I had an inquiry the other day regarding an agency called the Writers Literary Screenplay Agency. The name rang a bell so I had a look at the very useful "Writer Beware" site--the last time I saw a reference to them, the Agency had launched a lawsuit against the site. Here's what the site says now, including what happened to the lawsuit earlier this year:
"The Literary Agency Group, a business controlled by Robert M. Fletcher of Boca Raton, Florida, changed its name in February 2007 to Writers' Literary Agency (a.k.a. WLA or WL Writers' Agency).
This umbrella group includes the following:
WL Children's Agency
WL Poet's Agency
WL Screenplay Agency
Writers' Literary & Publishing Services Company (the editing arm of the above-mentioned agencies)
In 2008, the business expanded to include publishing operations under the umbrella of the AEG Publishing Group:
Strategic Book Publishing
Eloquent Books
Authors' Edge
Other current businesses or websites that Writer Beware believes are associated with Writers' Literary Agency, based on referrals and website content, include:
Writers' Book Publishing Agency
Children's Book Publishing Agency
Poetry Book Publishing Agency
Screenplay Writers' Agency
Global Book Agency
Strategic Book Marketing
Authors' Edge
Other names the business has used include Sydra-Techniques, ST Literary Agency, Stylus Agency, Children's Literary Agency, Christian Literary Agency, New York Literary Agency, Poet's Literary Agency, The Screenplay Agency, and My Editor Is A Saint (an editing company).
Since the business began operating in 2001 under the name Sydra-Techniques, Writer Beware has received hundreds of complaints and advisories of fee-charging for literary agency services, fee-based publishing, critique and editing referrals, and other questionable practices. We're not aware that the literary agency branch of the business has a significant track record of commercial book or script sales under any of its names.
In February 2008, Robert Fletcher and The Literary Agency Group filed a retaliatory lawsuit against Writer Beware, alleging defamation, loss of business, and emotional distress. On March 18, 2009, the suit was dismissed with prejudice by the Massachusetts Superior Court, due to Fletcher’s failure to respond to discovery or otherwise prosecute the lawsuit. SFWA has issued an official press release.
The office of the Florida Attorney General has opened a public consumer-related investigation into Writers' Literary Agency and its associated businesses."
I don't have any first-hand experience with the Literary Agency Group, but certainly there are many sharks out there, ready to take advantage of the dreams of aspiring writers, so always proceed with caution. If any agent asks you for money to look at your material, or says they will look at it only after you've had it edited by someone they recommend--move on!
(There's more information I think you will find useful in my book, "Your Writing Coach," published by Nicholas Brealey and available from Amazon and other online and offline retailers.)
