James D Macdonald
Re: Robert Fletcher, President, ST Literary Agency
Where to start, where to start?
Hi, Robert. Good to see you back. Sell any books lately? To anyone?
<blockquote>
I certainly challenge any detractors to come out from under their cloaks of emails and post their names and phone numbers and addresses.
</blockquote>
That's my real name over there to the left; since your pal Paul Anderson (or someone claiming to be him) emailed me today, I assume that you won't have any trouble finding me. I'm listed in the phone book.
<blockquote>
I absolutely guarantee the lawsuits are going to fly.. let's see who cares to play.
</blockquote>
Come off it, Robert. You aren't going to sue anyone. See, there's this little thing called "discovery," and you don't have the cojones to get near that "fire."
By the way, have you ever sold a book to a publisher? Any book? Any publisher?
<blockquote>
Because we have decide to help new and unpublished authors, we have the audacity to cover our admin costs ($129) and you wouldn't believe the ire we have raised in the industry.
</blockquote>
Can you name a new (and they continue to be unpublished, right?) author you've "helped"? Tell you how real agents cover their costs, Robert: They sell books to publishers. That's how legitimate agents make their money. You haven't raised ire: You've garnered contempt. What you're doing isn't audacious -- hundreds of bottom-feeding scam agents do the same thing every day.
<blockquote>
First i'm going to give you some references from good clients.
</blockquote>
Okay, let's see what you've got. Show me some sales.
<blockquote>
Michael Sears ... We don't have a sale yet...
</blockquote>
Strike one! Let's see how the next one goes.
<blockquote>
Rev. Amy Snow, MA ... We don't have a sale yet...
</blockquote>
Strike two!
<blockquote>Carl Bell - STL Author</blockquote>
Did Carl sell something? No? If he did you'd think he'd mention a sale, wouldn't you? Ball one.
<blockquote>I look
forward to the day when I make that first sale ... Gary Dover</blockquote>
That's a clean miss. Three strikes, yer out. Didn't you have even one author who sold something thanks to you? It looks to me like all four of those guys wasted their $129 (plus whatever else you charge ... it isn't just $129, is it, Robert?).
(Shall we talk, briefly, about that "Online Pitch Page" that these guys do mention? If there were a contest for the most useless thing that an author could have in his quest to sell a book to a traditional publisher, an Online Pitch Page would take second place. Why second place, you might ask? Because it's such a useless thing.)
Let's see what your next point is ... after you've proved out of your own mouth that you haven't managed to sell anything for any new writers.
Lighthouse Press is "in the process of formalizing a relationship with" y'all. Whatever that means. (I have my suspicions ....)
Lighthouse Press has its mailing address in Deerfield Beach, Florida. ST Literary is located in Boca Raton, Florida. Boca Raton is five miles by road from Deerfield Beach. How about that?
Lighthouse appears to be a miniscule local press; they boast of getting books into local bookstores. I imagine that means that if you aren't living in the Boca Raton area, you won't see your book on the shelves anywhere. They also boast that their books are available via Amazon and BN.com. Big whoop-ti-doo. So does PublishAmerica. So does every two-bit vanity PoD. No prize for that.
"While we have published authors with established credentials, generally our authors have built their reputations through The Lighthouse Press," says Lighthouse on their web page. This may not be the coup that you're building it up to be, Robert.
"All of our titles are available through Ingram and Baker & Taylor," Lighthouse says in the letter you quote here, which is the very minimum definition of "available for sale." Color me unimpressed. And yet ... you haven't even managed to sell a book to them. Oh, Robert, I'd weep for you if I weren't laughing so hard.
Now, let's look at Paul Anderson's books. Paul is a partner in your business, isn't he, Robert?
Let's see if I understood what you said here:
<blockquote>We've been incorporated since early 2003. I took over the company from a prior owner (SYDRA) and changed the way it did business.</blockquote>
Here's Paul's list of books, as you've given 'em:
<blockquote>A Call From the 21st Century, F Ed., ISBN 0-9653359-0-9</blockquote>
Doyle Publishing Company; (1997). A pay-to-publish place, before you took over Sydra. Not impressive, and not yours.
<blockquote>The Executive’s Guide to Customer Relationship Management ISBN 0-9653359-5-X</blockquote>
Not listed at Amazon. Not listed at BN.com. Not found at bookfinder. com.
<blockquote>The Executive’s Guide to Customer Relationship Management, SBC Special Edition, ISBN 0-9653359-5-X</blockquote>
Not found, as above. This is a special-order, small run, pay-to-publish deal for a corporate customer, isn't it?
<blockquote>The Demand Generation, Return on Relationships, F Ed., ISBN 0-9653359-6-8</blockquote>
Doyle Publishing, 2001. Pay-to-publish, and two years before you took over Sydra. How were you involved in selling this book? Why was an agent needed at all? All Doyle Publishing asks is that the check clears, right?
