Austen Macauley

[1derwoman]

Has anyone dealt with Austin Macauley Publishers? Someone I know is in touch with them, but I have read some disturbing reviews about the way they operate

I did some research and found they’re just vanity publishers pretending to be not.

No! Avoid at all costs. They are rip-off merchants. Charge authors who haven’t done their research an absolute fortune. They are a vanity publisher pretending to be a real publisher.

Get your friend to do some real research into self publishing, or get a copy of the authors’ And Artists’ Yearbook to look up agents to contact.

Thank you. My friend has a 'creative agent' who is a man he knows who has been involved in some media work (he had a local radio show and he was in a show on a lesser known TV Channel). The agent has helped him to put his work (poetry and one short story) on Amazon and Lulu, but there has not been one sale (except for the purchase I made).

The agent is approaching Picador (Pan MacMillan?), but I have read that they only accept manuscripts from literary agents and I do not know if this man is a legitimate 'literary agent'. Can someone set himself up as a 'literary agent' and wouldn't they need some real experience of finding literary talent to do so?

I apologise for sounding so naive. My friend is quite a vulnerable man and I would hate to think someone was taking advantage of him.

I'd search for the agent online. What internet presence does he have?

Is he listed in the Writers' and Artists' Yearbook? Has he taken any money from your friend? Real agents don't.

I gues anyone could set themselves up as an agent without experience...

Doesn't sound like he has a great marketing track record... agents I know are usually v busy on Twitter and supporting their authors.

oh so they don't pay publishing costs?

might as well self pub...cross that off the list then.