Editorial: NLAPW -- A Call for Transparency (Guest Blog)

Editorial: NLAPW — A Call for Transparency

The National League of American Pen Women has been contacted regarding postings made in 2006 and 2007 as part of a “googlebomb”  on its bulletin boards. It published a list of the “20 Worst Agents” written by SFWA claiming those agents had received the most complaints, and included several hyperlinks to lewd, altered photos and videos in the posting.

The Superior Court of New Jersey has requested copies of the alleged complaints from SFWA, and so far SFWA has refused to provide any complaints to the Court.  NLAPW was contacted to find out why they joined in the cyberbullying attack, and whether they had performed due diligence when posting the news from SFWA about alleged complaints, and especially to uncover why they have hyper- linked to lewd, altered photos and videos.

It is a good journalist’s duty to report both sides of a story.  If NLAPW is getting any federal funding for its programs and outreach, such impropriety should not be rewarded with taxpayers’ dollars.  US taxpayers do not need their children and grandchildren to inherit trillions of dollars in national debt so that a few bad apples can get their jollies over the internet.  Unsubstantiated allegations and outright lying should not be tolerated or supported with taxpayers’ money.

We are asking  NLAPW to provide some transparency regarding this issue.  Who was it at NLAPW who posted the list and the hyperlinks?  Was it a staffer or a member?  Do they have a literary agent, and was their literary agent a competitor of the individuals on the list?  Was any due diligence performed?  Does NLAPW have copies of the alleged complaints, and if so why weren’t they provided upon request?

NLAPW can provide the information to Literary Management Professionals, PO Box 20153, NY, NY 10016  or fax the information to 732-566-1213

 

Reprinted with permission:

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