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Corvisiero Literary Agency / Literary Powerhouse Consulting (Marisa Corvisiero)

Sheryl Nantus

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Either way, the fee issue has my teeth squeaking.

I'm kinda curious as to *what* you get for your money. There's a lot of fancy names and all but what would I get that I couldn't get at any number of workshops and conferences?
 

NIYRAK

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And by the way. To anyone reading this, that is on that forum, please tell everyone there that I have been trying to log on since last night, but my authorization hasn't processed. I'm sorry to have called people Jerks, but when they are using derogatory terms like F*%k no, and I smell bull S*&t, etc. It doesn't exactly warm the heart. Some of the comments there are wise and well intended, and others are not. I am open, available and willing to answer any questions anyone one might have. Just ask!.

...the above was posted on her FB....
 

amergina

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I'm kinda curious as to *what* you get for your money. There's a lot of fancy names and all but what would I get that I couldn't get at any number of workshops and conferences?

This is my question, too.

I'm *always* leery of sites that want you to give them money to have the insider's track to anything.
 

firedrake

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Shutting the barn door after the horse has bolted, methinks.

I'm sorry but a professional person would not have put themselves in the situation where they felt the need to apologise. Going off on one on a FB page with over 3,000 members about being misunderstood on a well respected writers forum with thousands of members, isn't the wisest move for someone setting up a new business.

But perhaps I'm just picky.
 
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It sounds too much like "Well they started it!" to me.

Go write a book indeed. What does she think we joined AW for?
 

MAC58

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Hey there. This is Marisa Corvisiero. I finally made it. I had forgotten that I had an old account here that I haven't used since 2010. The account I set up one last night and it's still not working... Anyway, I'm here now. So go for it!
 

Mr Flibble

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I'm curious to see if she does make it onto the boards and answer the questions raised. I'll reserve judgment until then. Although I do think there is a conflict of interest here, just for the record.


Me too

Interesting that her original post said that posters were complaining about a conflict of interests between being a lawyer and an agent, which, um, hasn't cropped up at all has it? Because, true, it probably wouldn't be a conflict (unless she was charging for extra lawyery advice) And glossed over the (possible) conflict of interest that should be apparent between an agent, and someone running a consultancy fee, charging people for learning how to, among other things, write a good query and get an agent. While I;m not saying that this is going on here, it'd be too easy, wouldn;t it, to just say 'Well, you aren't quite up to scratch, here, go to this literary consultancy and they'll help you....' And indeed some scams have run that way, hence the concern here.

So given that, I'd like to know, when Marisa can post, how she addresses that.

ETA: Ah, cross posted!
 

angelfrancis

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Marisa is so-so nice, I **really** can't imagine her being shady at all. Seems to me, she is just dabbling in a lot of stuff because its all what she enjoys.
 

Mr Flibble

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Marisa is so-so nice, I **really** can't imagine her being shady at all. Seems to me, she is just dabbling in a lot of stuff because its all what she enjoys.

Perhaps, but it IS a legitimate question that needs addressing.
 

Old Hack

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Marisa is so-so nice, I **really** can't imagine her being shady at all. Seems to me, she is just dabbling in a lot of stuff because its all what she enjoys.

No one has suggested that Marisa is "shady", or that she's not nice (although I do think that some of the comments she made on Facebook about AW are less than classy). But being nice isn't always enough.

Hey there. This is Marisa Corvisiero. I finally made it. I had forgotten that I had an old account here that I haven't used since 2010. The account I set up one last night and it's still not working... Anyway, I'm here now. So go for it!

Marisa, welcome (again!) to AW. I'm glad you showed up, and are happy to answer our questions.

I have two questions for you.

1) It seems to me that charging for your LitPow portal conflicts with your interests as a literary agent. I'm not suggesting that you're ripping people off, intentionally or otherwise: but charging writers for services such as LitPow doesn't seem to fit with working as an agent. There's too much room for potential overlap. How do you deal with this?

