WARNING: Iza Garztecka from Helfa Literary Agency is steal..

I found Helfa Literary Agency (Agencja Literacka Helfa) listed as a
co-agent for several US and Canadian agencies (Cooke, Loretta Barrett,
Harding, and others). Helfa is based in Poland.
In 2005 I met Iza Garztecka (proprietor) of Helfa Literary Agency
face-to-face at the Warsaw book expo. I commissioned her to find a
Polish publisher for my novel, released in the US the previous year.
Helfa sold the polish translation rights to Bellona Publishing House. I
signed the agreement in September 2005. The Book came out July 2006.

Between September 2005 - December 2006, I kept asking Helfa to press
the publisher for the advance that was supposed to be paid to me within
14 days of signing of the agreement.

Helfa kept replying: "we're onto it", "we're working on
it"... etc, and "meanwhile let us sell your second novel". Boy,
am I glad I did not let them! Just read on.

In the summer 2006 I got tired of this stalling and asked for a direct
contact with the publisher so that I could give them a piece of my
mind.

Helfa did not provide the contact and kept insisting they would take
care of it for me.

Finally, in January of this year I emailed the main accountant in
Bellona Publishing + several editors (and CCd Helfa on the letter) and
here's the reply I received:

"We've issued payment of the advance against royalties for PIATA
MIEDZYNARODOWKA [Polish title of my novel] to Helfa Literary Agency to
the sum of [...] as per agreement on 19 October 2005 [...]" Copy of
the payment to Helfa follows.

October 2005! All this time Helfa has been lying to me.

After that letter Helfa suddenly vanished together with my advance: not
replying to my emails, and snail mail bounces with notes: "this
person does not work here", or "this person does not live here"
[in Polish].

Be advised folks.

Addresses this agency was using:

Helfa Literary Agency
Agencja Literacka Helfa
www.helfa.pl
helfa DeleteThis @helfa.pl

Aleje Jerozolimskie 198f m 5
02-486 Warszawa

Aleje Jerozolimskie 195 m 5
02-486 Warsaw , Poland

Zielna 45/90
01-108 Warszawa, Poland

Grojecka 28/30 m.23
02-308 Warszawa, Poland

Telephone numbers:

+48 (22) 620 55 15

+48 (22) 817 35 50

cell phone: +48 509 464 787