by Ketti McCormick

I wrote a story that I liked, and I was hoping to sell it. Since I knew that The Writer’s Market is available on the internet, I Googled “writer’s market.” One of the results that popped up was a sponsored link for the Children’s Literary Agency (CLA). I clicked on it and read about their process. It seemed so simple, it made me wary. I thought to myself that any agency that wanted money was probably less than legitimate.

At any rate, I proceeded to exchange several e-mails with the Children’s Literary Agency just to see what would happen. First, they told me I needed to obtain an objective third-party critique of my story. Then they said they would provide a referral to an editor if I needed one.

Throughout our correspondence, CLA emphasized their willingness to work with writers to make their work marketable. The firm also stressed that they would not work with anyone who could not take direction. I began to perceive their e-mails as condescending, but I wasn't offended. I’m aware that I know very little about publishing and even less about proper punctuation.

The CLA went on to explain that once I purchased a critique, I was to send the critique to them and they'd send a year-long contract for me to sign.

I never reached that stage in the process, and I can't say what would have happened had I proceeded with the CLA.

Instead, I obtained a critique from The Editorial Department, and upon inquiry was told that as far as The Editorial Department knew, CLA had never sold anything to a legitimate American publisher. That information, combined with my unease over the e-mail correspondence, discouraged me from proceeding a step further. It seems to me that the CLA makes its money from editing fees it solicits from the writers it “represents.”

Below is a copy of the last e-mail I received from CLA. Read it for yourself, and you’ll likely see some of the reasons I jumped ship.

Editor's Note: Below is Ketti’s E-mail from Sherry Fine, VP Acquisitions at CLA, used with express permission of Ketti McCormick, and reprinted verbatim.

Thank you for everything that we have received from you thus far. Our review team believes that your work has commercial potential and we would like to proceed by offering to represent you.

We feel that your concept and writing thus far has potential and that if polished and presented properly, we can sell it. To take the next step, please let us take a minute to tell you a little bit about how we think and do business.

To take the next step, please read the information below and follow the instructions at the end of this email.

Best regards,

Sherry Fine - VP Acquisitions

P.S. We apologize in advance for the length of this email. This is at the behest of our lawyers. They like it when we say it the same way every time. If this email appears truncated at the bottom, please let me know.

INCUBATING TALENT: We are willing to develop new, fresh talent. ===============================================================

We did see a few improvements are needed in your work, but don't worry, we receive very few 'ready-to-go' manuscripts. Most manuscripts that we receive need some level of polishing before we can submit them to buyers. Over the years, we've learned that it is worth our time and effort to do what it takes to develop new talent. We've learned that incubating new talent makes good business sense.

We'd hate to lose a good writer by not accepting someone who is willing to improve. There are very few literary agencies that will take the time to develop talent. Most barely return e-mails. We've answered every e-mail you've sent us, and we've kept our promises regarding turnaround times. We hope that you will acknowledge that our level of communication and professionalism already far exceeds that of other literary agencies. We pledge this same level of professionalism and courtesy in all subsequent communications should we work together.

HOW CAN WE TRUST EACH OTHER? ====================================================

You don't know us, and we don't know you. We like your work, and hopefully so far, you appreciate that we have treated you professionally and efficiently. Yes, we use forms, but that's so that we have more time to answer your questions about specific problems or nuances. We are looking for authors that are reasonable in their expectations and in their own evaluation of their work. We don't want prima donnas.

If we were in your shoes, we believe you should be looking for a professional relationship with professional people who will ultimately benefit your writing career, whether your work is sold or not. We never promise a sale. However, we do promise that we will work with you on a professional basis and do what we can to promote you and your work to our buyers.

What do we mean by "Polish your work"? ===================================================

We are very concerned about what we present to our buyers. At a minimum they expect the mechanics of punctuation, grammar, spelling, and format to meet or exceed industry standards.

I think you can agree that your work needs some level of polishing. However, we don't think you should take just our word for it; we would like to have an independent review of your work that shows you where the improvements can be made.

This step is equal to an investor trusting a certified public accountant; if there is an independent review on the table, we can each relax and trust each other, and spend our time strategizing marketing, not arguing over whether the work is ready to present or not.

What we have learned over the years is that nothing is more invaluable than having an unbiased, critical review of an author's work as a roadmap for bringing the work to market. In writing circles this is called a critique. We want you to have a critique of your work. You might already have one, or you may need to get one. Here's what one author had to say about his critique.

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"Dear Sherry: The critique was more favorable than I had anticipated. I'm a long time editor of academic works and I know from experience that good authors appreciate good critiques. As for my own writing--again academic--I have always taken criticism well. I don't always go along with everything the critic says, but I try the best I can to incorporate anything I feel is worthwhile. And that's what I did today. Within minutes I was at my desk and my laptop, trying to find out what I could do to satisfy this critic. I also wanted to judge how much work would be required, how long a rewrite would take, and so on. If you have that option, you can pass along my thanks to the critic. And you can say that I will try to turn it into a popular book, not an academic treatise. As an academic, I'll never be able to put that aside completely, but I'll do my best. And I suspect I can do it within a month or two. Your service is phenomenal."

