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WillowRaven Illustration & Design Plus (Aidana WillowRaven)

victoriastrauss

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The blog of brand-new agent Aidana WillowRaven reveals that she has placed several of her clients with Living Waters Publishing Company. She is also identified on Living Waters' website as one of its illustrators. Can you say "conflict of interest?"

This would be a concern even if
Living Waters weren't a vanity publisher (more information in this thread here in B&BC).

Ms. WillowRaven does not appear to have any professional background in publishing or agenting. I recently heard from a member of a listserv for children's writers, who reported that Ms. WillowRaven was banned from the list for promoting her services to list members and threatening to sue members who challenged her business practices for libel.

- Victoria
 

brianm

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She's also shown as an agent.

http://www.livingwaterspc.com/BehindtheCompany.html

Aidana WillowRaven, Illustrator, Designer, Agent

Here’s something to keep an eye on from LW’s blog site. WillowRaven and the owner’s husband (VP) are the two contacts.

http://livingwaterspublishing.blogspot.com/2008/01/announcing-launch-of-inspirekids.html

Living Waters take great delight in announcing our new imprint and network, InspireKids. The InspireKids Network is for children and the adults that love them.

We are kicking it off with our national, one-of-a-kind program, For Kids By Kids Publishing Program. The program will publish 7 manuscripts each month written and illustrated by children. These seven children will get a traditional, royalty-based contract and national exposure for their books and themselves.

If you are interested in letting your child participate, please contact either Aidana WillowRaven at [email protected] or Lensey Hayes at [email protected].

Stay tuned for more information.
 
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brianm

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More interesting information...

http://willowravenillustration.blogspot.com/2008/01/what-is-co-op-cooperative-or-subsidy.html

Many of my clients have expressed an interest in my becoming their book or author agent; so naturally my desire to provide a requested service is to blame for my newest contract available through WI&DP.

Most authors are not marketing managers or sales people; all they want to do is write.

That is why Cooperative Publishing (co-op) is so great in my opinion.

Now first I will tell you what you are going to both read & hear when you do your research (& by all means; I encourage you to do just that).

"If they want your book; they'll pay you" or "A real publishing house doesn't charge for books to be published".

You'll see phrases like "Vanity Press", "Scam"... the list goes on.

Every author wants to believe they are ready for the big boys; but the reality is, they aren't.... but they still may have a really good book or have something to say.

For these authors; I recommend co-op publishing or subsidy publishing. It is where your book is evaluated (just like in traditional publishing) for it's estimated expense of publication & for it's marketability.

Authors are asked to supplement only 10% of the estimated cost up front.

The trade off?

Higher royalty rate.
You get to keep all rights to your book.
You get all the distribution, reviews & other benefits of a traditionally published book.

In about half the time and at a much greater acceptance ratio.

You get to be sold right in the same venues as the big boys while maintaining the integrity & freshness of a new talent.

So at 10% of the cost of self publication & all the kudos of traditional publication... co-op contracts are the best of both without the pitfalls of either.
 

matdonna

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Thanks for this & for bringing the Living Waters thread up to the top-- I was just checking out some stuff posted on a Christian writers' Yahoo group about this outfit that didn't sound right. I've notified the moderator of that group.
 

brianm

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LWPC does change its site fast. Now Ms WillowRaven is shown this way.

Aidana WillowRaven, VP of InspireKids Network, Independent Agent

And as an independent agent she will happily send your manuscript over to LWPC so that you can pay to have it published, and she can be paid by LWPC for sending you to LWPC.

'Cause ya know, she really believes in co-op publishing.
 
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LynneKelly

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Ms. WillowRaven does not appear to have any professional background in publishing or agenting. I recently heard from a member of a listserv for children's writers, who reported that Ms. WillowRaven was banned from the list for promoting her services to list members and threatening to sue members who challenged her business practices for libel.
- Victoria

Oh, it gets better-- this morning we all warned on that list (by someone who is on their mailing list) that LW plans now to sue everyone who has said anything negative about them on a blog or website. Gotta love how the "God will defend us" response...
http://www.absolutewrite.com/forums/showpost.php?p=1930006&postcount=128

...changed to more of a "Smite Thine Enemies" response rather quickly.

Lynne
Soon to be smited. Smote? Smoten?
 

IceCreamEmpress

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Oh, it gets better-- this morning we all warned on that list (by someone who is on their mailing list) that LW plans now to sue everyone who has said anything negative about them on a blog or website.



