Desert Rose Literary Agency (Leann Murphy)

bloemmarc said:

What about if I already signed a contract with Desert Role Literary Agency, since you all said get away, and find another agent. What do I do about that detail.

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Well, what does your contract say about ending the relationship?

it says that after one years time, 12 mos I paid for that if the agent is not able to sell my work, the contract will be null, and void. she also did tell me that it takes many time, 8-11 months to receive positive responses, and negative responses that long as well sometimes.

I'm guessing, she tells everybody after a years time, she wasn't able to find anything, and lets them go. What did I do myself now, because I feel I have a good story, and would like to move forward, with someone who does not have red flags all around them, actual sales, and someone that will answer everyone of my questions, and not skirt others, like she has been doing.

bloemmarc said:

What about if I already signed a contract with Desert Role Literary Agency, since you all said get away, and find another agent. What do I do about that detail.

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GRRR...The forum has already eaten this message twice.

Usually, agent/client contracts say that you can end the relationship after 30 or 60 days with written notice. Hers doesn't?

Figures.

I would just write her a letter stating your intent to end the relationship. "After careful consideration, I have decided that your agency is not the best fit for my work, blah blah blah." You could state a reason. Or not. Ask for your fee back, if you like.

You could keep working on your next book, just waiting out the year.

You could go to a lawyer that specializes in IP law, but they're not cheap. That would cost more than your fees, I should think.

I went back and read the thread further. This nonsense about "she's new and needs to charge the fees to stay afloat" is retarded. If your business plan doesn't allow for negative cash-flow during the maturation process of your company, rewrite the plan or start with more capital. If you rely on shady fees to stay in business, you need to get out of the economic gene pool.

ok, Thank you Loyd. I will try one of those. Maybe, I will just wait a year, until I have them all written, and thoroughly gone through, when I find a better editor, than the one I did have.
She has yet to reply to my e-mail asking for the names of the publishers that she submitted to for my manuscriipt.

Plus, she has yet to send to me the query she wrote, I have been asking for for like two mos now that she sent to the publishers.

bloemmarc said:

Plus, she has yet to send to me the query she wrote, I have been asking for for like two mos now that she sent to the publishers.

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If she's not responding at all, to anything, I'd just write her off, then and look for a new agent. Got a phone number for her?

Well, you see she always has responded to everyone of my e-mails, but only certain parts of the e-mails questions did she answer.

But, this time, she didn't even answer. I also asked her for the names this time around, and when I would get to see the query she wrote.

Yes, I do have a phone number, however, I only got her on the phone like one time, in a span of 3 months. The rest of the time, I only got their voice mail. they always said, feel free to call anytime though.

If someone is willing to represent you, they should be available by phone for legitimate business purposes. You could try flat-out "Hey, call me back or consider your representation to have ended." It's not really like you need to be worried about offending her. She'd have to have contacts to give you a bad reputation.

True, yes. Thank you. Do you think people like her, or other agents ever read these forums. just wondering

bloemmarc said:

True, yes. Thank you. Do you think people like her, or other agents ever read these forums. just wondering

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Yes, I know they do. Occasionally, they pop in to defend themselves, under either their actual name or under a fake name as a "satisfied client." They rarely stay for more than a post or two either way, because it's very easy to ask them questions that they can't answer satisfactorily. Also, since so many people here are published writers, we can check a claim to have submitted something.

Where did you send Bloemmarc's ms? Random House? Strange, the [category] editor at RH claims not to have ever seen any submission from you. ::dead silence::

Yes, true.
Maybe, that's why when I started talking on here last Thursday, I haven't received a response to my questions that I sent to her on that same day then.

Part of me still wants to hold out some hope that everyting is legit. I had bad feelings though, even before I came on here, or checked her out. I had been testing her myself. Oh well, sometimes you have to cut your losses, learn a lesson and move.

bloemmarc said:

Yes, true.
Maybe, that's why when I started talking on here last Thursday, I haven't received a response to my questions that I sent to her on that same day then.

Part of me still wants to hold out some hope that everyting is legit.

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Having been the new guy at something before, I'm willing to give a new agent the benefit of the doubt. But agents with a criminal record, and a bad reputation, AND no sales? That's too much.

Oh well, sometimes you have to cut your losses, learn a lesson and move.

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I know; searching for an agent isn't easy, and I'm sure you're none too eager to get out there and go at it again. But at least you did some research on this one and didn't end up paying for it over and over again.

Yes, you're right. I am eager, but we'll see. But, I do have to have some patience though first. There are some details with my story, and synopsis, I want to get smoothed out first.

I know that a person could have a pretty good manuscript, but if they don't represent it right, it's going in the trash can, with a rejection note being sent out. Yes, it is my dream to be published like some of the other writers on this website, and you. We'll see what happens though. I whish you all the luck, as well. I'm sure, you're alot more experienced than I am.

Mac H. said:

Is the owner of this agency, Leann Murphy, the same Leann Murphy who pleaded guilty to stealing checks back in 1997?

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According to a Texas official with whom I've corresponded, yes (and this person is in a position to know). I understand that's not her only brush with the law.

Ms. Murphy has never made a sale, though she's been in business for nearly two years now (a successful agent will start making regular sales within six months to a year of starting up). This isn't really surprising, since she has no skills that would qualify her to be an agent.

