Comments on: Has anyone seen our Chief Editor?

By: Trevor

Trevor — Tue, 30 Oct 2007 12:30:23 +0000

I was also a victim and only discoverd this site, almost a year later, as the mysterious CH has now emerged as a ghost writer of sorts/ plagiarist(See Victoria Strauss- Writer Beware website. Just for the record:
I am the author of “Random Victims” and one of the few who did nit receive a refund I can oly hope that this augurs well for my publishability. I have since signed with a genuine, highly reputable agency, although progress is slow I do know that the efforts made to sell my novel are real and not a figment of a ‘Walter Mitty’ type mind

By: Donna SImmill

Donna SImmill — Mon, 11 Jun 2007 17:04:24 +0000

I too have saved the emails, the worst thing was he told me that Crown had agreed to publish me and he would receive the contract on the 15th Sept, the same day his website was closed down.
I was devastated but have since found a reliable agent and have had my book published

By: Talking Squid » Blog Archive » How not to be scammed by an agent

Talking Squid » Blog Archive » How not to be scammed by an agent — Thu, 17 May 2007 12:47:54 +0000

[...] This agent is Christopher Hill, and the story of his scam has been pieced together by Kate Hyde of HarperCollins. Hyde was alerted to the scam by a rush of queries from unpublished authors asking why they had not heard back from the “Chief Editor”, a position which does not exist at HarperCollins, about their submissions, no record of which can be found in the HarperCollins files. [...]

By: Suzy Somerset

Suzy Somerset — Fri, 17 Nov 2006 12:56:12 +0000

Do literary agents really exist?

I once wondered if they did, then rejection slips started to arrive in my mail box. Rarely did an mss accompany the RS despite return postage sent as requested. THEN one day an mss arrived with RS plus, attached handwritten comment that in no uncertain terms praised my work. Hmm, but, unfortunately it didn’t quite fit in with the present publishing programme.

I did see an agent advertising for manuscripts/clients, but being a sceptical so-and-so something about an agent advertising stank!!! So, here I am with my novel unpublished. But what the hell, I enjoyed writing it and have added two more to the unpublished pile, the latter two never having graced a Lit Agent’s or Publishing Editor’s desk…

By: Kerry Plowright

Kerry Plowright — Mon, 13 Nov 2006 08:56:21 +0000

This almost killed me, absolutely devastated me. I never paid any money, but for some reason Hill wanted to cause me pain. If I had known he was charging others I would have looked else where. I had passed over other agents (I didn’t know one from the other) I had a major bookstore chain wanting to stock my book after a test trial sold it out. I got suspicious when I emailed Hill on this and he was not interested.

I have saved all his emails if anyone is interested, they a terrific fiction!

By: Bookview

Bookview — Tue, 31 Oct 2006 03:07:08 +0000

I do feel for those who got scammed, but I won’t go flingling around the blame. I very nearly got taken in by the now-infamous Kelly O’Donnell, who at the time of my first contact, advertised as a no-fee-charging agent. When she sent a glowing letter praising my work and THEN asked for a mere $350, I backed off and asked for my manuscript back. I got it, in very bad condition.

The way to avoid scammers is through education. Go straight to your library and check out an armload of “how to get published” books. Ignore those that disparage traditional publishing, and for the time being, pass by even the best self-publishing manuals. Find books that tell you about how the publishing industry works. Read, read, and read. If you want to know about agents, go to the AAR website (http://www.aar-online.org/). If you want to know which agents to avoid, go to Preditors and Editors (http://www.anotherealm.com/prededitors/).

Knowledge is your best defense. Learn how to spot the red flags and how to spot a legitimate agent (http://www.gkbledsoe.com/articles/submissions/scams.html). Then go forth with confidence.

By: Millie

Millie — Mon, 30 Oct 2006 15:52:12 +0000

I’m another ‘victim’. One who is kicking herself because, even though I suspected something was up, Hill’s were the first agent I contacted, with my first ms so I got carried away on my ego.
I’m sure you will appreciate the massive high I was on, after being told my ms was sitting with 10 publishers- Harper Collins being the closest to closing the deal – but all showing some level of interest. Even if at the end, they rejected it, I had an agent and it was my first ms.

I’ve now sent my work out to approximately 12 agents, and received two rejections so far. My main worry is that Hill accepted anything and that my work is crap. I suppose over the next few weeks I’ll find out if this is true!

Hill conned us all, but worse, he built up our hopes, then stole our shine from us. He can be made to pay back money, be fined or imprisoned for fraud, but that won’t repair the knock to my confidence.

I knew nothing of the industry, I sent Hills a query rather than a submission and before I knew it I was being sucked in. Now I’ve been spat out, I’m trying to find a reputable agent. One that welcomes new writers – they appear to be few and far between – that’s maybe how Hill got so many clients.

By: Rashenbo

Rashenbo — Mon, 30 Oct 2006 13:58:12 +0000

Whoa… and let me just say it again, whoa! I know about scammers but seeing the examples right there is enough to make anyone pause. It’s amazing what people do to other people.

By: Kris

Kris — Mon, 30 Oct 2006 13:31:26 +0000

Wow. Talk about scam-ing. What got me was the ’survey’, particularly the question ‘….working with an editorial team who may wish to make drastic changes to your original manuscript.’

That in itself turned me off.

Even further, WHY would an Editor do a survey such as this? What use would it have to them?

By: Writing Journal

Writing Journal — Mon, 30 Oct 2006 12:13:54 +0000

[...] In any event, I’m slurping down the morning Diet Coke and catching up on my blog reading when I came across this:� http://fifthestate.co.uk/2006/10/has-anyone-seen-our-chief-editor/�� It’s not new news, but it still makes my stomach turn. jayem @ 12:09 pm [filed under Writing [...]