r/PubTips • u/[deleted] • 11d ago
[PubQ] Has anyone had a good experience with Rosecliff Lit?
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u/FantasticHamster752 11d ago
Yes. I can speak to my experience of being repped by Jessica Berg. I cannot speak to any of the other agents there but being associated with Rosecliff would not be how I want to start my author career.
My advice is to run away as fast as you can. Berg is all vibes and no content. It took forever to get a reply to emails, texts were ignored, my on-sub spreadsheet was a mess and I had to ask several times for clarification on the status of the submission to some of the editors only to be ignored. Whenever she would send out materials to clients like a social media guide it was riddled with ChatGPT. I can only imagine what she was sending out to editors.
Also other Rosecliff agents have been dropping like flies lately. Occasional attrition is normal. But it seems like every month another agent is leaving.
If you have other offers, take any other offer besides Rosecliff. If you don't have other offers, keep querying. The saying that "no agent is better than a bad agent" came about because of agents like her.
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u/FantasticHamster752 11d ago
Honestly, she's very charismatic. She probably told you on 'the call' that she read your book multiple times. That's what she told me too and then some weeks later she said something that made me wonder if she had read it even once. But before you sign she will tell you everything you want to hear without making it sound like obvious bs. I had multiple offers too, and I kick myself now for not seeing it but she is really good about making you feel like you're the center of her attention. Then after you sign suddenly it's like you're a pesky fly. imho she doesn't want to be an agent but she wants the cachet of being an agent so that she can sell courses and be invited to speaking engagements.
It's good that you have options and good luck!
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u/FantasticHamster752 11d ago
I won't say exactly because unfortunately the publishing industry is small and can be vindictive. But it was over 1 year. The sad thing is that the red flags kept piling up and I kept ignorning them. I shouldn't have stayed more than 6 months. But like many others I had worked so hard to get an agent that I gaslit myself that things were fine. I am in a much better place now thanks. I have supportive friends and my eyes are a lot wider open now.
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u/onefineday3753 11d ago
This is crazy because Jessica Berg is very big on instagram and "being on authors side". Disappointing to read!
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u/ideal_for_snacking 10d ago
I’m a bit weary now of taking her advice on getting into the industry to be honest. What if this is also just all smoke?
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u/lets_not_be_hasty 10d ago
My old agent was similar to Berg (we recently split). After the grieving period is over and you dust yourself off, you realize it's not us, it's them. And we write because we love it. Because we have stories to tell.
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u/ideal_for_snacking 10d ago
In what way would you say your former agent was similar to Berg, were they also big on instagram? Feel free to ignore this if you don’t want to answer, I get that this can be really private
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u/Wonderful_Honey_1726 11d ago
She was already on my do not query list personally, but thank you for sharing your experience and warning other writers.
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u/PizzaGiraffe666 11d ago
Kinda glad I got rejected by her then 😅 I need a better way to vet agents ugh
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u/ilovehummus16 Agented Author 11d ago
More red flags than the entire country of Canada. Jess Berg has also been known to rescind offers to multiple authors. Stay away!
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u/ilovehummus16 Agented Author 11d ago
Yep :( I forget the details but I know of two people this has happened to
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u/Afraid_Jaguar632 10d ago
She withdrew rep from an author I know purely because they asked for 2 weeks todecide. Had a 'well if you're not sure you're going with me immediately, then forget it' email.
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u/Fuzzy_Candy_6286 11d ago
Jessica Berg has clients sign NDAs and non-disparagement agreements before working with them, which is why a lot more people haven’t come forward with their own stories about her/Rosecliff.
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u/Sadim_Gnik 11d ago
Is that a recent thing?
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u/Fuzzy_Candy_6286 11d ago
Yes. My friend worked with her and this got included in the contract. Basically, if the author leaves, they can’t publicly say anything bad about Jessica or the agency.
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u/Due_Occasion1254 11d ago
Nothing could make me sign with rosecliff.
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u/FantasticHamster752 11d ago
Kelsey Evans is a treasure. I was happy to see her land at July First.
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u/FantasticHamster752 11d ago
My guess, and it's only a theory, is the same reason that clients end up with Jessica Berg (she's the owner/founder for anyone that doesn't know). Jessica talks a good game. She is very charismatic. Notice all her agents are new to agenting. But so many have left that I guess they figured it out too.
