S.T. Literary Agency / Stylus Literary Agency

Gravity

Seen 'em come, seen 'em go
Super Member
Registered
Joined
Feb 12, 2005
Messages
3,942
Reaction score
965
Age
71
Location
Once you've heard the truth, everything else is ju
I think Uncle Jim nailed it. The ST scams are losing business, thanks to sites like AW. Hence today's spam-a-ramas from the king of scam-a-ramas. Right now, Bouncin' Bob doesn't know whether to sh*t or go blind. Ain't it sweet?
 

LAKOTA

Registered
Joined
Apr 30, 2006
Messages
15
Reaction score
1
Thanks roger!

If it wasn't for this forum they may have taken everything I have worked for plus my first born.
My thanks to all the residents of aw.:)
 

scully931

So you're suggesting what? Bigfoot?
Super Member
Registered
Joined
Jul 9, 2006
Messages
445
Reaction score
50
Location
Hogsmeade
Website
www.paragonstudios.org
Hi, I'm new the message boards. I just found it today while on a search for Sydra. No, don't worry - I'm not thinking of signing with them! It was more out of curiosity to see what they've been up to lately. And I see... more of the same. Although, I must say, it all seems much more sophisticated now. Here's my story if anyone is interested. It takes place way back in 1998, while I was still in college and ol' Sid Buck was still in charge. :eek: <----- This is what he looked like. (hehe... so mature am I)

Anyway... here's what happened. My mother and I (a short story writer all her life) had written a television series. We had a pilot episode written as well as about twelve follow-up scripts.

Although it was not sooo long ago, it was before people were as computer savvy as today. I probably looked up the Sydra name, but must not have found much. And, although I studied acting in college and should have known better, I fell for their ploy. The same exact ploy I had avoided so many times as an actress.

While our writing was good, our business technique was lacking. We didn't know all the ins and outs of contacting agencies, so we just started mailing stuff out. We had a few nibbles from LA, nothing major, then SID BUCK himself contacted us! Wow, we were so excited. We arranged to meet with him while in New York on another venture (an X-Files convention, which was totally awesome!) and he was even going to bring in a writer he worked with who worked on BIG TV shows!

Well, we went. His office was a teeny hole in the wall. Can't remember the exact address. But, frankly, we were just glad he wasn't operating out the trunk of his car as we had joked about. We met his 'writing partner' Stuart Diamond. (We call him 'Stewie Two-Note' because for some strange reason he spent part of the time trying to show us how he could sing two notes at the same time. I won't write here what we call Sid Buck.;-)

Anyway, they convinced us that the show we had written was SO marketable, but definately needed a rewrite. And, surprise, surprise! Stuart could do it! (And, we were sooo lucky to get him.)

FIVE THOUSAND DOLLARS later, we had the worst piece of crap I had ever seen! Horrible writing! Horrible characterization! He totally massacred our script. I had even seen a bit of a letter sitting on Stuart's desk, from Sid stating that my mom and I were coming in, driving six hours to get here, and were very excited. I couldn't see more, but I got the gist of it. Take advantage! They even tried to get us to get family and friends to financially back making a pilot episode! What makes this all worse, is that he knew my mom and I were basically living paycheck to paycheck. He KNEW we barely had enough money to get by. And he turned that and used it by convincing us that in the long run, it would be worth it.

For many months after we called and called Sid. Several times we brought up the actress he was supposed to have sent the script to. "Well, she's a very difficult person to find" was our answer. NO actress is difficult to find. Their agents are almost always public record.

Finally, it just died down to nothing. I honestly, can't believe we fell for it. I preach now to actors about how easily they can be taken in when flattered and I always use the Sid Buck example. It's embarrassing to admit and it was a hard, expensive lesson learned.

I am finally ready to jump back into the pool, this time with a novel, and I feel if nothing else, I gained some insight into the way people can be.

Thanks for all your diligent work in exposing this scam!

~Deborah :Sun:


 

razormoney

Super Member
Registered
Joined
Dec 7, 2005
Messages
192
Reaction score
6
Location
Texas
Just to let you all know...