2) You stated on Facebook that people here were objecting to your being an attorney and working as a literary agent. I've been unable to find such an objection here. Please let me know where to find it. A link or an indication of the post number will be fine.

Many thanks.
 

Little1

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Hiya!!! and WELCOME to the cooler hun! :D I also am wondering about charing authors $$$$. I always was told it's not wise to pay someone as the Sage says "money should flow TO the Author NOT from".
 

MAC58

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It is difficult to parse what is a scam and who is really out there to help people. I know so many authors that have been taken for a ride, that I have lost count.

I will start by simply saying that as an agent I do not charge fees, for anything to anyone at any time, unless I'm paid an honorarium for working at a conference or for speaking.

Since even before I've started agenting, I've noticed that there is a gap in services, in assistance. There are books and websites with bits and pieces of information, that is often biased, inaccurate, outdated or just plain unhelpful. I have been contacted privately by people who tell me that they don't want to query me as an agent but to hire me as a consultant because of my skills and knowledge base. I have helped those people set up publishing companies, write books, get their books into brick and mortar stores, etc. This is what Literary Powerhouse does. And these are things that an agent doesn't. My consulting and agenting are two entirely separate services and business. I'm not sending my clients for consulting services, and I'm not asking people to go get services in order for me to take them on. If someone asks me where they can get help with xyz, I tell them. If LitPow offers that service I will tell them about it... about LitPow too. If they ask me to refer a good accountant I send them to my accountant, if they ask me where I bank I tell them. If they want a good insurance company I tell them. It is their choice to go there... to take it or leave it. Granted, if they go to Literary Powerhouse, I earn something, and that's different from my other examples. But if people hire me for services because they need them, and I'm good at offering them... and their choice is completely made by free will AND it has nothing to do with my agenting services... why shouldn't I be able to get paid for my hard work. There is no conflict in that.

Lets face it guys. This is a tough industry. And authors can use the help.... and I'm not talking just about consulting services. This is why I also do workshops, and we created the Forum (free chat board on LitPow site), and set up the facebook LitPow Writer's Network. It's all part of creating something wonderful for authors.
 

NIYRAK

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These are the questions / concerns I have seen so far...


Hmm. An agent who also runs a literary consultancy.

Can anyone spell "conflict of interests"?
Yes, I thought so.

A bit like Lori Perkins owning the publisher her employee, the epub agent, sells many of her clients' books to, no?

Some would say conflict of interests...some would say circle-jerk.

I can only say: :Jaw:

This smells so shady, it isn't funny. (And hasn't this been tried before?)

I know there are people on AW repped by Corvisiero. I'd considered her while she was still with Perkins Agency, until I'd done more research on Perkins and decided against it.

In Corvisiero's case, with her background in law, this doesn't give me much confidence. The fees are too high for the value added. I could use stronger words, but I don't think I need to.

I don't have a Facebook account, but I'm told by a friend who does, that Ms. Corvisiero isn't happy about this here thread.

Hmmm. There are some potential conflict of interest issues here that really SHOULD be addressed.

But I really don't see where anyone was being a 'jerk' in this thread. Obviously, if there is some new literary definition of jerk that I'm not aware of, please let me know.

And having a rant on her FB page - not cool. Not cool at all. Why don't people realise that how they present themselves in public can damage their professional reputations? Professional is as professional does, and all that.

Either way, the fee issue has my teeth squeaking.

I'm kinda curious as to *what* you get for your money. There's a lot of fancy names and all but what would I get that I couldn't get at any number of workshops and conferences?
 
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amergina

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I did use the words "smells so shady" in response to the idea that you could get additional months free on your annual $500/800 power membership if you get other writers to sign up.

It reminded me quite a bit of the techniques of MLM schemes to get people to bring in other people. (Not to say that the LitPow Portal is a MLM. I don't think it is, but that particular offer reminds me of such things.)