HAVING A CRITIQUE PROTECTS YOU from unscrupulous agents. Having a critique protects US from egocentric writers who think their work is just fine like it is. If the critique says, "Green light--good to go" then we can start marketing immediately. If the critique says, "Some improvements can be made in grammar, punctuation, etc," then we can pause with you while those changes are made.

WHAT DOES A CRITIQUE LOOK LIKE? =======================================

Here are some links for sample critiques from one of our vendors that we respect. (We realize that not all of these apply to you, but we want you to see how versatile and powerful this critique format is.) Also, please realize that a critique is a fast overview. It is NOT a line edit.

http://www.writersliterary.com/Critique-children-ya.rtf

http://www.writersliterary.com/Critique-children-rhyme.rtf

http://www.writersliterary.com/Critique-poetry.rtf

http://www.writersliterary.com/Critique-christian.rtf

http://www.writersliterary.com/Critique-novel.rtf

YOU MAY ALREADY HAVE A 3RD PARTY CRITIQUE A good number of our applicants do.(As a serious writer, you should get one every year or two). ===============================================================

As we mentioned, if you already have a 3rd party critique, please let us know. It must match the level of detail that you see in the examples above. If you have an associate that you believe can do your critique, then be sure to send us their credentials first for approval. Please don't try to critique your own work. (Yes, we've seen that happen and we can tell immediately.) Also, many people ask if they can get a friend to do the critique, or a teacher, or an associate; if they don't do editing for a living, then it's like asking anyone to do something for free--it takes longer, and it may not be done correctly.

The critique should be inexpensive, usually around $70-$90 depending on the company you choose. It will tell each of us if the work is ready for marketing right away, or if more polishing is required. As we mentioned if you have a critique already, great, if not, we can provide a referral for a critique service.

As we've mentioned before, we need a common platform of trust from which to begin the representation process together. Many authors wonder if the critique just leads to more and more editing. The answer is NO! Editors are people with high integrity and solid educational background; if they say a work meets or exceeds industry standards, then we can all trust their opinion. Once an editor says 'Good to go,' then everyone can move to the next step.

In summary, the critique protects you from unscrupulous agents that will try to tell you that you need endless rounds of editing. Once you have a critique you are in a much stronger position in your writing career.

PLEASE NOTE: WE ARE NOT ASKING FOR MONEY.

We want you to have a critique by a qualified industry professional. ======================================================

MANY AUTHORS MISUNDERSTAND THIS SIMPLE REQUEST. We don't want you to pay us; we want you to have a critique to start our relationship so that we can start from the same page. (If I told you the number of writers that accuse us of using this to take their money, you would be flabbergasted.)

Many authors ask, "Why we don't do the critique as part of our Agency?" =======================================================

In the old days, perhaps that occurred. However in today's competitive world we must focus almost entirely on our core competency, which is selling your work. Our company relies on editors to work with you to bring your work to industry standards. We are not editors. We are sales professionals. We contract out all editing work. (As you might imagine, it turns out that editors are usually lousy salespeople, and we love the editors we work with dearly). Editing and sales are two VERY different skill sets. And, because the value of editing and critiquing stays with you, the owner/writer of the script, even if you fire us, then it would make logical sense that you would pay for services that improve the work.

---------- One more positive response from an author about the critique ------------

"Dear Sherry: Thank you so much for your quick responses and professionalism. It was so refreshing to hear an unbiased critique of my work for the first time. I have hungered for it since I've been writing. Someone actually read the whole script and took the time and care to provide a professional critique and show me the areas that need improvement. I am so determined to make my work a success, and it helps me to know what my strengths are and where I need improvement. Thank you, and please pass on a big thank you to my editor."

Typical FAQs that we see at this stage: =================================

Q) Why did you accept me?

A) Our mission in the Acquisitions Department is clear and very "cut and dried". We answer 3 questions:

1.Will the subject matter sell? Is it commercially viable?

2.Is the writing good enough, or would it be good enough with some degree of assistance?

3. Did you as the evaluator like the work and would you believe in it if you were selling it?

If we get a "3 Yes" designation then you pass (at my level). After that, we leave it up to the experts to really dig in and get detailed with polishing your work. The next item we look for in our filtering process is your willingness to listen and make changes, what your goals are, and what your overall demeanor is. We will very quickly wash out a great writer with a bad attitude. (Our buyers don't want prima donnas either).

Q) Why can't I get a more personal response?

A) You will have much more personalized interaction when you reach the Agent

(which occurs after the critique is completed). Unfortunately, my job is

just too intense and I do sincerely apologize for that fact. It really is

like drinking from a fire hose over here. Many authors want me to tell

them what we liked, or what we see that needed polishing. It's just too cumbersome to try to maintain those notes. You passed, now let's move forward.

Q) I have a critique, what do I do?

