Red flags for authors

Are you a writer caught in a situation or about to make a decision on agency or publication, but beset by an uncomfortable feeling that things are not quite right? I speak to a lot of people and so I have collated these thoughts on things that could go wrong if you do not do due diligence. Or, perhaps, warning signs that you need to do your best to extricate yourself and find someone who values you and your work more, as part of a professional outfit, thriving because of mutual respect.