<blockquote>The Demand Generation, Customer Managed Relationships, Siemens Ed., ISBN 0-9653359-6-8</blockquote>
Doyle Publishing, 2001. Same as above.
<blockquote>The Demand Generation, Return on Loyalty, Avaya Ed., ISBN 0-9653359-6-8</blockquote>
Same as the last one. Doyle Publishing, 2001.
<blockquote>The Digital Call Center, Gateway to Customer Intimacy, ISBN 0-9653359-1-7</blockquote>
Doyle Publishing, 1999. Again, this was pay-to-publish, and before you took over ST. Why do you want credit for this book?
<blockquote>Telecommunications, (ed. Bayche), ISBN 0-9704287-4-X</blockquote>
HIMSS, 2001. Anderson appears to be one contributor to a compilation published by the Healthcare Information and Management Systems Society. Exactly how an agent would be involved in this is obscure to me, and what role you specifically played, given the 2001 publication date, is likewise obscure.
<blockquote>The Future of Customer Service, pub. date May 2004 ISBN 0-96553-x-x</blockquote>
That isn't an ISBN, and the title isn't listed at Amazon or Barnes&Noble. The first few numbers of that partial ISBN tell me that it's Doyle Publishing again.
<blockquote>Shihan Te, The Bunkai of Karate Kata ISBN 1-886969-84-4</blockquote>
The correct ISBN is 1-886969-88-4. YMAA Publication Center, 2002. Again, before you took over ST if I'm to believe what you posted above. A small press specializing in oriental martial arts. No indication that an agent is required.
<blockquote>Did that look real, or do the cynical think I made all that up...</blockquote>
It didn't look particularly real, Robert. It looks a lot like No Sales. I also note that among those ten titles, two share one ISBN and three share another. That looks ever-so "made up" to me.
<blockquote>
...scary... </blockquote>
You know, that was one of Newsflash's favorite words too.
Now that "deal memo." You're making a deal with a guy who just found out that his own catalog deadline was the end of that same week? No publisher mentioned, no title mentioned, no author mentioned.... tell you what, come back when the book comes out, okay? Until then I'm sure you'll forgive me if I don't believe you. But let's say that's a real deal that you've got lined up. He's offering a percentage of net and you're accepting that? Man, you let that publisher screw you, and screw your author, big time.
<blockquote>We've seen exising clients that have paid their $129 and they are satisfied enough to be featured as a reference.</blockquote>
Paid $129 (or more, right, Robert? How much more?) and don't have a single sale to show among them. Poor naive newbie authors!
<blockquote>We've got a publisher that will tell you we are certainly doing deals and are real.</blockquote>
You mean Lighthouse? That isn't a small press, it's a miniature local press. Is he your golfing buddy? And why hasn't he bought a book from you yet?
Or do you mean that "deal memo," where some guy high-pressured you into taking a bad deal (Royalties based on net? Hoo-hah!) by telling you that you had Act Now to get into the catalog by the end of the week? You're a super-deluxe businessman, Robert? I've seen hamsters who were tougher negotiators.
Here's something for every writer to understand down to the core of his soul: If you can't walk into your local bookstore and find a book from a given press already on the shelf you aren't interested in publishing with that press.
<blockquote>And we've got an author with 30,000+ books sold, who absolutely will kick ass for himself and for us.</blockquote>
Is that 30,000 divided among ten titles? 3,000 copies each? Oh, man. And who's primarily published by a pay-to-play press? A guy who's your partner? And whose sales predate your takeover of Sydra? Come on, Robert, is that the best you can do?
<Blockquote>The negative comments on the web are from 1) people we didn't accept,</blockquote>
I'm not one of those people, Robert. Strike one.
<Blockquote> 2) people we fired, </blockquote>
I'm not one of those people either, Robert. Strike two.
<Blockquote>3) people that don't understand the real ins and outs of running a Literary Agency that will even work with brand new, unpublished authors.</blockquote>
I'm not one of those people either, Robert. You aren't batting too well today. Strike three. Yer out.
Here's the take-home lesson for every writer, young, old, unpublished, pro: ST Literary Agency takes your money and gives you nothing in return. You've heard the proof from Robert's own mouth.
<blockquote>We have sales...</blockquote>
Name one, Robert. I'm still waiting.
All that sending $129 (or more ... How much more, Robert?) to ST Literary gets you is your bank account $129 lower, and Robert's account $129 higher.
Real, traditional, legitimate agents are looking for promising new writers. New writers are getting legitimate agents every day. First-time writers are getting published by major traditional presses every day. All that it takes is writing a good book.
Listen up, people: Money flows toward the writer. The only place a writer signs a check is on the back.
