An Example of Literary Agency Charged in Nationwide Scam

A "LITERARY AGENCY" with a long track record of scamming authors has been charged by the Florida Attorney General with unlawful business practices. The agency offers glowing reviews of author's work, asks them to sign a contract, then recommends critiquing services that charges fees to help polish the work. What they do not say is that they either are the critiquing service or they are in collusion with that service. This critiquing and the further revision of the work yields further suggestions for professional critiquing and additional fees. This goes on and on, possibly with no attempts to ever approach publishers, with the fees piling up. And those fees are going partially or totally back to the original agency. At this time, a number of individuals and literary organizations are currently facing legal action in Broward County, Florida, for "unfair and deceptive trade that this case will be handled in the coming months.

(L to R) Amanda K. Morgan, Victoria Schwab and Myra McEntire.

SCBW Members Do the Write Thing

BY TRACY BARRETT

WHEN NASHVILLE AND MIDDLE Tennessee received almost 14 inches of rainfall over the first weekend this May, flooding destroyed homes and businesses, and 30 people lost their lives. Media coverage of this incident, the costliest non-hurricane weather event in U.S. history, was practically nonexistent, and outside help has been minimal. Local SCBWI members Amanda K. Morgan, Victoria Schwab, and Myra McEntire responded to the disaster

PAULA DANZIGER WAS ONE of the most beloved figures in the world of children's books, a writer who was both a fearless truth-teller and an uproariously funny personality. The SCBWI established the Amber Brown Fund & Grant to honor Paula by helping schools bring authors and illustrators to their classrooms. The SCBWI is deeply grateful to the following for generous contributions to the Amber Brown Fund:

SCBWI Florida Regional Chapter, in honor of Sid Fleischman.

Contributions to the fund can be sent to the Amber Brown Fund/Museum at the SCBWI Executive Office, 8271 Beverly Blvd., Los Angeles, CA 90048. Members are also invited to nominate a deserving school as a potential Amber Brown Grant recipient. For an application, visit the 'Awards & Grants" section of the SCBWI website at www.scbwi.org.

6

SCBWI JULY/AUGUST 2010

by setting up an online auction site ("Do the Write They hoped to raise a few thousand dollars to donate to Word spread quickly through Facebook and Ttvitter. Authors gave signed books, illustrators provided original works of art, editors and agents donated critiques. "Amanda's agent, Mary Kole, raised $10,625 for a full manuscript critique - were all over $2,000, and in the end she agreed to do supportive, and above all, patient! It's been a bigger job my eyes," says Morgan.

Tracy Barrett is the Regional Advisor, Emerita, for SCBWI-Midsouth. Her 18th book for young readers, King of Ithaka, was published by Henry Holt. Victoria Schwab's first novel, The Near Witch, will be published by Disney-Hyperion, and Myra McEntire's Hourglass debuts with Egmont next year.