It's never a good idea to pay an agent upfront for representing you. My husband and I made that mistake a number of times. We believed in our work and thought it a good investment. We were wrong. None of them sold the work, and they only sent out 6 - 9 queries for the amount we paid them, each tme we paid them. Reputable companies make their money by selling the work and then getting their percentage from what the book earns. It's so tempting when the offer comes, and we were so excited. But we were ripped off. For rules about the way a reputable agency does business, read the Canon of Ethics for the Association of Author's Representives at http://www.wmclark.com/AARcoe.html. There are reputable agencies that do no belong to AAR. Sometimes an agency that charges a fee is a front for or affiliated with a book doctor of some kind. They will read your work and then recommend that it needs professional editing. But if you do this, you are still not guaranteed that they will be able to place your work. And there is no guarantee that these book docotors will benefit your work. Please beware, there are scam artist out there, in this field like all others.

From one who has been taken,
Vi