Book Printing Guide

The unpublished author is in a little bit of a bind. More and more publishers will only accept manuscripts from authors who have agents, causing agents to be more selective about the clientele they choose to represent. Reputable agents these days will often limit their client base to writers will a proven track record of success. This has led to a rise in disreputable agents who scam unwitting unpublished authors.

When looking for a literary agent there are two main things you should be aware of: Literary agents do not have any state or national licensing requirements and be wary of any agent who charges a reading fee.

Reading fees, often as high as $500, will be charged by less than honest agents. These agents often have no intention of marketing your work or representing you as an author. Some reputable agents do charge a more modest reading fee of around $50 to weed out submissions from authors who are less than serious. Research is the only way to distinguish a reputable agent from a scam artist. You may also want to consider first submitting your work to an agent without a reading fee.

You can also belong one of the following organizations: Romance Writers of America rwanational.org Sisters in Crime: sinc-ic.org Mystery Writers of America: mysterywriters.org Science Fiction and Fantasy Writers of America, Inc: sfwa.org

Exorbitant Agent Fees Most reputable agents will not ask their clients to pay for normal business operation costs such as phone calls, copying, and postage. There are, however, many scam artists who will charge all of these fees and more, many asking for the money before any work has been completed on the clients behalf.

Unscrupulous agents will also often ask writers to pay $30-$100 a month as a representation fee. This is a fee for them to represent your work to publishers. Many writers have ended by emptying their bank accounts only to have their unpublished work gathering dust in the hall closet.

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