I am a writing mentor on America on Line, and recently received the following, slightly edited letter:

"Hello. (Snip)

"I recently submitted a manuscript to [Name Deleted] Literary Agents after an e-mail query. It was promptly rejected but the president of [Name Deleted] stated that he enjoyed my manuscript but that it needed developmental editing. He strongly recommended the services of [Name Also Deleted], a nearby "book doctor".

"Immediately I received a letter from [Name Also Deleted] asking if I would be interested in their services. Apparently the president of [Name Deleted] gave them my name and address.

"John Doe and Mary Brown, aka [Name Also Deleted], state that they are both published authors and have worked for [Major Writing Magazine]."

The person then went on to ask me what I think of Book Doctors.

Here is my reply:

Worlds of Fantasy & Horror got the same brochure you did, together with a wheedling letter in which [Name Also Deleted] offered us a cut of the profits - 15% of the fees they collect from their doctoring goes to the agency or editor who recommended their services. Of course we were told that we shouldn't let the victims (oops, I mean writers) know that we were making a commission. [Name Also Deleted] even sent us a sample recommendation letter to make the job easier, and closed with, "many editors and agents are making thousands of dollars a month from us."

George Scithers (the publisher, he's also a Hugo-winning editor) wanted to trash the letter, but I saved it because I'm a great fan of gall. As for my opinion of book doctors, in some cases they do help and are necessary. But I'd only look into one if I were an editor with a potentially great book that needed to be polished. I do not think that an agent has any business suggesting book doctors -- the fee can be hundreds if not thousands of dollars, and there is no guarantee that the doctored book will sell.

Note the last sentence: there is no guarantee that the doctored book will sell.

Writing takes time, passion, sweat, and tears - all valuable commodities. There is no reason that the agent to whom you have submitted your work should ask you to spend money as well. If he believes in the book, he should say so, and if he doesn't he should say so and why. If he does believe in it, and sells it to an editor who then decides that it requires the assistance of a doctor, the editor should shoulder the expense. Not you.

© Kyle Phillips, 1996. Like what you read? Find out more about me.

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