Dear Angela,

A new subscriber to your weekly. You had a similar request for info about paying to have work critiqued. I tried that URL and couldn’t access it, so again the question is…I’ve had one dealing with the Literary Agency Group (LAG) in New York; I paid them to critique a stage play and now they seem to be looking for more money to help get this stageplay ready. Sound kosher?

Many thanks,
Charlie Gourlis

Oh, no. That doesn’t sound nice at all. A real literary agency makes money after they sell your work. They don’t critique manuscripts (or plays) for money, and they don’t offer editing services (for more money). And, they don’t charge you to shop your manuscript (play) around…except for the occasional copying and postage fees, which are usually nominal. You should immediately rescind your manuscript and find a real literary agent…one who doesn’t charge up-front fees.