Sounds like they're out of business. That phone number listed doesn't work and for them to ask a reading fee would make me smell a rat. Email them to ask why they want a fee when they don't state that in the W&A yearbook. You can self publish with YWO and do your own marketing for less than their reading fee and you'd get better royalties to boot. Good luck. Three Steps to Heaven
'Til I Kissed You
Always On My Mind
A rock'n'roll romance series by Pam Howes all available on Amazon in paperback and e-Books.
Visit my website for details.
Fast Movin' Train - A stand alone love story.
Amazon links on:
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"And, in the end, the love you take / Is equal to the love you make." Lennon and McCartney 1969

You are both quite right. I have sent them an email, asking for a list of their represented authors and why they are charging a reading fee.

Does anyone have the new 2011 Writers' & Artists' Yearbook, as I would be interested to see if they are still in there. They do still come up on their website.

Ah well, my elation in reading the first line of the letter - we would like to request your whole manuscript for our consideration, soon crashed at the request for money. Tis not to be!

Cheers,
JAT

I live in Herefordshire and I believe this has come up before. I'd echo the others - no bona fide agent charges a reading fee. the long and the short of it

Wow ! Glad these comments were not on here earlier this year, or I would probably been wary of Chambers Literary Agency. As it is I sent them my manuscript and they did ask for a reading fee. I asked them several questions by e mail , which they replied to very promptly. This was the first time in five years I have managed to get beyond a receptionist to speak to an actual agent! Anyway,I sent off my fee and ten weeks later they got back to me with lots of constructive comments on how I could improve my manuscript for publisher submission. I had the manuscript copy edited and Chambers Literary Agency have since taken me on, and we are talking to two publishers. It is all very exciting. After five years of sending out hundreds of packs to hundreds of agents, finally some progress. It was the best money I have ever spent, just for the constructive comments alone.
On the subject of self publishing. It is fine if you have a personal story you want to share with family and friends, or if you are fund raising for a local charity. The downside is, you will never be taken seriously by a major publisher once you have self published. There are very few successful authors who originally self published and then were taken on by a major publishing house later on. It doesn't seem fair but it is a realiity. If you are serious about being a successful author and actually earning a living by writing don't self publish. You will have very little credible marketing and promotional funding. If you have the romantic idea of walking into your local branch of Waterstones with your freshly printed copy of your book under your arm, forget it - it won,t happen.
Anyway at the end of the day you have to do what is right fo you. Maybe I was lucky, but never give up and best of luck.

Note, she hasn't yet landed a publishing deal and even if she lands one, her marketing budget will be little more than that of a self-published writer, ie sweet fa.

Assume she strikes it lucky and agrees a bookdeal tomorrow, the book won't be out until this time 2011 at the earliest.

As to not being treated seriously as a self-published writer, I think that's still true but potentially changing as the market and its parameters are coinstantly in state of change and you get people like Cory Doctrow and others carrying the torch for self publishing. I think the point is nobody knows for sure just quite what the future holds. "A,B&E", "Not In My Name" and "52FF" (flash fiction anthology) all available on Amazon Kindle

"How a psychopath makes sweet love. I can get you ringside. Royal box even."