent verification as part of their research process.
MM
While it's a good resource, it shouldn't be taken as the be-all-and-end-all and writers should always carry out indepedent verification as part of their research process.
MM
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As recently as last August The Inspira group read my manuscript, loved it, gave it a big thumbs up and offered to represent me. I nearly swooned until I realised he wanted 300 smackers for the trouble. I have to say after twelve rejections since then I sometimes (in my darkest moments) wish I'd coughed. But really I'm glad I didn't. How can such charlatans continue?
Inspira Group
Hope this is suitable for posting!
I have been contacted by this agency in regards to representation. While I am of course rather pleased at finally getting a bite, I am a bit wary as they seem to be charging £350.00 up front to cover "costs". I have read so many warnings about this, and in fact I thought that was part of the "deal" that the agent absorbs these costs in exchange for a percentage.
The individual I talked to seemed friendly enough but I was concerned at how he almost immediately jumped in to attack other agencies, how they aren't taking on new authors, how they are probably not even reading my work, just automatically sending out form letter because I am a first time writer, and then mentioning his costs of sending out my work to publishers etc... just felt a little bit off overall.
I am not too impressed by the list of published works either, although they do have a couple of known authors.
I am thinking of going by my gut and refusing; I don't have £350 at the moment, and if I have to pay to get my work out there, then perhaps the work isn't good enough to run by a publisher anyway!
Has anyone here been represented by this agency? Did you pay the fees? Were there more fees to come? Shall I just politely back away as my gut is telling me to?
Hope this is suitable for posting!
I have been contacted by this agency in regards to representation. While I am of course rather pleased at finally getting a bite, I am a bit wary as they seem to be charging £350.00 up front to cover "costs". I have read so many warnings about this, and in fact I thought that was part of the "deal" that the agent absorbs these costs in exchange for a percentage.
The individual I talked to seemed friendly enough but I was concerned at how he almost immediately jumped in to attack other agencies, how they aren't taking on new authors, how they are probably not even reading my work, just automatically sending out form letter because I am a first time writer, and then mentioning his costs of sending out my work to publishers etc... just felt a little bit off overall.
I am not too impressed by the list of published works either, although they do have a couple of known authors.
I am thinking of going by my gut and refusing; I don't have £350 at the moment, and if I have to pay to get my work out there, then perhaps the work isn't good enough to run by a publisher anyway!
Has anyone here been represented by this agency? Did you pay the fees? Were there more fees to come? Shall I just politely back away as my gut is telling me to?
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Run.
No legit agent charges a fee. They earn their money when they sell your book. Dissing other agencies is a scare tactic to make you think they're the only one willing to take you on.
Did I mention: Run?
Welcome to the boards! Look around, join in a few threads, get to know people. There's a boatload of information on everything to do with getting published.
No legit agent charges a fee. They earn their money when they sell your book. Dissing other agencies is a scare tactic to make you think they're the only one willing to take you on.
Did I mention: Run?
Welcome to the boards! Look around, join in a few threads, get to know people. There's a boatload of information on everything to do with getting published.
Thanks, Calalily - pretty much what I thought. Will keep pursuing slightly more professional avenues - with time, I am hoping someone will bite.
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There, fixed that for you.
You want to approach actually professional agencies, not those that are only slightly more professional than scams. In the end, well-intentioned but clueless agents are just as bad for you and your career, other than not relieving you of cash, as outright scams.
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The bold I've highlighted is also a good indicator you should back away and run. No agency contacts a writer first; it's the other way around.
Claims like that make me SO CROSS. They're just not true. And there's a big gap in his logic: how would they know you were a first-time writer if they didn't read your submission?
Grrrr.
Do they? I wonder if they really represent those known authors. I've heard of several dodgy agencies claiming to represent writers who have never heard of them. It's not good.
As Old Hack said, this isn't true. But let's assume for the sake of argument that it is.
You would still have more effective and economical options for seeing your work in print than forking out over three hundred pounds to a dodgy agency. They'd like you to believe there are only two options: querying legit agencies who won't look at your work, or paying a scammer.
Sorry, should have made this a bit clearer, trying to do a hundred things at once today. I had sent through my work to them initially, they didn't contact me first! It had all seemed quite promising at first, until the dreaded £££ up front came into play.
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I'm assuming it is, but does anybody know if Inspira are still charging fees? I've been invited to meet with Darin Jewell at a conference in February; if that's the case then I don't think I'll bother.
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They are still charging: £350 up-front. The most recent report of this I've received is from late October of this year.
- Victoria
- Victoria
Darin Jewell, author and MD of The Inspira Group, is participating in a workshop run by Legend Press in February. Some more information here.
A little update on this agency which still charges upfront fees (as of today, 15 dec 2012).
I sent them my submission (without having carried out the proper researches on the company first, I’ll admit) and then received a kind email asking for my complete manuscript. I did my homework then, and found out about the bad reputation it has.
I sent back an email to ask if they charge fees... here’s the answer:
I sent them my submission (without having carried out the proper researches on the company first, I’ll admit) and then received a kind email asking for my complete manuscript. I did my homework then, and found out about the bad reputation it has.
I sent back an email to ask if they charge fees... here’s the answer:
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I suspect one reason he can't afford to "take on all the financial risks involved" is that he isn't placing books with advance-paying publishers. Looking at his list of book placements, virtually all the books he's placed in the past couple of years have been with non-advance-paying publishers that accept submissions directly from authors.
- Victoria
- Victoria