- Victoria

Hello everyone. I also signed with Desert Rose about 3 months ago. I did some investigation on Leann & Desert Rose through the internet before I signed with her, so I was already aware of her previous employment with Janet Kay but at the time I couldn't find anything else negative about her. I also talked with the author of Ancient Mirrors through email & she had nothing but praise for Leann. I sent Leann an email yesterday asking for the names of the publishers she has sent my novel manuscript to. I'll update everyone here once (if) I hear from her. There is something else that concerns me... I tried googling "Leann Murphy Plead Guilty" and nothing about Leann or Desert Rose comes up. All I get is some links to a murder case involving a man with the last name Murphy, and a releative of the victim named Leann, then after that there's just a lot of stuff about Leann Rimes. ?????????????????

First place you hit on that Google search should be this link:

http://web.gosanangelo.com/archive/97/april/27/10.htm

Where you'll read:

louisgodwin said:

Hello everyone. I also signed with Desert Rose about 3 months ago. I did some investigation on Leann & Desert Rose through the internet before I signed with her, so I was already aware of her previous employment with Janet Kay but at the time I couldn't find anything else negative about her. I also talked with the author of Ancient Mirrors through email & she had nothing but praise for Leann. I sent Leann an email yesterday asking for the names of the publishers she has sent my novel manuscript to. I'll update everyone here once (if) I hear from her. There is something else that concerns me... I tried googling "Leann Murphy Plead Guilty" and nothing about Leann or Desert Rose comes up. All I get is some links to a murder case involving a man with the last name Murphy, and a releative of the victim named Leann, then after that there's just a lot of stuff about Leann Rimes. ?????????????????

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Well, I tell you what. She told me that she would send me the exact information she sent to the publishers, back in June. I have yet to receive it. I also asked her the names of the publishers she sent it to, but never responded to that e-mail. Instead, she just wrote to me now asking for a synopsis for my manuscript. She said she reached the poit where she needs it from me.
But correct me if I am wrong. Isn't it once an agent signs a contract with you, it is their job to write a synopsis and send it to the publishers. She said she wrote a query for me to send it to them, but now has reached a point where she needs my synopsis.
Why has she never sent me my query she wrote, and skirted the issue of the publishers names.
I just got a letter of interest from PMA Literary and Film Management today. they want to see the rest of my manuscript. How is their credibility. Are they legit.

bloemmarc said:

I just got a letter of interest from PMA Literary and Film Management today. they want to see the rest of my manuscript. How is their credibility. Are they legit.

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Yes.

Thank you Dave.

bloemmarc said:

She said she wrote a query for me to send it to them, but now has reached a point where she needs my synopsis.

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Let's see if I have this straight. She wants you to send queries to publishers?

That was George and Janet's M.O.

- Victoria

James D. Macdonald said:

Let's see if I have this straight. She wants you to send queries to publishers?

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No, I am kind of confused as to what she is actually trying to ask of me. She said she started marketing my manuscript, after having written a query of my story from her memory.
But that she also needed a synopsis from me as well, which I was supposed to send her originally.
She says she needs me to send her a synopsis of my story now, because she's reached a point where she needs it.
I told her I thought I had sent her enough. then, I asked for what reason, and what point have you reached. Then, I asked a second what publishers she sent them out to. she hasn't answered that e-mail yet, and skips over alot of specific questions I ask.
Plus, she still has never sent to me the query she wrote for my manuscript like she said she would.

Yup; and long after Janet Kay and her husband were dragged off by law enforcement personnel, publishers are still getting submissions from their agency. Nobody's told their authors to stop sending out submissions under the agency's name. Scam agents never do anything for their clients, but George and Janet took "not doing anything" to new heights. They had a few form letters, which they used over and over again. The authors did all the work.

Another feature of G&J's M.O. was that they never read the manuscripts. Last I heard, their local jail had a locked cell full of evidence that had been seized during the bust: some vast number of submissions in envelopes which had never been opened. Reading is work. Opening and logging envelopes is work. George and Janet didn't do that.

Desert Rose is located in San Angelo, the same small Texas town that Janet and George Kay worked out of. It opened for business shortly after they got busted. It uses many of the highly idiosyncratic methods they always used. It's more than reasonable to assume that Leann Murphy got her training from Janet Kay et al., and is continuing her business.

If so, she doesn't know squat about books, bookselling, agenting, or publishing, and she's never seen a manuscript sold to a legit publisher. She's learned a scam method where you never read the author's work. I doubt you're ever going to get to see that "query" she talked about, because it would have contained specific references to your book's content. Finally, the reason you're being asked for a synopsis is that she can't possibly write one.

I don't care what it says in your contract with Desert Rose. Send Leann Murphy a letter saying that unless you hear from her, immediately and in a satisfactory fashion, you're terminating the relationship. Give her a near-future cutoff date. Tell her you'll have the law on her if she tries to fight this. She may threaten you, but she won't actually fight you.

Thank you Hapsofi.



I will do that. I actually got an interested letter from PMA Literary film, and management agency asking to see more of my work. They are a very legit and recommended agency to.

If you were in my shoes, would you peruse them? I am planning to. Hopefully

bloemmarc said:

I will do that. I actually got an interested letter from PMA Literary film, and management agency asking to see more of my work. They are a very legit and recommended agency to.

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If I were you, I'd end my association with DR before going any further with PMA, just to be sure DR had no claim to being your agent at the time of sale or submission. The sooner, the better.