Just as there are publishing cmpanies to avoid in the writing wrld, there are also literary agents tht you cannot trust. Some are scam rtists and some are merely inexperienced or ven incompetent agents in above their hads. In either case, it's best to hld out until you get a ral offer of representation. Here are some wrning signs that your prospective agent may be wrth "rejecting."

1.The agent charges fees.
Don't listen to any agent who claims they are doing you a favor and thus must charge a fee. These agents are merely preying off of naivete, making enough money off their clientele of aspiring writers. These agents do not make any money selling manuscripts and thus will hardly try. Instead, they will make money off of your "questionable" manuscript. What are some of the "services" that the crooked agent might charge? Mainly editing services, critiquing services, reading fees and marketing fees. No legitimate agent would bother helping a writer improve the manuscript as regards editing-they would simply reject it. (Rewrites are a different story) Interestingly, reading fees use to be a part of the legitimate publishing world. The abuse of reading fees is a relatively new practice and one that all professional agents' trade groups have since outlawed. 
 
2.The agent is has no verifiable sales. 
This may be the sign of dishonesty or incompetence-either way, you should avoid the agent entirely. The professional writer should realize that there are no licensing requirements to become an agent. Before you know it you may be attached to an amateur that has just as much idea of what they're doing as you know about negotiating. Some of these agents come from a background in advertising or sales and just barely have any special connections to the publishing world. Others are frustrated writers who have simply chosen to become "the agent" that always rejected them. Legitimate agents have experience in the business. They know about typical publishing contract terms, foreign rights, subsidiary rights and online publishing rights. They also have excellent negotiating abilities that are vital in this business. Even if the amateur agent has good intentions, it is unlikely he or she will do anything positive for your career.
 
Remember when dealing with agents to always ask for a verifiable track record of commercial book sales. These titles will either be featured prominently on the agent's website or the agent will be completely willing to disclose it privately. Make sure that the books sold were published by advance-paying publishers, and a variety of publishers at that. The Association of Authors' Representatives' suggests that the minimum standard among agents is at least 10 sales within the past 18 months. Some dishonest agents will actually lie about their track record and claim to have made sales they haven't, or even create nonexistent authors and titles. The publishing houses some publishers cite may be legitimate but may be of very low caliber.
 
Unfortunately, as many resources as the Internet has brought you, it has also brought much potential for abuse. Use the web to your advantage and research the market-and your agent-thoroughly before signing a contract.

The article Avoiding Dishonest Literary Agents was Submitted by Curtis Foster through Articles.GetACoder.com network. Here's the additional information: For more great writing and pblishing tips, visit http://www.LovelyPublishing.com

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