I recieved my reply from "Sherry" today. The form e-mail has not changed and the FAQs attached are also the same that have been mentioned in this thread before.

What a sad state to know that there are several people being taken by this same scam. They are even to lazy to change the e-mails from "Sherry" after they know so many people are on to them. It amazes me how someone could be so brazen.

Someone should write "Dateline" or any of those other investigative reporting shows about Bobby and his scam. They probably wouldn't be interested but it's worth a try.

Just thought you'd all like to know that Screenplay Agency is still running the same game and in the same manner.

Razor
 

victoriastrauss

Writer Beware Goddess
Kind Benefactor
Absolute Sage
Super Member
Registered
Joined
Feb 11, 2005
Messages
6,704
Reaction score
1,314
Location
Far from the madding crowd
Website
www.victoriastrauss.com
scully931 said:
Hi, I'm new the message boards. I just found it today while on a search for Sydra. No, don't worry - I'm not thinking of signing with them! It was more out of curiosity to see what they've been up to lately. And I see... more of the same. Although, I must say, it all seems much more sophisticated now. Here's my story if anyone is interested. It takes place way back in 1998, while I was still in college and ol' Sid Buck was still in charge.
Thanks for this, Deborah--very interesting on the history of this agency! I'd gotten the impression that Sydra wasn't a totally savory outfit even before 2001, when Sid Buck hooked up with Robert Fletcher et al., but it's interesting to have that confirmed. Guess the evolution of Sydra into the fee-factory it became is no surprise.

- Victoria
 

Alan Yee

Still Here!
Kind Benefactor
Super Member
Registered
Joined
May 16, 2005
Messages
6,026
Reaction score
1,440
victoriastrauss said:
Thanks for this, Deborah--very interesting on the history of this agency! I'd gotten the impression that Sydra wasn't a totally savory outfit even before 2001, when Sid Buck hooked up with Robert Fletcher et al., but it's interesting to have that confirmed. Guess the evolution of Sydra into the fee-factory it became is no surprise.

- Victoria

VERY very interesting indeed. I didn't even know it was originally owned by Sid Buck, since I've only been following the story during the last year, when only Robert Fletcher and alter-egos ran the whole thing.
 

James D. Macdonald

Your Genial Uncle
Absolute Sage
VPX
Super Member
Registered
Joined
Feb 11, 2005
Messages
25,582
Reaction score
3,785
Location
New Hampshire
Website
madhousemanor.wordpress.com
Writers Literary Agency

There's a new scam in town: Writers Literary Agency. They've supposedly "acquired" The Literary Agency Group (home of Sydra Techniques/ST Literary Agency/Stylus Literary Agency/The New York Literary Agency/Christian Literary Agency/Childrens Literary Agency/Poets Literary Agency/The Screenplay Agency).

Same cast of characters, same lack of sales, same fraud.
 

James D. Macdonald

Your Genial Uncle
Absolute Sage
VPX
Super Member
Registered
Joined
Feb 11, 2005
Messages
25,582
Reaction score
3,785
Location
New Hampshire
Website
madhousemanor.wordpress.com
Writers Literary Agency

There's a new scam in town: Writers Literary Agency & Marketing Company. They've supposedly "acquired" The Literary Agency Group (home of Sydra Techniques/ST Literary Agency/Stylus Literary Agency/The New York Literary Agency/Christian Literary Agency/Childrens Literary Agency/Poets Literary Agency/The Screenplay Agency).

Same cast of characters, same lack of sales, same fraud.
 
