[WRITING] Victoria Strauss -- What Real Agents Don't Do

Latest from the Writer Beware blog and the Victoria Strauss half of the dynamic duo of Strauss and Ann Crispin:

               What Real Agents Don't Do

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Since Ann has so thoroughly covered what real agents do, I'm going to spend a little time on some things that real agents DON'T do--practices and procedures that, if you encounter them, should make you very, very wary. Ann's already mentioned some of what follows, but I thought it'd be helpful to have it all listed in one place. Note that these aren't necessarily signs of a scam--they may just indicate that the agent doesn't know what he or she is doing. Inexpert agents are often sincere and well-intentioned, but their low level of expertise means that they aren't any more likely to place a book than a dishonest agent. So scammer or incompetent, the bottom line for writers is the same: no sale.

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