You don't need permission...

American literary agent Rachelle Gardner wrote a blog post a couple of days ago, Will Self-Pubbing Hurt My Chances? And the answer she gives is,
NO. Self-publishing probably will not hurt your chances of traditional publishing. This is a 180 degree switch from just a few years ago! There was a stigma attached to self publishing, and authors who went that route risked alienating those in traditional publishing. The self-pub author was perceived as someone who was impatient; they [sic] were someone who was unable to pass muster with agents and editors; they put out cheap-looking books that were poorly written and badly edited. But today it's different.
This is good news for authors unable to attract an agent, who feel they need 'permission' to self-publish. The industry is beginning to give its blessing to those pesky indies it was once so scathing about. Perhaps more... one commenter wrote, "I'm worried that publishers will start to expect an author coming to them to already have readership and sales numbers in hand."
What I want to say in big letters is, YOU DON'T NEED PERMISSION. Just a good book, because validation can only be given by readers: not agents, editors or marketing departments.
Konrad Lorenz tells a story about the geese he kept. Each morning he would open the gate to the small compound where they spent the night to allow them to roam freely during the day. One morning, he saw from his window he'd forgotten to close the gate the night before, so he didn't need to open it. A while later, he noticed the geese were still in their compound, making dissatisfied noises. The gate was open, but they would not go through it until he went over, shut it, and opened it again with a flourish. This ceremony over, they went off to forage.
Don't be like those geese. Agents and publishers are losing some of their power. They are becoming aware of this, and so should we be.