Last edited:

thewholetruth

ST style literacy agency

Is anyone still seeking info on these guys? I have it all. Jennifer and Tony Dublino do exist and they are not to be trusted. These people play shell games with these fake business fronts and Ira Abrams, Oh yeah, thats Jennifer Dublino's Father. What do you want to know? I can tell you everything right down to their address, other companies that they have used to perpetrate this stuff, etc.
 

thewholetruth

Stylus must be taken down

I know this is an old thread but it is not an old story. I hope somebody out there hooks back up with this. Jennifer Dublino is a fraud and a real one and she is the front for Rob Fletcher and the Attorney, Abrams, Is her Father. They continue to scam today as we speak. A twisted web of lies and deceipt. The Dublinos have five kids, Anthony now works for a company called Hi-G-Tek an international securities group based out of Israel. Jennifer still operates Stylus and uses myltiple fake names in her recent operation. Rob Fletcher is a drug addict and convicted felon and Tony was most recently arrested trying to smuggle marijuana on a plane in Miami. Who is willing to get on board to stop these freaks?
 

victoriastrauss

Writer Beware Goddess
Kind Benefactor
Absolute Sage
Super Member
Registered
Joined
Feb 11, 2005
Messages
6,704
Reaction score
1,314
Location
Far from the madding crowd
Website
www.victoriastrauss.com
thewholetruth, you need to back up your allegations with some kind of objective documentation if you want people here to take them seriously. Contact me privately if you prefer: [email protected].

Stylus Literary Agency is out of business, and the name Jennifer Dublino no longer appears in connection with Robert Fletcher and his literary agency/editing operations.

- Victoria
 

Lydia Manx

Registered
Joined
Mar 14, 2006
Messages
37
Reaction score
0
Location
California
James Macdonald,
Every time I feel like I am working hard on my writing and not getting very far in the 'real' world I jump around the forums and read some of your advice. The whole publishing for pay scam strikes me as foolish given most good writers do research before they commit. Since I have been submitting to an e-zine for nearly three years and garnered a following I haven't spent a dime. I just am happy that it is read in over 70 countries and I have had continuous readership weekly. I may never actually find an agent and get a novel published but I haven't spent a dime and have had some great feedback and been able to stretch and grow.

Thanks!

Lydia Manx
(where my stuff goes for fun: http://www.pikerpress.com )
 

herdon

What's up?
Super Member
Registered
Joined
Sep 9, 2006
Messages
1,129
Reaction score
78
Website
ipad.about.com
The whole publishing for pay scam strikes me as foolish given most good writers do research before they commit.

I'm not sure what you are trying to say.

Are you saying that it is foolish for the scammers to do because writers do research? Obviously, not true or so many people wouldn't be running those type of scams. And, just reading the board you can see people falling for places like PA and falling in with disreputable publishers/agents.

Are you saying foolish for writers? I'd agree to a point, though I would point out that vanity presses do have their uses. Obviously, there is no good reason for a person to actually pay a 'fee' anymore with places like Lulu (I think that's the name of that 'free' service) though I haven't ever seen a Lulu book so quality might be an issue.

Offhand, a good reason for a vanity press would be getting a family history printed. Not something a publisher is going to do (unless it is a very famous family) but something a family might cherish
 

DaveKuzminski

Preditors & Editors
Requiescat In Pace
Registered
Joined
Feb 12, 2005
Messages
5,036
Reaction score
859
Location
Virginia
Website
anotherealm.com
While I cannot state that the number of people being scammed is fewer than before, I can state that the word is getting out better than before and that more scams are being outed or even closed down due to the diligent efforts of writers who have chosen to share information on those scams.
 

Lydia Manx

Registered
Joined
Mar 14, 2006
Messages
37
Reaction score
0
Location
California
I mean foolish for the scammers. I find nothing wrong with the vanity presses and have purchased a few folks works for various reasons (small releases from professors in college or local artists and writers who want to share). I meant more along the lines that more writers compare notes and discuss with the internet some of the odd things they have chanced upon while working. I know some folks seem quite happy with the publishers I perhaps wouldn't have wanted to do business with - that free choice part of our world.

Scammers are what I object to not different avenues of trying to get your works read.

*shrugs* did that make more sense?
 

CaoPaux

Mostly Harmless
Staff member
Super Moderator
Moderator
Super Member
Registered
Joined
Feb 12, 2005
Messages
13,952
Reaction score
1,746
Location
Coastal Desert
Hmm...back in 2005 (post #54), there's mention of a John Merenda of American Author's Agency. There's no current trace, so unless someone's had further contact, I'm gonna label that particular stain as scrubbed out.