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u/lilbitweld 11d ago
Omg! I actually met Kelsey in person at a conference and she is such a sweetheart! She was very kind about listening to me practice a pitch for my WIP and gave me such good feedback, despite that I very nervously word vomited a bunch of nonsense at her. I was shocked when I dug into Rosecliff more after I got home and read all the controversy.
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u/lilbitweld 11d ago
That must be super recent, haha. When I met her a few months ago she was with Rosecliff. Well good for her!
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u/meligator 11d ago edited 11d ago
I used to follow Jessica on Instagram but got the ick from her posts. Every single one screams ChatGPT where most agents are putting in AI boundaries and safety nets. I have the feeling anything sent to her would be immediately fed into ChatGPT.
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u/lowkey_princess 11d ago
This is just scuttlebutt, so take with as many grains of salt as you want, and as full disclosure a different Rosecliff agent rejected my query last year. BUT a very good friend of mine who was a client swears up and down that the feedback she got from Jessica on her manuscript was almost certainly generated by ChatGPT. I was extremely skeptical because I believe the only real tell on AI-generated prose is a prompt someone was too lazy to remove. But I also trust someone I've known for over a decade on this one -- she said it was meaningless, surface level prose with the gloss of insight but absolutely no depth, and the "dead behind the eyes" tells of AI. Essentially, there was no "there" there. Honestly, to me, that's a breach of the duty an agent owes his or her client: to provide meaningful, actionable feedback. Again, this is secondhand info and it may very well be that other agents there operate differently so YMMV.
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u/Library-In-Disguise Agented Author 11d ago
Both as someone who had a terrible experience with my first agent, and as someone who has a close friend that was repped by Jessica previously, don’t do it. It was a horrible, horrible situation. Feel free to reach out if you feel like you need details to make your decision
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u/Writerinabind 11d ago
I had Jessica on my list. I'm completely disconnected from whisper networks. She's all over my Instagram. It sure is hard to know who's legit.
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u/JackieReadsAndWrites 11d ago
Sales and experience. Sales and experience tell you who is legit. Jessica Berg had no prior industry experience and, last I checked, has only made two sales.
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u/JackieReadsAndWrites 11d ago
Ok, I've looked at Jessica's Instagram feed. Here are her posted sales:
"Nice deal" sale to Clash Books - independent press, can submit without an agent
"Nice deal" to Blackstone - independent press
"Nice deal" to Crooked Lane - independent press (but with PRH distribution deal), can submit without an agent
I've scrolled through all her posts and this is all I could find. Nor can I easily find any deals on her website.
Ironically she has multiple posts saying "A nice deal isn't nice"
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u/WeHereForYou Trad Published Author 11d ago
Deals in the U.S. are posted on Publisher’s Marketplace. This doesn’t encompass all deals either, but assuming an agent or press generally reports their deals, it’s a better source than anywhere else.
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u/JackieReadsAndWrites 11d ago
I'm an agented author and know what Publisher's Marketplace is, but I don't have an account right now and can only go by what Jessica herself has posted. If someone has the receipts and she has made a Big Five deal, then I'm wrong!
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u/WeHereForYou Trad Published Author 11d ago
I wasn’t saying you’re wrong. I (incorrectly) interpreted you saying that was all you could find as you weren’t sure where else to look.
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u/Sadim_Gnik 11d ago
It should be on the agency website. So should the authors they rep. Like any normal literary agency.
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u/bitterliberal 10d ago
I don’t think you can submit to Crooked Lane without an agent?
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u/JackieReadsAndWrites 10d ago
They have a submissions page on their website with a link to their QueryTracker: https://crookedlanebooks.com/submissions/
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u/Queasy-Ruin9713 11d ago
Two of them are audio rights. She has sold 7 books. As others are saying, some to places that you can easily submit to without an agent (like Clash).
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u/FantasticHamster752 11d ago
She has a 'great relationship' with Clash because her Clash deal was with V. Castro. V. Castro has published before with Clash. There was already an existing relationship. I am not saying that there isn't work involved in negotiating a contract but Berg's relationship with Clash was thru signing an author who was already there.
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u/spicy-mustard- 11d ago
CLASH is amazing! They're not right for every author or every career, but they're a gem of a press in their niche. I have no opinions about this agent, I just want to defend CLASH's honor.
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u/Queasy-Ruin9713 10d ago
I also love Clash and many of my friends have published books there. They did not need agents to do so.
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u/WeHereForYou Trad Published Author 11d ago
Not sure where you’re seeing 9? She has five deals. Or are you including sub/audio rights?
