Ten Percent of Nothing: The Case of the Literary Agent from Hell

by Jim Fisher and Professor Jim Fisher Ph.D. B.A.

Former FBI agent Jim Fisher upends the genteel racket of fee-based literary agents and vanity publishers in this searing look at the rise and fall of one bogus entrepreneur who systematically swindled thousands of would-be writers out of millions of dollars with promises of having their work turned into salable books. In divulging the details of this colossal and shocking confidence game, Ten Percent of Nothing: The Case of the Literary Agent...

• Format: Hardcover
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0809325756
• ISBN13: 9780809325757
• Release Date: May 2004
• Publisher: Southern Illinois University Press
• Length: 211 Pages
• Weight: 1.05 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.8" x 6.0" x 9.0"

Customer Reviews

Well, it's really more like 15% these days...

The biggest audience for this book is undoubtedly the writing community, but those who are interested in the details of scams and confidence games will also find plenty of engrossing material here. As befits a university press, the prose is anything but florid, yet Fisher manages to get off a few zingers ("...how could he sell ten thousand copies of a cheaply made, poorly edited book that no one, outside the writer's family and friends, knew existed? Finding one of these books on the shelf of a Barnes and Noble store would be as likely as coming across a cold can of beer.") The Deerings were cold-hearted sociopaths who are destined for that special section of hell usually reserved for child molesters and professional torturers--but the book about them makes fascinating reading. One of the odd side effects of the book, though, is that it makes me want to read some of the novels mentioned...including Dorothy Deering's sci-fi novel. That anyone could be a writer and do this sort of thing to other writers boggles the mind.

A necessary and compelling read for any prospective author..

I just finished "Ten Percent Of Nothing," and let me tell y'all, if you haven't bought this book and read it, you should. Classic true story of one of the biggest scams in the literary business, that of the Deering Literary Agency/Sovereign Publications. The people that ran DLA/SP were Dorothy Deering, her husband Chuck, her brother Bill Richardson, and Chuck's son, Daniel Deering (he ran the literary agency, was a ninth grade high school drop out, who also had a drug addiction problem). These people started out running a fee based literary agency, then branched over into subsidy publishing when they saw how profitable that could be. They never published anything, took literally millions of dollars from hopeful authors, and ended up serving some jail time for all the agony they caused. It's a fascinating read, and I want to publicly thank Uncle Jim (James McDonald) for referring the book over at Absolute Write. Very much appreciated, Jim. Something interesting to point out to everyone that reads this - here are some of the techniques the Deerings used to lure writers into their web. Some of them may sound familiar to those of you who have been affiliated with a certain "traditional publisher"... 1. They greatly emphasized how hard it was to break into traditional publishing, portraying it as a "we vs. they" type situation. Very strong emphasis on your book "deserving to be published." 2. All the Deerings ever sold were "services" to authors. On account of that, there was no need to produce catelogues or to have sales reps push the books, as that was not where the money came from. The Deerings lived to extract as much money from authors' wallets as they possibly could, they could've cared less about marketing, or even producing the books. Among the services they sold were: *Expensive editing services. *"Buy ups" for authors who wanted their books published in trade paperback rather than mass market paperback. *Authors were periodically told that the Deerings would be making trips to New York to hawk manuscripts to the major publishing houses. If an author was interested in having theirs pushed, they had to pay $500 for the privilege. 3. When authors approached them about why their books were not published when they were told they would, they were treated as unobedient children whose wrists needed to be slapped. The Deerings knew best, and they made sure that their authors always knew that. What struck me most about this was that there are some basic commonalities regarding literary scams and how they operate. The thing that makes them thrive is the passion new authors have for seeing their books get into print. This passion blinds them to the obvious realities of the scam. It's almost like a seduction, the seducer say all the right lines, does all the right things, then, when it is over, someone has gotten screwed and then comes to realize it when it's all over and too late. This is a great read, and for any prospective author out the

Compelling expose of literary fraud

In this engrossing true crime narrative, former FBI agent and Edinboro University professor Jim Fisher tells the sordid tale of Dorothy Deering, who, posing as a literary agent and a publisher, stole millions of dollars from inexperienced writers and ran one of the longest con games in US history. Fisher does an admirable job of revealing not just the story of this particular scam and its downfall, but the methodology by which such frauds operate and the psychology both of those who run them and those who fall victim to them. Sadly, Deering's story is neither isolated nor unusual. From fee-charging literary agents to dishonest vanity publishers to fake independent editors, hundreds, if not thousands, of fraudsters like her lie in wait for unwary writers, capitalizing on publishers' closed-door policies and writers' resulting desperation. It's a huge and growing problem, a parasitic shadow industry that mimics the real world of publishing but in fact has nothing to do with it (the only point of connection is the writers themselves)--which perhaps is why the legitimate publishing industry doesn't feel it needs to pay much attention. One of the strongest conclusions to be drawn from this book is the importance of education. Writers need to study the publishing industry before they throw themselves into it. If you know the way things are supposed to work, you can more easily avoid the scams and pitfalls. Unfortunately, plenty of aspiring writers want to skip this step, and this as much as anything keeps the fraudsters in business. "Ten Percent of Nothing" is an eye-opening book not just for writers who might fall victim to such frauds, but for publishing professionals who need to take a closer look at what's going on just outside their view. Victoria Strauss (...)

Excellent---very readable true crime!

This true-crime book is excellent and highly compelling. A real page-turner that is essential reading for any aspiring writer. A peek inside the "genteel racket" of phony literary agents. Fisher has a keen sensibility into the sociopathic mind of Dorothy Deering and her partners-in-crime. Definitely worth a look!

An Excellent Warning to Beginning Writers

As one of the writers scammed by the Deering Literary Agency, I read Jim Fisher's book with great interest. I was shocked and disgusted at how Dorothy and Charles Deering had bilked money out of aspiring writers through reading fees, contract fees, and joint venture deals. I was particularly disturbed at how Dorothy had even used the death of her son to swindle more money. Did this parasitic creature know no shame?I'm awfully glad Jim Fisher had written this book. He had thoroughly researched and greatly detailed the rise and fall of this bogus literary agency. His writing is crisp, sharp and very readable. I also liked his little touches of humor.This book should serve an excellent warning to beginning writers. If any writer out there is thinking about signing up with a fee charging agent or a vanity press, please read this book first. I guarantee that this tome will make you think twice before signing a contract with one of those slimy parasites.