Do I really need an agent?

[jomariem]

While doing research online, I've read a lot about agents here and there, and it almost sounds as if it's a necessity to have one if you want to get a novel published. I'm wondering if I really need to get an agent, or if I can manage to get my book published without one. Part of my concern is that I'm on a very limited buget and I'm not sure that I can afford to pay one. I also don't like the idea of having to give a sizeable chunk of my income from my book (however much that ends up being) to an agent. And yet I really do want to do everything I can to make this book a success. Any suggestions?

[zoe]

First of all, you should keep away from an agent who want you to pay upfront. Those are scum. No respectful agent should ask you to pay anything, but a percentage from the future earning of your book.
Usually it's 15%, btw.

Secondly, I was also under impression that a writer must have an agent. But recently I've heard that maybe it's not so necessary and there are more than few publishers prepared to deal with you with no intermediary.

Good luck

[Lily]

Major publishers also accept unagented submissions, at some of their imprints.

[avery]

"Do I really need an agent?"

Nope!

[Richard]

Agents can be beneficial.

For example, they can point your works in the right direction especially if you write more than one genre.

If they are experienced, they know the business and can save you a lot of work.

15% isn't terrible if they are reputable.

That being said, if you are willing to put in the time and effort, an agent is not as necessary as they once were. I would recommend if you sign with a publisher, without one, find a local attorney familiar with publishing contracts and see what they would charge to review it if there is language in the contract which you do not fully understand.

[Lily]

I believe in hedging our bets. Why not query agents and publishers at the same time, within a certain time limit. Perhaps six months? Then if nobody bites, go the self-pubbed route. Here is a valuable resource for the agent queries. It's a numbers game. Don't just send out to a few. Zap out your query just once to them all. Select/Copy, then Paste it into the BCC section, and send it to yourself. That way, it looks as if you're just keeping a copy for your records. Have fun!

[e-mail] <[e-mail]>; [e-mail] <[e-mail]>; [e-mail] <[e-mail]>; [e-mail] <[e-mail]>; [e-mail] <[e-mail]>; [e-mail] <[e-mail]>; [e-mail] <[e-mail]>; [e-mail] <[e-mail]>; [e-mail] <[e-mail]>; [e-mail] <[e-mail]>; [e-mail] <[e-mail]>; [e-mail] <[e-mail]>; [e-mail] <[e-mail]>; [e-mail] <[e-mail]>; [e-mail] <[e-mail]>; [e-mail] <[e-mail]>; [e-mail] <[e-mail]>; [e-mail] <[e-mail]>; [e-mail] <[e-mail]>; [e-mail] <[e-mail]>; [e-mail] <[e-mail]>; [e-mail] <[e-mail]>; [e-mail] <[e-mail]>; [e-mail] <[e-mail]>; [e-mail] <[e-mail]>; [e-mail] <[e-mail]>; [e-mail] <[e-mail]>; [e-mail] <[e-mail]>; [e-mail] <[e-mail]>; [e-mail] <[e-mail]>; [e-mail] <[e-mail]>; [e-mail] <[e-mail]>; [e-mail] <[e-mail]>; [e-mail] <[e-mail]>; [e-mail] <[e-mail]>; Diana Finch <[e-mail]>; [e-mail] <[e-mail]>; [e-mail] <[e-mail]>; [e-mail] <[e-mail]>; [e-mail] <[e-mail]>; [e-mail] <[e-mail]>; [e-mail] <[e-mail]>; [e-mail] <[e-mail]>; [e-mail] <[e-mail]>

[Lily]

askaliteraryagent.blogspot.com/

www.rachellegardner.com/

[greg]

Aug 12, 2011 12:23:49 GMT -5 Lily said:

I believe in hedging our bets. Why not query agents and publishers at the same time, within a certain time limit. Perhaps six months? Then if nobody bites, go the self-pubbed route. Here is a valuable resource for the agent queries. It's a numbers game. Don't just send out to a few. Zap out your query just once to them all. Select/Copy, then Paste it into the BCC section, and send it to yourself. That way, it looks as if you're just keeping a copy for your records. Have fun!

[e-mail] <[e-mail]>; [e-mail] <[e-mail]>; [e-mail] <[e-mail]>; [e-mail] <[e-mail]>; [e-mail] <[e-mail]>; [e-mail] <[e-mail]>; [e-mail] <[e-mail]>; [e-mail] <[e-mail]>; [e-mail] <[e-mail]>; [e-mail] <[e-mail]>; [e-mail] <[e-mail]>; [e-mail] <[e-mail]>; [e-mail] <[e-mail]>; [e-mail] <[e-mail]>; [e-mail] <[e-mail]>; [e-mail] <[e-mail]>; [e-mail] <[e-mail]>; [e-mail] <[e-mail]>; [e-mail] <[e-mail]>; [e-mail] <[e-mail]>; [e-mail] <[e-mail]>; [e-mail] <[e-mail]>; [e-mail] <[e-mail]>; [e-mail] <[e-mail]>; [e-mail] <[e-mail]>; [e-mail] <[e-mail]>; [e-mail] <[e-mail]>; [e-mail] <[e-mail]>; [e-mail] <[e-mail]>; [e-mail] <[e-mail]>; [e-mail] <[e-mail]>; [e-mail] <[e-mail]>; [e-mail] <[e-mail]>; [e-mail] <[e-mail]>; [e-mail] <[e-mail]>; Diana Finch <[e-mail]>; [e-mail] <[e-mail]>; [e-mail] <[e-mail]>; [e-mail] <[e-mail]>; [e-mail] <[e-mail]>; [e-mail] <[e-mail]>; [e-mail] <[e-mail]>; [e-mail] <[e-mail]>; [e-mail] <[e-mail]>

This is great, querying agents just became easier. :-)

[charlotte]

I know querying agents and publishers at the same time in the UK is discouraged if a publisher has already rejected your novel it makes the agents job harder. (at least that is the information I have been given) If you are in the UK then there is the Writers and Artists Yearbook and the one for Children which has a comprehensive listings of agents and what they accept. Also has magazines, some information for scripts, poetry etc and publishers. Also addresses and how they accept them not all in fact a lot of the big ones like Curtis Brown don't accept email submissions.

www.writersandartists.co.uk/