$500-800 is a lot of money for an annual membership to anything.

I don't know Ms. Corvisiero at all, so I can't (and won't) comment on her character.
 

victoriastrauss

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One possible way of dealing with the potential conflict of interest issue identified by Old Hack would be to establish a wall between the agenting and the consulting sides of the business--i.e., clients of the agency would never be eligible to use the services of the consultancy (unless those were provided at no cost as part of representation), and clients of the consultancy would never be taken on by the agency.

This does limit flexibility--you wouldn't be able to offer representation to a promising writer who'd used the consultancy services, for instance--and, potentially, income, since clients could no longer become customers. But it would sidestep some really murky ethical issues, and go a long way toward addressing concerns like the ones that have been expressed here. (And guaranteed, AWers won't be the only ones expressing them. With so many agencies stepping into publishing and/or self-publishing, conflicts of interest are a huge concern right now in the writing community.)

- Victoria
 

MAC58

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Hi Old Hack. Thanks for the welcome. The LitPow portal is a place where writers can congregate with writers. It is a social media platform, sort of like facebook, except that it is exclusive to literary industry people, authors have been signing up, all of my clients are there (for free), and we are in the process of inviting agents and publishers as well. This network is not just exclusive to the industry, but a safe place, free from crawlers and advertisers and information hackers. But that isn't even the best part, and the reason why there is a charge for this site. The big part of the Literary Powerhouse Portal is that we are creating programs that we call PowerTools, that authors can use to organize information, to get information that is not readily available. Most of this is information that my team and I have gathered, my contacts, and statistical information that our programs put together based on this compiled information. Members get discounts to workshops, free workshops, blogs, discounts on website building and hosting, resource databases, free consulting when we do live chats or when they ask myself or my contacts questions in our groups, etc, etc, etc. There will be 10 such PowerTool total. The Portal is at an infancy stage and we still have a lot of work to do, but it is truly fabulous. And I'm very proud of it. I have been pitching it to publishers and the majority are eager to jump on. If you don't think that that has added value, then feel free to decline the invitation. :) And to answer your question, since this has nothing to do with querying me, me linking anyone's book, or selling their book, I don't see how this could possibly create a conflict. If anything, one of them may get discovered by an agent or publisher there! That's the whole point of a Publishing Industry Network!

To answer question number two....

In Corvisiero's case, with her background in law, this doesn't give me much confidence. The fees are too high for the value added. I could use stronger words, but I don't think I need to.
 

LindaJeanne

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To answer question number two....


Filigree can correct me if I'm incorrect, but I interpreted that to mean "with her law background, you think she would be aware of the potential conflict of interest between the consultancy and the agency". At least that was my take.
 

MAC58

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I did use the words "smells so shady" in response to the idea that you could get additional months free on your annual $500/800 power membership if you get other writers to sign up.

It reminded me quite a bit of the techniques of MLM schemes to get people to bring in other people. (Not to say that the LitPow Portal is a MLM. I don't think it is, but that particular offer reminds me of such things.)

$500-800 is a lot of money for an annual membership to anything.

I don't know Ms. Corvisiero at all, so I can't (and won't) comment on her character.


:) Thanks for clarifying that! You're right. It is a lot of money. But that package is a great deal. Believe it or not. That package offers access to everything. 50% discount on all workshops, 1 hour one on one consultation with me or my partners depending on what they need, special events, access to the BestSeller PowerTool, and a year membership. If they sign up to 3 or 5 workshops it would cost $500+ dollars just for that. An no I don't teach all of them. We have experts from all different fields doing very specific workshops. (We will have about 5 of them per month). So it is worth it to some people. It's just an option. The six month membership is only $30! I pay $20 per month for Publishers Marketplace alone! Now I know that we are not PM... yet. But its a dam good start. :) I also pay $50 to upgrade my writer's Digest membership... You get my point.