Do I Need An Agent?
Welcome to Ron’s Tuesday’s Tip. Every Tuesday I will share a tip with you. This week is about: Do I Need An Agent?
The following is
based on So You Want To Write?
When I first
began writing the need of having an agent quickly became a question that needed
an answer. My first response was ‘Of course’. But, as you will see, my answer
changed.
Since my answer
was ‘Of course’, I proceeded to look for an agent. At first I didn’t know what
I was looking for in an agent or why I needed one. Thus, began my education.
But there was one
thing I knew. I had the internet available and could research the subject. I
began digging.
One of the first
things I needed to know was what genre I was writing. It turned out to be
historical fiction. From that little bit of knowledge I now knew that if I was
to get an agent her or she must work in the historical fiction arena.
The next step was
to learn what do agents do on behalf of the writer?
Searching through
the internet I learned there are three things they do.
Find and submit to them
the author’s manuscript.Negotiate contracts.Distribute money
(royalties, etc.)
Sounds relatively
easy doesn’t it? But I soon discovered some interesting facts:
Finding an agent in my
genre is time consumingIt requires knowing what
you needNot every agent is
accepting new clientsMy book needed to pass
their approvalSeeking a publisher in
more productiveBeing a publisher is
better yet!
In addition, I discovered that a growing
number of publishers ‘require’ you to have an agent! They won’t look at your manuscript unless there is an agent!
It was shortly after I discovered this that I
decided to go self-publishing. It was a major move; virtually a first step
toward independence. Later I would take another step away from Self-Publishing
and toward Indie Publishing that would change my life!
My going with a Self-Publisher quickly dispelled some of the misinformation I had acquired. For example, having an agent wasn’t required. You could have one, but you didn’t need to have one.
In my case I thought it wise to continue
looking for an agent. But this proved hard and boring. I eventually found an
agent I like and I submitted my book to her only to get a rejection letter
stating that she didn’t work in my particular genre. Bummer!
The truths I learned here were:
It can take months to
find the right agentThat agent may not want
you.Agents are not required
for self-publishing
So I went with a self-publisher and learned
that although there is more freedom than in traditional publisher, the
self-publisher still had control of all the tools and most of the profits.
Plus, you had to pay them upfront!
One advantage of the self-publisher is that
they will help you market your book. They may provide you marketing tools for a
small fee. But another truth is that no matter what publisher you have you will
do most of the marketing.
This all leads to a question: Can you benefit from an agent?
The answer is yes. They have the expertise and
the experience to get things done. So, there is value in getting an agent.
However, I opted out. Instantly I became
Author, Publisher, and Marketer! Which means that I had the added responsibility
that agents normally handle, which is quite a chore.
What Should I Look
For In An Agent?
Ultimately you make that call. Discover your genre or genres, learn
their characteristics, and search for agents in that genre. No matter what, I
think you should consider it. But you should explore the world of agents. You
might find one you like.
And remember that going alone, especially Independent, requires you to
do the work of an agent!
That said, I believe that going Indie is the best way to go. Yes, you
work hard but the rewards are greater also! As an Indie you have a lot of
responsibilities, but you also have greater possibilities. As an Indie you can
hire companies to help you with certain aspects of your business, such as TR Writing
Services (see below). So you are not alone!
For information
on TR Writing Services contact us at marketing@tr-indbkstore.com.
We have a Free booklet telling you about our services. And we are upfront on
our prices (all are low).
VISIT MY AUTHOR’S PAGE TODAY: amazon.com/author/rfrederickriddle.
ARE YOU A BOOK REVIEWER? I am
always looking for book reviews. Whether it is Perished The World That Was
(Book One), World of Noah and the Ark (Book Two), World of Shem
(Book Three), World of Abraham (Book Four) or Death Ship (Book One), Pauline A New Home (Book Two), Task
Force Hunter (Book Three), Black Death (Book Four), or Rise of
I.C.E.S. (Book Five), I value your reviews.
If you would like to review any of these books contact me at marketing@tr-indbkstore.com with the subject line indicating that desire. An example of an
appropriate subject line would be: ‘Seek to review [book Title].’ In the email
make sure to indicate your email address, your name, and the choice of copy
(PDF or ePub).
– – – – – – –
R Frederick
Riddle is the Editor of TR Writing
Services providing help to struggling and/or new
authors to write and publish their books. In addition he is the author of
several books and is best known for Christian Historical and Speculative
Fiction. For more information on him or his books visit his Amazon Authors Page. He is also
co-founder and Vice President of T&R Independent Books where his books are featured. To reply to any blog you have the
option of commenting on a blog and/or sending an email to marketing@tr-indbkstore.com. You may also be interested in his Facebook page at RFrederickRiddlesWorld.
