An Agent appeared...

The most recent development in the book-publishing process is one that first sent me so high I was flying, then brought me down so I was diving, and now, I’m I've risen again and find myself in between the 2 extremes – which is where I should be!

On Saturday (the 29th) I got an email from an American agency, who I approached 2 weeks ago with my full manuscript. The email was automated. However, it said they were willing to represent me! Meaning: they believed in my book, they saw its’ potential and would happily approach publishers for me! Wow, wow and one more wow! Yes, yes and one more yes!

The next step in the book-publishing process was about to get underway!! This agency, known as the WL Writers Literary Agency, would do all the work for me. They would arrange an editor, set-up a publishing deal, take care of the publicity and marketing! And I would excitedly fly to China knowing my book was being looked after and reaching the right people and audience... Right!!!! Right...??? Or maybe I was wrong...???

Still, Saturday night (the 29th). I was ecstatic by what this next step could mean. All I had to do was give them a simple ‘yes’, sign the contract and pay a small amount to have my script professionally edited. Even though I was so excited, I took a few days before making a definite decision. I had to weigh-up the pros and cons of going with this agency: they were based in America, I wouldn't get to meet anybody, they worked fast, they only sent automated mass emails to all of their newest writers. So, ultimately I wondered: did I want to go with an agent who didn’t personally put any effort into getting to know the writer, before deciding to represent their book...?? Hummm...

Monday, I still hadn’t made a decision. Tuesday, I felt it was time to take action. Would I say yes? Would I got for it, and trust these people I’d never spoken to or seen before, to bring my book to the publishers and eventually get it on the shelves? I figured I had nothing to loose at this stage and I needed to take this option, even though it happened so effortlessly or maybe, BECAUSE it happened so effortlessly...

Being so new to this book world means everything I do and every decision I make is one that will hold an element of risk...

Tuesday evening, I’d made up my mind: yes, I’m gonna go for this agent! WL Writers Literary Agency was the one to bring me all the way to America... or if not me, personally and physically, then my book! Yes!

So... still Tuesday evening. I set-out to do some more research before signing the contract. First I was reading some articles on agencies in general, written by professionals. I was starting to feel uneasy, as I realized that the way in which this particular agency set to work, wasn’t living up to what’s required from a professional agency. Oh no, I didn’t want this to be true... I didn’t want to feel uncomfortable going into ‘business’ with the only agency that had accepted my book! I felt it was my only chance but it was starting to look and feel a little bleak, the more I researched. As the alarm bells started going off, I jumped online and searched for more information. All I was seeing were big black words of warning, in capital letters... SCAM, FRAUD, CONMEN, RUN...

NO NO NO! As I jumped into several websites and skimmed across some of the pages, all I was reading was forums between first-time writers (like me) and well established writers who have been in this bookworld for many years... From the first-timers came a cry for help... They had just submitted their whole manuscript and were realizing they were being taken for a ride (again, that's me!). From the better established writers came advice and confirmation that this agency (WL Writers Literary Agency) is indeed a fraud and was never seriously going to represent the writer in question. It was an agency only scamming first timers to pay a fee for their representation, but they would never deliver the goods.

Wouldn’t anybody who’s only starting on the road to getting a book published seriously jump at the chance of paying a certain amount of money to have the script edited, if it means that the writer has an agent? If the writer has been told just how slim the chances are of being accepted by an agent, before being turned down at least 100 times, then wouldn’t such an effortless and easy option seem like the perfect solution and offer hope that the book really will get published? Some writers would jump at the chance and others would be more sceptical and question the ease of this agency’s acceptance of the script. And this one, who is currently sitting here typing this.. Did she jump? ALMOST... Did she question? EVENTUALLY... Is she now sceptical? Not really... Perhaps more alert 