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Why Do I Need an Agent



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Tue Feb 24, 2015 4:01 pm
rachellecarter says...



Why do I need an Agent? Do I have to pay them out of pocket or from the profit from my book? Can I be my own agent? :?:
  





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Tue Feb 24, 2015 5:21 pm
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Rosendorn says...



You can want an agent for a few reasons!

1- Agents know the laws relating to publishing. As in, a good agent will know how to negotiate a really good contract for you that lets you keep as many rights as possible and get a really good deal.

2- They know publishers very well. It legitimately takes years to become an agent, and these agents have lots and lots of connections. They know how to approach publishers to get a yes for your book, they know the best editors to say yes, and they can submit places you can't.

3- More a continuation of the last point in the list, but not all publishing houses take author-sourced submissions. As in, when you're acting as your own "agent". If you're not part of the agent community (which is a full time job in and of itself, like writing, and agents are usually living in the same cities as publishers) and don't have the necessary qualifications to be an agent, then publishers simply will not take your submission.

4- Agents act as preliminary editors, before you get to the actual publishing editors. They will help make your book much better and easier to sell, and they have the literary knowledge to know how to improve stories. Remember, agents have seen a whole lot of novels over the years (even a brand new agent will have been in the agent business for years as an assistant, so they know what the job requires)

Agents get a cut out of royalties, which you will negotiate with them. They've earned it, considering they negotiated how many royalties you'll get with the publisher and have shown off your book to a bunch of people who were hopefully clamouring over themselves to get it. Plus, they edited your story.

You're basically paying them for their experience and connections, which helped you get your book published in the first place. But, because they get paid when you sell, they have a vested interest in getting the absolutely best deal for you, because a good deal for you means a good deal for them.

Now, you don't necessarily need an agent— some publishing houses do take unsolicited manuscripts— but they do help tremendously if only because you get quite a lot more opportunities. If you do everything yourself, you'll still need the services of other people in the process, like lawyers. Because you don't want to have publishing houses take too many of your rights when you sign the contract, you'll need somebody with legal experience to look the contract over. An agent will have the legal experience (but even then, you'll still need a lawyer for the agent contract!)

Hope this answers your questions.
A writer is a world trapped in a person— Victor Hugo

Ink is blood. Paper is bandages. The wounded press books to their heart to know they're not alone.
  





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Sun Mar 01, 2015 4:41 pm
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Tenyo says...



Rosie knows everything.

I don't know if it's the same with everybody, but thinking about publishing and money tends to stifle my creativity. I'd rather be able to write for myself and have an agent or editor tell me if it's publishable or needs fixing, than depend on myself for that, because I know that spending too much time in a business mind will afflict my writing.

It might be worth volunteering or getting a temporary placement at a literary agency just to see what goes on there. It will give you an idea of what kind of things you'll have to do for yourself if you do opt to be your own representative.
We were born to be amazing.
  








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