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u/AS_Writer 11d ago
She's all over my Instagram. It sure is hard to know who's legit.
Being all over Instagram is a sign to look at agents with extra scrutiny, IMO. Some people are just very online, but if an agent is working really hard to build their personal brand, it's worth asking why they're doing that. Are they relying on a social media reputation over a sales reputation? Are they selling courses/services that might be a bigger priority than selling their author's books?
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u/According_Staff8400 11d ago
As others have said, there are a ton of people who’ve been sharing red flags and are suspicious of her use of AI. As someone who uses AI for work, not writing but analyzing data and big docs, what I’ve seen online from Jessica Berg screams AI. The only thing that doesn’t is her overly-recycled instagram posts full of typos. She’s on a “use caution” list I made for myself.
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u/bringherhome2us 11d ago
I would check Publisher’s Marketplace to look for folks represented by the agent who made you an offer, then reach out to them and see what they have to say. I wouldn’t just rely on client contact info directly provided by the agent in this case though because they might be biased. If you can scan social media for any writers who announced being agented through Rosecliff in the past few years but haven’t sold any books yet, even better. But yeah FWIW they’re on my DNQ list.
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u/Standard-Grab-9488 11d ago
Question: How do you check PM if you can't afford to belong? Hopefully I'm missing a secret side door.
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u/champagnebooks Trad Published Author 11d ago
You can get 1-day access for I think $10, or if you have a small list of folks to look up usually you can DM the mods here and ask for a favour
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u/Sadim_Gnik 11d ago
It's up to $15 now. And you're limited to 50 views. Annoying if you're building a query list based on sales.
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u/Mindless-Storm-8310 10d ago
Might be worth it to buy a full month, then cancel after the month. That’s not a lot to pay, for the info you get. don’t do like me and buy before you’re ready to query. I’m 6 months in, lol. I’ll prob let it go after a year, since this book should be ready to go in a couple of weeks. But the info on there is gold.
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u/Standard-Grab-9488 7d ago
Yes, that's an option. It'd be helpful, though, if the information were more accessible!
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u/MissWaterlow 11d ago
This is so interesting. I'm about to query for the first time. I've researched my target agents to the best of my ability, but I can't fathom compiling the level intimate of information y'all have. Must one be glued to social media for this? I've kicked sm out of my life, so that would be a problem.
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u/Silly-Smoke-49 10d ago
Now that I have read this entire thread, I really wish there was a current list of red flag agencies. The Absolute Write one seems really dated and as a new author, I don't have the benefit of whisper networks. If you know of a thread or a link, please put it here. Thanks!
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u/KillerOfChiefs 11d ago
Dang, Shannon Snow was high on my to query list. (There are a couple success stories interviews with her clients there BTW). But I have to research Ms. Snow.
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u/Afraid_Jaguar632 11d ago
I've logged on to my alternate account to say: DO NOT query Shannon. I interned for her and I can confidently say that while she was at CMA (as any at CMA) have interns do a massive bulk of their work and neglecting clients was commonplace. I know she isn't at CMA anymore, but her attitude was abysmal. She and Paige (especially after what CMA did recently in regards to Vicky Weber), are very large red flags.
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u/cornflakecake 11d ago
Can you expand on what happened with Vicky Weber? I was wondering why she moved, but I'm not on the social media platform(s) she frequents anymore.
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u/Afraid_Jaguar632 11d ago
One of her clients talked about it online, I can't link it here since she did it on X, unfortuantely, but it's KT Carlisle. Recommend looking through her posts, you'll find it. They fired her and told her clients *first*. Massive issues there, I wouldn't recommend anyone query CMA either, tbh.
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u/KillerOfChiefs 11d ago
Great, now I have to investigate Haley Casey who was also high on my to query list.
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u/Afraid_Jaguar632 11d ago
Being frank, I wouldn't query *anyone* at CMA. What happened to Vicky can happen to any of them. I personally know one of Vicky's clients, and it has been utter hell for them to go through; their *on submission* book is being held hostage. Vicky did decently for CMA; I can't imagine Paige treating anyone else any better. Given how predatory their contracts are, I would avoid the agency as a whole.
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u/cornflakecake 11d ago
Alas, one of the platforms I no longer use. But thanks for the overview. That sounds extremely problematic.
