Complaint Review: Melissa McComas Piper Mantis Literary

In April, 2019, I was contacted by Melissa McComas via my Linkedin account. I checked out the website for her  agency, Piper Mantis Literary, and on the contact page, I asked if they represented TV writers. I got a response back less than an hour later. Melissa asked me to email her my pilot and show bible, which I did. After a few phone chats in which she praised my writing and indicated that she could get it sold very quickly, I signed with her on May 20th, 2019. Melissa regaled me with tales of her many successes as an agent and all of her contacts at the major studios and networks. 

I was invited to her home for two days to develop my script and work out a plan for her to sell it since she claimed to be headed to Los Angeles the following week. Melissa indicated that I would be "very happy" by July 15th since that was when she would be returing from L.A. with a deal in hand for me that would be an easy six-figure deal. I shared with Melissa that my financial situation was dire and that this could be the answer to my problems, as well as a new career for me. She promised that she could make all of that happen. 

This is when things went sour. Melissa would make appointments to chat on the phone, then not be there for the call. I would sometimes get an apology and a reschedule, but usually not. This went on for many many weeks. As a client, all I was asking for was an update on her alleged trip to Los Angeles, which to my knowledge never actually happened. I refrained from calling her without an appointment since I believe that to be rude. The one time I did have the temerity to call her, she was very rude and hung up on me. 

Today is September 17th, 2019. As of this day, I still have not heard from Melissa. There were promised phone calls on various Sundays that never happened. Copious emails were never answered. Because of my situation, my anxiety level was going through the roof. I kindly explained that to Melissa, but she ignored me and my emotional distress. To this day, I still do not know the status of my project, or if it was even pitched to anyone. 

Any logical sane person can only conclude that Melissa is a con artist, a phony and a liar. She never asked for any money, and I was reimbursed for my travel expenses to her home, in full, with a few extra dollars since it took her well over a month to get that much needed money to me. I don't believe she has ANY contacts in the TV industry and that she is just a very wealthy woman with a lot of time on her hands who gets pleasure out of making people miserable. She made me miserable. 

My advice to anyone Melissa McComas comes into contact with is to run as far as you can an delete any and all connections with her. She's bad news.