20 Worst Agents

I've recieved this from numerous sources. For those of you who missed it, our group merited a tiny bit of territorial comment flaming as a side-effect. I feel so special. Preditors & Editors is a great anti-scam resource. Anyone claiming otherwise doubtless has a beautifully restored historic home they want to sell you for pennies on the dollar in New Orleans.

Victoria Strauss and Ann Crispin run the Writer Beware scam watchdog agency. Two months ago, they published their list of the 20 Worst Agents. These so called "agents" make their money by scamming writers.

This list first appeared on the Absolute Write forums, and has been recopied widely across the internet. Barbara Bauer, one of the outed "agents," threw temper tantrums all over the internet (one is described here, by the highly professional, reputable, and respected Patrick & Teresa Nielsen Hayden). Bauer's scare tactics and harassment have shut down Absolute Write. Therefore, like many others, I am reproducing their list here.


THE LIST (in mostly alphabetical order):

* The Abacus Group Literary Agency
* Allred and Allred Literary Agents (refers clients to "book doctor" Victor West of Pacific Literary Services)
* Capital Literary Agency (formerly American Literary Agents of Washington, Inc.)
* Barbara Bauer Literary Agency
* Benedict & Associates (also d/b/a B.A. Literary Agency)
* Sherwood Broome, Inc.
* Desert Rose Literary Agency
* Arthur Fleming Associates
* Finesse Literary Agency (Karen Carr)
* Brock Gannon Literary Agency
* Harris Literary Agency
* The Literary Agency Group, which includes the following:

~ Children's Literary Agency
~ Christian Literary Agency
~ New York Literary Agency
~ Poets Literary Agency
~ The Screenplay Agency
~ Stylus Literary Agency (formerly ST Literary Agency)
~ Writers Literary & Publishing Services Company (the editing arm of the above-mentioned agencies)

* Martin-McLean Literary Associates
* Mocknick Productions Literary Agency, Inc.
* B.K. Nelson, Inc.
* The Robins Agency (Cris Robins)
* Michele Rooney Literary Agency (also d/b/a Creative Literary Agency and Simply Nonfiction)
* Southeast Literary Agency
* Mark Sullivan Associates
* West Coast Literary Associates (also d/b/a California Literary Services)