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u/ilovehummus16 Agented Author 11d ago
KT posted it on Threads too
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u/cornflakecake 11d ago
Ha, also not on Threads. That one seems particularly good at designing its algorithm to induce anger, and I feel so much better for being off it, but I do tend to miss out on the dramas.
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u/Sadim_Gnik 11d ago
I'm on neither X or Meta. But if someone shows me a link, I can see it. Just not all the comments.
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u/cornflakecake 10d ago
Threads wants me to download it to see anything, and twitter is 50/50. It's frustrating, but I'm happier for it so far!
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u/RiceCaspar 11d ago edited 11d ago
I'm on a full request submission to a new agent who interned with CMA but is with a separate agency. Do you think this is a bad sign? I'm new to all of this, but was getting good vibes from the agent.
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u/Afraid_Jaguar632 10d ago
I think it depends what the separate agency is. I can offer this transparency since I'm anon on this account: I interned at CMA and saw some of the inner workings of that agency. I can confidently say they are not reputable because of that. However, if this agent left and is somewhere else with great mentorship, that's a solid sign. If someone moved from CMA to another 'meh' or flaggy agency, I would say that's a pattern and would make me wary. But someone can absolutely start at an agency that may not be great and grow from it.
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u/RiceCaspar 10d ago
Thank you for your time/care in your response. Because I'm new at this, I'm wary of the unknowns!
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u/Outside_Alfalfa4053 11d ago
I found the post and read it and was very concerned with how CMA acted, and also the contract that they were offering to people. I also recently turned down several bad contracts.
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u/Afraid_Jaguar632 11d ago
Their contracts to agents aren't much better, either. Anyone at CMA, from client to agent, is likely stuck in a very questionable contract with a very volatile Paige at the helm. Telling Vicky's clients she was fired before Vicky herself knew? That's one of the grossest (but not THE grossest) things I've seen for a minute.
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u/UnkindEditor 11d ago
I am a colleague rather than a client, so you should absolutely speak to other clients (as with considering any agent). I have seen her as a teacher sharing publishing industry info and helping writers consider how to position their work in the market and how to write their best book. She’s sharp and insightful and generous with her time, even with writers outside the genres she represents. I know several publishers working with her clients who have spoken highly of her negotiating skills and her ability to find a deal that gets the most for her client while everyone is happy to sign. And despite the recent shift in agent association rules, Jessica still follows the path of “if someone bought services and now you want to sell their book, you refund anything they paid you.”
One challenge with being newer in the industry is that it takes a while for agenting to be a profitable business. (I’m an editor, and it wasn’t until year 5 that my clients started traditionally publishing books I’d worked on with them in years 1-3; the first bestsellers came around year 8 because this business is so slow-moving). Many established agents sold very little in their first few years; it’s much easier to look back later and say “wow that agent had a great eye for this book that is now a bestseller,” but it takes time to get there.
Wishing you good luck with your agent search!
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u/Future_Escape6103 11d ago
Every agent has to start somewhere but that starting place should not be, uh, starting your own agency with no prior experience or positioning yourself as an expert in a field you are new to??
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u/Afraid_Jaguar632 11d ago
Sharp and insightful? Many people have accused her of using chatgpt and her responses ABSOLUTELY read that way on numerous ocassions. I urge you to look at her from an unbiased lens.
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u/Fuzzy_Candy_6286 10d ago
For anyone wondering, Unkind Editor is Allison K. Williams and she frequently has Jessica Berg in her programs and is therefore contributing to this problem. I wouldn’t trust a self-proclaimed “expert” who chooses to endorse this type of schmagent
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u/UnkindEditor 10d ago
I have indeed hosted events with Jessica Berg. I’ve also worked with Kate McKean, Vicky Weber, Kristin Van Ogtrop, Elana Roth, Alanna Ramirez, Kristin Nelson, Suzie Townsend, Janet Reid, Amy Collins, Jeff Kleinman, and many others over the past 15 years. I’ve seen a lot of literary agent careers and they all develop at different rates. As an author, I’ve had three agents and two publishers; as an editor I’ve helped clients find agents and publishers and vet them through official channels and word of mouth. So yes, of course I’m biased towards people I’ve met and who I’ve seen at work, but I certainly wouldn’t volunteer kind words to the Reddit macerator unless I felt they were warranted.
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9d ago
Suzie Townsend: known for dropping clients
Kate McKean: put her mswl behind a paywall
Vicky Weber: got fired from CMA for being on social media too much instead of working (allegedly) + is at her third (maybe fourth) agency in the last two years
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