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Elite Online Literary Agency

scriptawords

Yesterday I received a so-called "call for submissions" from Daniel Kane of Elite Online Literary Agency. His letter claimed to have an in with a "major New York publishing house" and if writers sent him assorted pieces of information and a $25 money order made out to American Education Services, "Submissions will be reviewed as quickly as possible"--I noted that he didn't actually *say* that he would show your material to this publisher in return for the $25.

Red flags immediately went up. My usual quick Internet check on this guy and the "agency" threw up even more. At the same time, I started questioning him about what the $25 was, exactly. His initial email said only that "American Education Services is neither a sponsor nor endorser of this project." So what was it? Why were authors paying them if they had nothing to do with this? He replied that American Education Services was a "quasi-governmental administrator of higher education funding" and that money orders were to be sent to them because "those are my terms."

I checked out American Education Services. It was a student loan site. So I asked Kane, "What is the $25 for? Is it a donation? Are authors making payments on someone's loan?! 'Those are my terms' just don't cut it. I fail to see how this has anything to do with literary representation."

He hedged, saying that he thought they might like some money (really!). I pressed. His final answer revealed that the $25 he was requiring from writers was, indeed, going to pay HIS STUDENT LOAN. This, IMHO, is unethical—he is banking on writers, desperate to get publishers to look at their manuscripts, to send him money that he can apply to his student loan.

Some will know this, some won't, so I'll say it: No legitimate agent charges a fee, let alone requiring writers to make a payment on his student loan. Be warned--there is no easy way to publication; good writing gets published, it's not who you or anyone else knows. Always run a check on any "agent" or "publisher" who makes glorious-sounding claims and wants money. If nothing else, ask yourself: Is he making money from selling books, or from unsuspecting writers? Legitimate agents are not donating their time by not charging fees--they are working on commission. They have a vested interest in selling your book for you, because then they will make money, too--from the publishing deal, NOT their clients.

For more information, I suggest:
"How to Protect Yourself from Questionable Agents":
www.writing-world.com/pub...ents.shtml

"How to Sniff Out Literary Scams":
windpub.com/literary.scams/yudkin.htm

SFWA's "Writer Beware":
www.sfwa.org/Beware/agents.html

Marg Gilks
 

absolutewrite

Marg, thank you for the detective work. This may be a new all-time low in the scamming world. :rofl
 

vstrauss

The student loan thing is definitely a first in the annals of agent fee-charging. But I think Mr. Kane shorted himself. Access to a "major New York publishing house" is surely worth at least $50!

I can confirm the negative information about this agency from P&E and Agent Research & Evaluation. Mr. Kane has been around since at least 2000, and has changed his fee demands several times: he started out with an editing fee ("to a maximum of $400"), then moved on to a reading fee ($399, raised after a few months to $500, raised after another few months to $650). Mr. Kane had no professional publishing or agenting experience before setting up the agency, and as far as I know has yet to make a sale. (I'm seriously doubtful of his claim to have an in with a publisher.)

He seems to be fond of spamming; a few months ago he sent a mass e-mail to SFWA members (using contact information that's supposed to be confidential among the membership) inviting them to join his Yahoo group.

- Victoria
 

scriptawords

Update on Elite Online Literary Agency

Update to my original post: this morning I received an announcement from Dan Kane of Elite Online Literary Agency stating that, due to the controversy it generated, he has dropped his $25 reading fee. He now seems to be concerned that, with that stipulation lifted, the volume of submissions will get out of control. So please, people! Don’t swamp him with manuscripts! :rofl
 

CaoPaux

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FWIW, there hasn't been any activity at his Yahoo group since Jan 2005. I expect this "agency" is defunct due to graduation. :cool: