There are two schools of thought among writers on whether an agent is necessary to bolster their career or whether a writer is better served guiding his career himself. Here are some reasons why an agent is important and how to find the right one.
The Advantages of Having an Agent
An agent uses his contacts in the publishing world to submit a writer’s work. When a manuscript is submitted by a legitimate agent, it rises to the top of the pile and is often read as soon as the editor has the time to devote to it.
Without an agent it is virtually impossible for a writer to submit his work to a publisher that is closed to unsolicited submissions, as many publishers are. The agent takes care of contract negotiations which include advances, royalties, rights, foreign sales and possible movie sales. He keeps track of the writer’s finances, including sending the writer a detailed statement of income along with the royalties earned.
In short, a literary agent takes care of business, leaving the writer free to do what he does best; write. For his services a literary agent charges a commission. This may vary from agent to agent but is generally around 15%.
How to Find a Literary Agent
It has been said that finding an agent is as difficult as finding a publisher but there are a number of ways to go about it:
- Talk to other writers: If a writer has friends who already have agents, they may be willing to recommend him to their agent, or at the very least, direct the writer to the agent’s web site. Most agents have web sites and once the writer has gathered a few names, he will want to check them out.
- There are many web sites devoted to finding literary agents. Some of them offer searchable data bases. Agent Query professes to have the largest and most up to date data base on the net.
- Attend conferences and workshops where agents are featured presenters.
- The writer should search for agents in his field. For example, if he writes for children an agent who specializes in romance novels will probably not be interested in his work.
How To Approach an Agent
There is no universal way to make first contact with an agent but their guidelines will be on their web sites. Some agents prefer hard copies of manuscripts and will not accept email submissions. Others want the writer to send a query letter via email, still others are looking for a resume’ and synopsis of the work the writer is hoping to sell. Some want to see the first chapter. The writer should be very careful to adhere to the agent’s guidelines for submission.
The Writer/Agent Relationship
The relationship between an agent and a writer has often been referred to as similar to a marriage. Like husband and wife, the writer and his agent work together for a common goal and if the relationship falls apart, so do they, much like a married couple getting a divorce. But, the agent retains custody of the “children” – any business to do with books he sold for the writer. So, even though the writer has moved on, he will still be tied to his former agent. Possibly for life.
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