Preditors & Editors ™
A guide to publishers and publishing services for serious writers
Upfront Agency Fees
by Dave Kuzminski, Editor, P&E.
P&E is not against expensing legitimate costs, such as postage, to writers. What we are against is when those costs are charged upfront without a system of accountability. We see nothing wrong with an agent passing on the charge after it has occurred and been documented so the writer can see that the money was actually used for the intended purpose. We would prefer to see agents accept the expense as a routine cost of doing business. A number of successful, legitimate agents already do.
Besides, it's a clear telltale sign of whether an agent knows what he's doing. If an agent doesn't have any contacts in the industry, then they'll have to submit a manuscript to numerous publishers. If he has real contacts, then he'll know who to send something to and who to avoid thus eliminating much of the mailing.
Unfortunately, the scam artists are using this "upfront postage fee" as one means of bringing in money with no intention of getting an author's manuscript sold. For that reason, P&E will not recommend any agency that has an upfront fee of any sort. If they don't want to be lumped in with the scammers, then they should change their policies to those with more accountability. P&E will readily change its recommendations on any agency that adheres to more writer-friendly behavior.
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