Barbara Bauer is a literary agent based in Matawan, New Jersey [42], whose agency was listed by Writer Beware (part of the Science Fiction and Fantasy Writers of America writers' organisation) as one of the 20 literary agencies that they receive the most complaints about. Because of the number and nature of complaints, after investigating her agency, Writer Beware published the name of her agency on their list of the "twenty worst agents".The list's introduction stated that "none of these agencies has a significant track record of sales to commercial (advance-paying) publishers, and most have virtually no documented or verified sales at all (book placements claimed by some of these agencies turn out to be 'sales' to vanity publishers)." Another characteristic of the listed agencies was said to be that "all charge clients before a sale is made. This is done directly; by levying fees, such as reading or administrative fees. Also indirectly; for editing or other adjunct services." In Bauer's case, there is some evidence (mostly self-reported) that she made a few legitimate book sales for her clients early in her career. However, an examination of her claims of success for later clients[43] appears to show only books that are either vanity-published or remain unsold. At the same time, a number of writers have reported on the fees Bauer charges[44].

Dr. Bauer is reputed to regularly make legal threats in order to suppress discussion of her business's activities, especially on web sites. Numerous reports of this kind of behaviour can be found scattered on several web sites throughout the internet, including:

Writers Weekly

Making Light, a site run by Teresa Nielsen Hayden

Thought Patterns, a blog whose owner received a cease-and-desist letter from Bauer

Making Light again when Bauer tried to take action against Mrs Nielsen Hayden because of the previous discussion

James Cordray, manager of JC-Hosting, the ISP which took down prominent writer's community "Absolute Write" after complaints made by Bauer, explains the reasons why they did so. (Page no longer accessible as of 9 June 2006)

These reports about her tactics have resulted in widespread ill-will toward Dr. Bauer in the online writing community, and far more adverse publicity than Bauer would otherwise have received merely for being placed on the SFWA list. This has been especially true since the popular website "Absolute Write" lost its Internet Service Provider. The resulting flurry of web sites describing her tactics and linking to the list eventually propelled it to the second highest result on a Google search for "Barbara Bauer".

However, negative online mentions of Bauer's agency existed for years prior to her contact with Absolute Write's ISP or even the dissemination of the "20 Worst Agencies List." (See, for example, a Google Groups search for '"Barbara Bauer" agent' bauer" agent).

Biographical data

According to an alumni In the News page, Barbara Mangano Bauer earned her PhD from St. John's University in 1979. Her doctoral thesis, also dated 1979, was "Cautela, D’Angelo, D’Agostino and Di Donato: the achievement of first and second generation Italian-American writers of the New York region." She is also listed as a singer/actress with HollywoodAuditions.com, having appeared primarily as a cabaret singer in a number of venues in the New York City area.

External links

Barbara Bauer Literary Agency

SFWA's Writer Beware Worst Agents list

Writer Beware Blog - Victoria Strauss, coauthor of the Worst Agents list, responds to Bauer's behaviour