WWJD? Not that, I'll wager.
 

brianm

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Oh, it gets better-- this morning we all warned on that list (by someone who is on their mailing list) that LW plans now to sue everyone who has said anything negative about them on a blog or website. Gotta love how the "God will defend us" response...
http://www.absolutewrite.com/forums/showpost.php?p=1930006&postcount=128

...changed to more of a "Smite Thine Enemies" response rather quickly.

Lynne
Soon to be smited. Smote? Smoten?

Did he provide lightning bolts and a deep thunderous voice to accompany the threat?

Oiy.

He’s now claiming this on his website.

http://members.tripod.com/terryknowsbooks/id2.html

This is a publisher who is quickly becoming competitive with the major houses like Random House. Through much research and verification, I've found them to be on the top of barrel of growing companies.
Living Waters Publishing Company - traditional publishing house with multiple programs to get authors published at very minimal costs; all authors get marketing services without extra charge; traditional standards aren't as strict as RH or S&S; offers financing for self-publishers
 

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Oh, it gets better-- this morning we all warned on that list (by someone who is on their mailing list) that LW plans now to sue everyone who has said anything negative about them on a blog or website. Gotta love how the "God will defend us" response...
http://www.absolutewrite.com/forums/showpost.php?p=1930006&postcount=128

...changed to more of a "Smite Thine Enemies" response rather quickly.

Lynne
Soon to be smited. Smote? Smoten?

Guess his "humility" was a temporary condition.

P.F.
 

brianm

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Ms WillowRaven has more titles to go along with VP of InspireKids Network at LWPC.

http://willowravenillustration.blogspot.com/

Seeing as how I will soon be the VP & Creative Director of Artistic Design at Living Waters

So, as an independent literary agent (which is/should be a fulltime job) she will shop your manuscript to other publishers besides LWPC? While she’s doing all the other things she does for LWPC?

She must have eight arms.
 

IceCreamEmpress

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This trainwreck is happening so quickly, in front of our very eyes! It's like SeaMonkeys or something--the lifecycle is sped up.
 

Khazarkhum

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Well, judging from the testimonial, we have a pretty good idea of the quality considered acceptable by LW.

Oh, and I suspect the word you are looking for is not smitten!
 

matdonna

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WHen the Living Waters thread came up to the top again the other day, I got to wondering what was up with Aidana WillowRaven. She is now offering 'editorial services' in addition to literary agent services, illustration and design services. I think most of the clients she lists as authors are connected with Living Waters, but I'm not sure. Also she has posted this author-agent contract:

http://willowraven-illustration.weebly.com/agent-servicescontract.html
 

Lainey Bancroft

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She must have eight arms.

Just wanted to add, FWIW, that in addition to all her other multi-tasking, Ms Willow Raven had a great deal of time to hang out in the Wild Rose Press Yahoo group trying to woo newbie e-book authors.

Despite being an author there, I honestly don't know if she was asked to leave (because the group does not condone the sales of other services) or if she just realized none of us make enough money to require agent services or purchase banners/graphics/marketing/promo etc. but she has not posted in the loop for a while.
 

BenPanced

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WHen the Living Waters thread came up to the top again the other day, I got to wondering what was up with Aidana WillowRaven. She is now offering 'editorial services' in addition to literary agent services, illustration and design services. I think most of the clients she lists as authors are connected with Living Waters, but I'm not sure. Also she has posted this author-agent contract:

http://willowraven-illustration.weebly.com/agent-servicescontract.html
Love this little footnote at the bottom of the page:
*WI&DP offers both marketing plans as well as illustration at discounted rates for literary agent clients.
Since queries require a marketing plan and some books might be illustrated, why not become a one-stop shop? Could a micropress be far behind?
 

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"Oh wouldst I could kick the habit/
and give up smoting for good..." -- Alan Sherman

Just think of it, fans--one basic source where you can pay for EVERYTHING a real publisher provides its authors free of charge.
 

Terie

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WHen the Living Waters thread came up to the top again the other day, I got to wondering what was up with Aidana WillowRaven. She is now offering 'editorial services' in addition to literary agent services,

Oh, dear. I saw plenty of her writing before she was banned from my Yahoo group. She's charging to provide editorial services? :Headbang:
 

Terie

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"Any submission must be edited and written to publishing standards, including correct spelling and grammar (if proffessional editing is needed, WI&DP does offer editing services)."

Reminds me of the story an editor (at one of the bigger houses) tells about a letter from someone looking for a job as a 'proffreader'. :D

What's so sad is that she probably is still managing to hoodwink naive writers into hiring her despite every warning sign in the world being right there before their eyes.