Where to start, where to start?
Hi, Robert. Good to see you back. Sell any books lately? To anyone?
<blockquote>
I certainly challenge any detractors to come out from under their cloaks of emails and post their names and phone numbers and addresses.
</blockquote>
That's my real name over there to the left; since your pal Paul Anderson (or someone claiming to be him) emailed me today, I assume that you won't have any trouble finding me. I'm listed in the phone book.
<blockquote>
I absolutely guarantee the lawsuits are going to fly.. let's see who cares to play.
</blockquote>
Come off it, Robert. You aren't going to sue anyone. See, there's this little thing called "discovery," and you don't have the cojones to get near that "fire."
By the way, have you ever sold a book to a publisher? Any book? Any publisher?
<blockquote>
Because we have decide to help new and unpublished authors, we have the audacity to cover our admin costs ($129) and you wouldn't believe the ire we have raised in the industry.
</blockquote>
Can you name a new (and they continue to be unpublished, right?) author you've "helped"? Tell you how real agents cover their costs, Robert: They sell books to publishers. That's how legitimate agents make their money. You haven't raised ire: You've garnered contempt. What you're doing isn't audacious -- hundreds of bottom-feeding scam agents do the same thing every day.
<blockquote>
First i'm going to give you some references from good clients.
</blockquote>
Okay, let's see what you've got. Show me some sales.
<blockquote>
Michael Sears ... We don't have a sale yet...
</blockquote>
Strike one! Let's see how the next one goes.
<blockquote>
Rev. Amy Snow, MA ... We don't have a sale yet...
</blockquote>
Strike two!
<blockquote>Carl Bell - STL Author</blockquote>
Did Carl sell something? No? If he did you'd think he'd mention a sale, wouldn't you? Ball one.
<blockquote>I look
forward to the day when I make that first sale ... Gary Dover</blockquote>
That's a clean miss. Three strikes, yer out. Didn't you have even one author who sold something thanks to you? It looks to me like all four of those guys wasted their $129 (plus whatever else you charge ... it isn't just $129, is it, Robert?).
(Shall we talk, briefly, about that "Online Pitch Page" that these guys do mention? If there were a contest for the most useless thing that an author could have in his quest to sell a book to a traditional publisher, an Online Pitch Page would take second place. Why second place, you might ask? Because it's such a useless thing.)
Let's see what your next point is ... after you've proved out of your own mouth that you haven't managed to sell anything for any new writers.
Lighthouse Press is "in the process of formalizing a relationship with" y'all. Whatever that means. (I have my suspicions ....)
Lighthouse Press has its mailing address in Deerfield Beach, Florida. ST Literary is located in Boca Raton, Florida. Boca Raton is five miles by road from Deerfield Beach. How about that?
Lighthouse appears to be a miniscule local press; they boast of getting books into local bookstores. I imagine that means that if you aren't living in the Boca Raton area, you won't see your book on the shelves anywhere. They also boast that their books are available via Amazon and BN.com. Big whoop-ti-doo. So does PublishAmerica. So does every two-bit vanity PoD. No prize for that.
"While we have published authors with established credentials, generally our authors have built their reputations through The Lighthouse Press," says Lighthouse on their web page. This may not be the coup that you're building it up to be, Robert.
"All of our titles are available through Ingram and Baker & Taylor," Lighthouse says in the letter you quote here, which is the very minimum definition of "available for sale." Color me unimpressed. And yet ... you haven't even managed to sell a book to them. Oh, Robert, I'd weep for you if I weren't laughing so hard.
Now, let's look at Paul Anderson's books. Paul is a partner in your business, isn't he, Robert?
Let's see if I understood what you said here:
<blockquote>We've been incorporated since early 2003. I took over the company from a prior owner (SYDRA) and changed the way it did business.</blockquote>
Here's Paul's list of books, as you've given 'em:
<blockquote>A Call From the 21st Century, F Ed., ISBN 0-9653359-0-9</blockquote>
Doyle Publishing Company; (1997). A pay-to-publish place, before you took over Sydra. Not impressive, and not yours.
<blockquote>The Executive’s Guide to Customer Relationship Management ISBN 0-9653359-5-X</blockquote>
Not listed at Amazon. Not listed at BN.com. Not found at bookfinder. com.
<blockquote>The Executive’s Guide to Customer Relationship Management, SBC Special Edition, ISBN 0-9653359-5-X</blockquote>
Not found, as above. This is a special-order, small run, pay-to-publish deal for a corporate customer, isn't it?
<blockquote>The Demand Generation, Return on Relationships, F Ed., ISBN 0-9653359-6-8</blockquote>
Doyle Publishing, 2001. Pay-to-publish, and two years before you took over Sydra. How were you involved in selling this book? Why was an agent needed at all? All Doyle Publishing asks is that the check clears, right?
