To Agent, or Not to Agent

Three years ago when I sat down to find a home for Binding Vows I started with an agent search. Why not, that's what all the books said to do… all the blogs. I traversed agent blogs, websites, learned what they were looking for and narrowed my search of a couple of dozen. I queried, came up with a handful of flat out rejections and a couple of 'let me read more' letters. I circled around this block for about six months, did have one offer of representation but after more research I found said agent on the P&E Not Recommended list.
Part of me was gravely disappointed that I didn't find an agent straight out of the hoop, a good one that was. That feeling has come and gone in the past couple of years. I've tried the agent search a time or two since with various manuscripts. Yet with the changing tide of publishing, and many agents finding different day jobs, I realize that some of those rejections were actually my saving grace. You see, I am not tied into any one agent, not tied into not being able to self publish some of my work, or send future MacCoinnich Time Travel books to The Wild Rose Press.
With so many authors self publishing so they can actually make money, agents are quickly becoming part of the past. Sure some of the big six publishers still want to see only work sent by an author representative… but how long is that going to last? If Indie and small press authors continue to dominate the top 100 lists, this agent practice gig will be adios amigo.

Every day things are changing. One rejection may actually be another door opening.
The Ramblings of Catherine Bybee
Award Winning, Best Selling, blah, blah, blah, Author