To Have an Agent or not to Have an Agent: Do I Need a Literary Agent? Part 2

Today more and more new writers are choosing alternative routes to publication. In doing this, many have abandoned the process of seeking an agent. I am not speaking just of authors who feel they do not need an agent because they’ve chosen the self-publishing route. I am also speaking of authors who become traditionally published without agents. There are writers who would prefer to do all the footwork themselves and would rather not have an agent for their own reasons.

Below I’ve outlined reasons why a writer may decide not to seek out an agent. There are many advantages to having a good agent but authors can become successfully published without one.

Reasons You May Not Need or Want an Agent:

Your Book is for a Niche Market

Writers with books for a niche market or a small market do not necessarily need an agent. If you know that your book has a limited audience to begin with then you would benefit better from targeting niche publishers that fit your book. Most niche publishers do not insist that you have an agent for the publication of your work and the benefits of being with a small publisher can be rewarding in their own right. A niche publisher usually does not publish but a limited amount of titles, which means that they devote a lot of time to the titles they obtain. Overall this is a good deal for niche authors.

You Are Seeking Out Small Presses or Mid-Size Publishers

This ties somewhat into niche book marketing. If an author does not want an agent or is just tired of going through the process of finding one, an alternative is contacting a small or mid-size publisher. More new novelists are turning to smaller presses now more than ever. Small presses are mainly broken up into genres, which gives a writer a better chance at getting published. For example if you write fantasy, you would be interested in a small or mid-size press that publishes only fantasy titles. This is also a better chance of success for an author. They will not have to struggle to find their audience because the press is already familiar with their book’s readers because this is their targeting audience. Also, it is proven that smaller publishers do give more attention to writers than the big ones do and this does wonders for an author’s promotion, giving them the best chance at achieving book sales.

You Don’t Mind Wearing Many Hats

Let’s face it. In today’s world an author has to wear many hats despite the size of their publisher.

To be successful in today’s market a writer must be ready and willing to become their own editor, publicist and businessperson. A lot of writers struggle with this reality and find it hard to do everything themselves but many writers take on this route and find it more rewarding. If you have a head for promotion, know the business pretty well, in a position to acquire contacts and are determined to do the footwork of submitting to publishers than you may not need or want an agent. It is possible to get published without an agent but you must get your foot in the door first.

For example if your goal is to be published with one of the NY big boys one day and you do not want an agent, then you can try publishing with a small press first. Publishing a book with a small press (not POD or self-publishing houses but traditional small publishers) is just as good as being published with a big press and so, this counts as a real writing credit. It really doesn’t matter if your book sold well because it is still a traditionally published book and a bigger publisher will realize that. This can get you in the door with a big publisher because you are already a published author.

Many authors without agents find it easier to move onto a bigger publisher by going this route. The key is thinking long term. While releasing a book with that smaller press, it also gets you use to the feel of being published and by the time you get to the big boys you’ll have much needed experience.

You Want to Keep As Much of Your Money as You Can

Believe it or not, many writers choose not to deal with agents simply because they do not want to give up a cut of their royalties. If you want to hold onto that 15 or 20 percent than this may be a reason you do not want an agent.

You Have Connections

You may be a new writer but you may already have connections to the publishing world. If you have the necessary connections that may lead you to publication than you wouldn’t need an agent. Once again the agent is the middleman who gets your work a publisher’s attention. If you can do this on your own successfully than you do not need an agent.

Tired of Waiting

It takes time to get an agent, if you’re lucky to get one. The fact is that it’s even harder to get an agent than it is to get a publisher. Maybe you’ve been at the agent search a long time with no results. You’ve gone through all the hard work of acquiring an editor, you’ve redone your book many times and feel it’s ready but still no agent is biting. This is the best time to take a break from the agent search and consider approaching publishers. If you honestly believe that you’ve hit a brick wall (after making sure your work’s in its best form), then considering submitting strictly to publishers would be an idea worth exploring.

You’ve had A Bad Experience with an Agent

You shouldn’t judge all agents by your experience with one but this is easier said than done. Maybe you had an agent and the experience was horrific and you’re still left unpublished. Maybe you feel the agent didn’t try hard enough or that you weren’t given the attention you deserved. Maybe you’re just fed up with the agent’s way of doing things and you want to move on. Many writers take on the publishing world alone once they’ve dealt with a difficult agent. Pay attention to your agent. Look at what they are doing and how they are handling your work. If they seem to be doing things you could do yourself then you don’t need them. This is when hard work comes in. You can learn from a bad experience to the point where you learn how to handle the process yourself. Remember that a bad agent is worse than no agent is. Sometimes it’s best to do it alone.

You Are Going the Self-Published or Print on Demand Route

Common sense should tell anyone that if they are choosing to self-publish than they do not have to have an agent.

In terms of becoming traditionally published, both journeys of seeking or not seeking out an agent are different from one another but neither is quick or easy. You have to know what you want for your career and what you’re able to bring to the table. From there you should be able to make the best decision. It all starts with researching the business and determining the best option for you. Remember, what works for someone else may not work for you. You have to test the waters yourself and most times you’ll be surprised at what you can do.