A) First look at the critique and compare it to the examples above. Many critiques are long on plot and character development. The critiques that we prefer include that PLUS a strong focus on the mechanics, i.e. punctuation, grammar, format, and spelling. If your critique does not address those mechanical elements we will ask you to get a new one. However if your critique is reasonably close to our examples, then simply let us know that you have one, and we'll send you the contract, and then you put your critique in with the contract when you send it in.

Q) I need a referral.

A) If needed we will provide you with a referral to someone we trust and who discounts their prices to our clients. You can certainly use any qualified person to do the critique if you know one, but they MUST have been in the industry.

Q) How long should a critique take?

A) It should take about two weeks. It should cost no more than $70-$90. It should be thorough. Many "old style" critiques are long on plot and short on mechanics. The critique that we desire will not only include commentary on the plot, it will also critically review grammar, spelling, punctuation, and the mechanics of writing. We know, we know, it's all of our least favorite aspect of writing, but to succeed as a writer, your mechanics must meet or exceed industry standards.

Q) Do I have to pay for it or does the publisher provide for the final polishing and editing?

A) Both. As your agent, we need it to be 'great' before we will pitch it, and then, if the publisher wants to make changes, then they will pay for the changes they desire.

Q) What if the critique says my writing is horrible? Will you still represent me?

A) The critique will never say that your writing is horrible. The critique will point out your strengths and weaknesses. It will come from a coaching point of view, not from a judgmental point of view. As we've mentioned earlier, our Agency is different in that we are willing to develop talent. We will not fire you because of a poor critique.

Q) My teacher/friend/pastor/writer/PhD/English Teacher, etc. can do the critique, right?

A) Yes, maybe. We've seen very poor work from PhD's, teachers, and many writers. If they haven't had a stint as a true editor, then usually they aren't going to do a good job.

Q) My work is my work; it's special and I'm not changing anything!

A) That's fine, but we do insist that spelling, grammar, and punctuation meet or exceed industry standards. We have a saying, "If you put 10 editors in a room you will come out with 15 opinions." Ultimately, the final decision is yours. If you don't agree with them, we are on your side, especially about subjective items. On the mechanics and formatting issues we side with the editors.

Q) What do the buyers/publishers think of this model that you use?

A) Frankly, our buyers know that before we pitch a work, we've put the writer through the proverbial wringer! Our buyers know that our writers can understand a contract, comply with reasonable requests, and that we've weeded out the 'something for nothing' writers that are basically lazy about their craft. This hyper-competitive industry will only reward the best, and that's our commitment to our buyers, and to you.

Q) How do I know that this won't turn into endless rounds of editing that I have to pay for?

A) At some time and some place, we have to trust each other. We believe that this is where it has to start. Your risk is $70-$90. Our risk is that our internal cost of our time with you at our hourly rate is easily greater than that amount. (And you never pay us for that time, we don't charge any fees as we've mentioned earlier). So, we'll spend the time to work with you if you'll do your part to make sure your work is the best it can be. Unless the critique points out the need for substantial rework, there shouldn't be any more fees. That's why we require an independent 3rd party for the critique. This protects YOU from an unscrupulous agent, and it protects US from egocentric writers.

Q) I'm still nervous, what does your contract say?

A) First you keep the copyright to your work, and second, you can fire us in 90 days. Our contract includes the following two clauses designed to protect you. There are no payments to us in the contract unless we sell your work.

Here is the exact language in the contract:

--------------------------------------------------------------- -- 1)The copyright and ownership is specifically retained by the AUTHOR for this work and all works submitted to, and accepted by, the Agent. The Writer does not grant to Agent or any other party any right, title or interest of any kind in any copyright, ownership and/or any other intellectual property right contained in or as a part of any work of the Writer submitted to the Agent. The Agent agrees to make no claim to any such right, title or interest, however denominated.

2) The Writer/Producer may terminate this Agreement after 90 consecutive days of no sale by Agent.

3) We receive 10% only if we sell your work. There are no other fees in the contract.

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So, if you don't like us, or we don't perform, you can fire us in 90 days, and we clearly state that you keep your copyright so there is no chance of us claiming your work. We don't know how much safer we can make it. (If you think we are going to steal your work, then you are too paranoid to work with us anyway and we're happy if you decline). Other than that, the contract is for one year duration, and we ask for a reasonable 10% if we sell your work.

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IN CONCLUSION, THE NEXT STEP IS SIMPLE.

Please "Reply" to this email with one of the following three statements: ===============================================================

1) I understand how a critique protects each of us and will improve my writing (or validate that I'm as good as I think I am). Please send your contract and a referral for a critique service. I will get the critique underway as soon as I hear from you. We have to start trusting each other somewhere and I am committed to my writing as a business.

or,

2) I have a critique already. Please send me your contract and I will include my critique with the contract when I send it in.

or

3) "Thanks but no thanks, I've never heard of such a thing" or some variant of that.

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In conclusion, no matter what your reply, I truly and sincerely wish you the best in your writing career and I want you to know that I have enjoyed our interaction immensely thus far. Continue to follow your dreams, and it is my deepest hope that you succeed with your writing career.

I remain yours truly,

Sherry Fine - VP Acquisitions