Scams, Writers and Me…oh My.

Where to start?

I slept in yesterday with the intent to write from 12pm to 7pm after I got back from some job hunting and an interview…then begin again at 9pm. Instead I got a twelve hour long saga of grief with a short break for the Denver Writer’s Meetup.

For Nanowrimo, I depend a lot on other Nanos for get togethers. I cannot be all over the Denver area. So when a Nano asks, “Hey can I organize a meetup down South”, I say go right ahead, just keep us informed.

So then this B&N manager volunteers space. People go, have a good time. Then the next day hell breaks loose. Apparently he had rules about having a “productive” meeting. Rules he did not stipulate to the organizer before or during the meeting. All were expected to write and not bother others.

So damage control mode kicks in (poor word count). Apparently the only one not having fun was the store manager. Apparently the only complainers were friends of the store manager who did not go to the meeting.

Read that again…Did NOT go to the meeting.

Several insults and sheep comments later I come in. Pm maddness ensues which include weird nano reasoningPowercords and dictionaries are not universal signals for shut up and write. Actually saying shut up and write is, however that seems to be too obvious.. Manager pulls his B&N support but Nanos prevail and find a new haunt. I wrote the last PM some where around midnight. Then just fell asleepThis is the abbridged version. A lot more went on. I included the proper Nano authorites and moved threads for preservation. Just about everyone finally succumbed to rationality..

But as if this were not exhausting enough. I check the count for the Denver Writer’s Meetup to find a scam literary agency. Absolute Write alread had a post on it. I do some other searching…it’s really screams scam.

The Creative Artists Literary Agency of Atlanta GA, NOT to be confused with the legitimate Hollywood Talent Agency of the simular name, looks like a scam. They don’t charge fees but refuse to post sales, and only want new writers. But the most telling information is this:

I email my group to warn them away from the agency. I say I would like to hear more if possibleI was on the fence at first but that was cured…. Then this appears in my email:

Michelle I would advise you to consult an attorney before you continue to circulate false and slanderous information about our agency. You have no right to discredit us, simply because you are an angry failed writer. How we run or operate our company is strictly our choice. We don’t owe you “Nancy Drew” an explanation. We have various listings, which specifically advise potential client that we do not charge a reading fee. So, the information you have posted is misleading. You should reconsider your axe with our company. What is your problem anyway? Too may rejections?

Chandra Bullock

So I then remove Chandra from the group, with a note that says, “Thanks for confirming my suspicions.” And then post this to the Absolute Write thread. So then we get Nippy, who proceeds to try to confuse the issue by saying that I must mean the Hollywood agency. NO. I mean the Atlanta GA one. That is a fact. And my dealings with them? They posted to my Meetup. So I did some research like a good organizer, to make sure my members would not get scammed. Sheesh.

I got my Scammers thread up at Nano, with some good contributions from members. Seems a rash of them have been taken by Publish AmericaNothing says Scam like PA. If I can keep a few Nanos and Meetupers from getting scammed I will. If I can help out Nanos at all, I will. They are dreamers after all, and there is nothing so important as shoring up the dreams of others, even, sometimes, at the expense of your own.

Stupid word count.