New York Literary Agency
It would appear from all I've read in your Forum on the above mentioned subject that some of you have escaped relatively lightly. (Regrettably as I was unaware that through the good offices of your organisation it was possible to check into the backgrounds and past malpractices of supposedly "reputable" literary agents such as NYLA, I have been taken to the proverbial literary cleaners.)
Briefly, having already written three novels, and done nothing about them, I was persuaded (by friends) to try and get them published. Therefore, at the end of December 2005, I made the cardinal error of electing to use NYLA. (This mainly because they supposedly 'specialise' in manuscripts sent electronically, and it is very difficult to send hard copy materials in and out of Indonesia.)
First I submitted a synopsis of what NYLA requested be my best work, and was assured that they would "come back to me" in no longer than two weeks. To my amazement, they replied within four days, positively gushed over what I had sent and requested that I send them at least five chapters. This I did, and some one week later was asked if I would be prepared for them to represent me. (A contract duly appeared and having signed the same I couriered back to NYLA.)
I was then contacted by someone claiming to be the Senior Agent along with another person who called herself NYLA's Customer Relations Director. They both gushed a little more and said how glad they were to be "looking after me". So far so good, and I felt not a little chuffed that things appeared to be going quite well. It was then that the wheels started to sieze up and things started to become a little odd.
Firstly it was suggested that it really would be a very good thing if I submitted my novel for an "independent critique". (Note. They didn't tell me that I had to submit my work for such a critique, but very strongly recommended that I should do so.) Vanity prevailing, I sent US$100.00 to somewhere in Las Vegas and, and sat back to await the result, - which was due in two weeks from the date of receipt of the money. Again to my amazement, ten days later back came a very fancy little critique, which didn't fault my spelling, grammar, and syntax, loved the dialogue and then concluded with the words, "This is a great novel, with loads of commercial potential." (Note: NYLA place great emphasis on their author's works having "loads of commercial potential".)
This was then followed by a further bout of electronic sucking of teeth, when it was suggested that just to make the whole matter totally watertight that I should have my novel "professionally edited". (Again, I didn't have to do this but was told that it would make it a great deal easier for NYLA to find a suitable publisher if it was known that my work had been edited by a "professional editor" well-known to, and recognised by the publishing trade.) I can't say that I was overjoyed by the prospect of someone I didn't know from Adam conducting a "slash and burn" programme throughout something which was somewhat dear to me, however in the end I agreed.
Enter the Managing Editor of Writer's Literary Services (part of American Enterprises Group LLC) who welcomed me to the wonderful world of "professional editing" and informed me that it was going to cost me the staggering sum of US$ 3,815.00 to edit my novel. (This, he was at great pains to ensure me, was actually "a bargain" as at 2 cents a word, which was well below the going market rate. (Incidentally I have deliberately not included any of the names of anyone from NYLA, however if required to do so I am quite willing to provide them.)
In the meantime my supposed Senior Agent was prodding away at me in a motherly fashion about how it "really would help" to have it edited and how much she was looking forward to marketing it. Consequently I succumbed.
On the 3rd of May, I sent some US $ 1,300 to a bank account in Las Vegas, receipt of which was made by The Administrator, along with a singularly curt reminder that I still owed some US$ 2,518.00. But as for editing there was nought save a stunned silence. Repeated e-mails to the Managing Editor went unanswered, - the excuse given was that they might have fallen foul of a "spam trap". Finally, on the 1st of June, the Senior Agent, - again in a mothering tone, - told me not to worry as everything was in hand and I would "hear something soon". (Editing was supposed to take between four to six weeks from the first payment being received.)
Consequently, on the 22nd of June, I sent a further US$1,000.00, which The Administrator promptly acknowledged, - again with a curt note that I still owed them some US$1,1,518.00, - which gave me rise to pause, because if the question of sending and acknowledging money was not "spam trapped" how come every other piece of normally expected correspondence else was?
At which point the snow clouds rolled in and a deathly silence prevailed, - and still does. I've sent e-mails to everyone I know of in NYLA requesting news about what is being done, - I've even threatened not to pay any more money until I hear something positive, - but all to no avail.
In a nutshell, I've been well and truly diddled, - apart from wasting a great deal of time whilst believing that there was a good chance that my novel (the first in a trilogy) was to be published. Whilst realising that quite possibly I have been unbelievably naive (ignorance is a very dangerous thing) however in my naivety I seriously wonder how it is that people are allowed to get away with premeditated, pre-planned, theft of this type?