<blockquote>The Demand Generation, Customer Managed Relationships, Siemens Ed., ISBN 0-9653359-6-8</blockquote>
Doyle Publishing, 2001. Same as above.
<blockquote>The Demand Generation, Return on Loyalty, Avaya Ed., ISBN 0-9653359-6-8</blockquote>
Same as the last one. Doyle Publishing, 2001.
<blockquote>The Digital Call Center, Gateway to Customer Intimacy, ISBN 0-9653359-1-7</blockquote>
Doyle Publishing, 1999. Again, this was pay-to-publish, and before you took over ST. Why do you want credit for this book?
<blockquote>Telecommunications, (ed. Bayche), ISBN 0-9704287-4-X</blockquote>
HIMSS, 2001. Anderson appears to be one contributor to a compilation published by the Healthcare Information and Management Systems Society. Exactly how an agent would be involved in this is obscure to me, and what role you specifically played, given the 2001 publication date, is likewise obscure.
<blockquote>The Future of Customer Service, pub. date May 2004 ISBN 0-96553-x-x</blockquote>
That isn't an ISBN, and the title isn't listed at Amazon or Barnes&Noble. The first few numbers of that partial ISBN tell me that it's Doyle Publishing again.
<blockquote>Shihan Te, The Bunkai of Karate Kata ISBN 1-886969-84-4</blockquote>
The correct ISBN is 1-886969-88-4. YMAA Publication Center, 2002. Again, before you took over ST if I'm to believe what you posted above. A small press specializing in oriental martial arts. No indication that an agent is required.
<blockquote>Did that look real, or do the cynical think I made all that up...</blockquote>
It didn't look particularly real, Robert. It looks a lot like No Sales. I also note that among those ten titles, two share one ISBN and three share another. That looks ever-so "made up" to me.
<blockquote>
...scary... </blockquote>
You know, that was one of Newsflash's favorite words too.
Now that "deal memo." You're making a deal with a guy who just found out that his own catalog deadline was the end of that same week? No publisher mentioned, no title mentioned, no author mentioned.... tell you what, come back when the book comes out, okay? Until then I'm sure you'll forgive me if I don't believe you. But let's say that's a real deal that you've got lined up. He's offering a percentage of net and you're accepting that? Man, you let that publisher screw you, and screw your author, big time.
<blockquote>We've seen exising clients that have paid their $129 and they are satisfied enough to be featured as a reference.</blockquote>
Paid $129 (or more, right, Robert? How much more?) and don't have a single sale to show among them. Poor naive newbie authors!
<blockquote>We've got a publisher that will tell you we are certainly doing deals and are real.</blockquote>
You mean Lighthouse? That isn't a small press, it's a miniature local press. Is he your golfing buddy? And why hasn't he bought a book from you yet?
Or do you mean that "deal memo," where some guy high-pressured you into taking a bad deal (Royalties based on net? Hoo-hah!) by telling you that you had Act Now to get into the catalog by the end of the week? You're a super-deluxe businessman, Robert? I've seen hamsters who were tougher negotiators.
Here's something for every writer to understand down to the core of his soul: If you can't walk into your local bookstore and find a book from a given press already on the shelf you aren't interested in publishing with that press.
<blockquote>And we've got an author with 30,000+ books sold, who absolutely will kick ass for himself and for us.</blockquote>
Is that 30,000 divided among ten titles? 3,000 copies each? Oh, man. And who's primarily published by a pay-to-play press? A guy who's your partner? And whose sales predate your takeover of Sydra? Come on, Robert, is that the best you can do?
<Blockquote>The negative comments on the web are from 1) people we didn't accept,</blockquote>
I'm not one of those people, Robert. Strike one.
<Blockquote> 2) people we fired, </blockquote>
I'm not one of those people either, Robert. Strike two.
<Blockquote>3) people that don't understand the real ins and outs of running a Literary Agency that will even work with brand new, unpublished authors.</blockquote>
I'm not one of those people either, Robert. You aren't batting too well today. Strike three. Yer out.
Here's the take-home lesson for every writer, young, old, unpublished, pro: ST Literary Agency takes your money and gives you nothing in return. You've heard the proof from Robert's own mouth.
<blockquote>We have sales...</blockquote>
Name one, Robert. I'm still waiting.
All that sending $129 (or more ... How much more, Robert?) to ST Literary gets you is your bank account $129 lower, and Robert's account $129 higher.
Real, traditional, legitimate agents are looking for promising new writers. New writers are getting legitimate agents every day. First-time writers are getting published by major traditional presses every day. All that it takes is writing a good book.
Listen up, people: Money flows toward the writer. The only place a writer signs a check is on the back.