To an aspiring writer, literary agents can seem like a parasitic race - they take their percentage, but what do they give back? And is it worth having one?
The short answers are 'lots' and 'yes'. Read on!
An agent sends your manuscript out to see who would like to bid on it for publication. They're effective because they have more knowledge of the editors and publishers than most. An agent knows who is on the look out for the next big historical novel, whose lists are full, who is looking for a new crime writer, and can target their submissions accordingly.
It's a two-way street, as publishers will know what genres the agents are likely to be submitting, which ones specialise in crime, which ones are more literary etc.
Once an agent has matched your work to the right publisher (which doesn't always mean going for the biggest advance, sometimes a publicity commitment is worth more than upfront cash), they are the professional whose job it is to negotiate the best contract for you. Unless you're confident about tackling aspects such as high volume discounts, territorial rights, and the tricky area of electronic rights, these are all best left to someone who fully understands them.
A good literary agent will be the buffer between the publisher and yourself, negotiating, say, an extended deadline, better dates for a book tour, or fighting for improved deals as needed.
A strong agent/author relationship can be incredibly beneficial for a writer as it means having someone who's always 'on your side', who is enthusiastic about your writing, and whose desire for the best deal is for both your benefits.
(editorial consultant)
I think I'm ready to submit to and Agent. But I have a dilemma. Shall I go with second best choice first or first choice first. I guess I want to prolong the rejection from my 'top choice'.
I'm British and I write humorous fantasy... I can't help noticing when I do the obvious market research thing of looking at which writers who write a bit like me have agents and who those agents are that they are always the head honchos of the biggest badest agencies in the UK. My conclusion; authors like me don't get an agent until they are already successful... I'm sure with somebody who know what they were doing to help me my work would improve immeasurably... I am equally sure that hardly any agents in the UK feel comfortable accepting fantasy writers who are not already successful. It's amazing how many say they do but when you actually enquire... don't.
The only route for me is a small press or self publishing... but since I write because I love it, and because I have to, that's not a huge deal for me. I'd rather self publish and have a few people enjoy my work, than waste a lot of time and effort chasing an non-existent dream.
Cheers
MTM
kateF the real truth of it is not whether you get published. but that you created something that gives you immense joy. I belive when you put the thought of getting published out of your mind and write because you enjoy it. thats when the publishers will notice. and if they dont well how many people do you know that have written a novel.just because its not picked up dosen;t make it a bad read.