GONE FISHING
I wrote an excellent one minute pitch for my book.
I sent my excellent pitch out to an agent.
She nibbled at the bait and swallowed the hook but I’m having a hard time reeling her in.
GONE, FISH
I wrote an excellent one minute pitch for my book
I sent my excellent pitch out to an agent (who also has a side business of “fixing” novels for a fee.)
I’ve nibbled at the bait and swallowed the hook but she’s having a hard time reeling me in.
CRAZIE TOWN 
I’m sure your book will be awesome. Can’t wait to read someday!
Andy,
You’re so sweet! Get your cash ready. No free copies will be distributed!
Wise advice, Don.
Sally,
I find Mr. Milkey to be a most wise private eye. It was nice of him to break away from his paying clients to work for me.
Don Milkey here. Dane asked me to investigate the fisherpeople, The Book Doctors. I find them to be very popular and they travel many places to sell their books and sell their writer services. They are recommended as editors by Predators and Editors. They are endorsed by books stores and writing groups all over the country. The problem is, Arielle Eckstut is an agent (at-large) for Levine/Greenberg, the literary agency in New York and California. So, she is an editor and an agent. Which is she now, for you? The question for you is: is it standard practice for literary agents to recommend a story be edited before they can determine if it is a novel they’d want to represent? Don Milkey says “no.” Don Milkey, for free, can tell you the order of things: first, the agreement to represent you, then, your agreement to have it edited by the book doctors.
Don,
Tell Dane I appreciate him paying your consulting fee. Arielle has not asked me for any money or even proposed that I hire her. I like her (mostly because she thinks I’m “laugh out loud funny” but also because she’s been kind enough to keep communicating with me.
I’m only keeping my SPIDEY senses sharpened for any chance of a smack down from the high I’ve been on.
Thanks for your/Dane’s concern.
Are these really two different agents? Or two different scenarios with the same agent? I’m confused.
I stay away from the agent that wants to “fix” your book for money–unless it was a reasonable amount of money AND she promised to work with you to get the book published AND she wasn’t a predator or “Predators and Editors” web site AND you liked her AND…oh, forget it, don what you want to do.
Bob,
Yes, same agent as editor. She’s made no offer to ask me to hire her. I’m just doing my Crazie Eeyore thing, expecting the worse and then I can be surprised when it doesn’t work out that way.
Compare her prices, but consider taking the bait. I’m an editor, too, and the author can ALWAYS use the help. Believe me!
Thanks for the much needed advice, Julianne.
I really like the woman and think we could work well together, however it works out.
It’s easy to identify the fish. They’re the ones who sign the check.
I didn’t realize that fish had checkbooks. Thanks for the advice.