Do I Really Need an Agent?

Happy Valentine's Day, friends! I'm very happy to be joining you today. When I started trying to think about what I would write about today, I kept coming up blank. Then a few hours ago, I had a conversation with several friends that resonated with me. Isn't it cool when God steps in that way? One of my friends asked if she really needed an agent. After all, the line that she was targeting, Love Inspired Suspense, doesn't require writers to have an agent in order to submit. It is the only traditional house I know of that allows unagented submissions at all times. Now, whether to get an agent or not is a highly personal decision. I would never tell someone they were wrong either way. To be fair, there are good arguments for both. If one is targeting Love Inspired, or planning on self-publishing, it may not seem to make sense to pay a commission to someone to represent you. For myself, I have had an agent since I published my first book, and it has always seemed worth it, for several reasons. The first reason is that in the beginning, I had no idea what I was doing. It took some time to figure out who I was as an author. The temptation to go after everyy opportunity was great. My agent was the wise voice helping me find my brand and stick to it. She also helped me see where a few projects that looked good would go against my contract with Love Inspired Suspense. As a newbie, there were quite a few pitfalls she helped me to avoid. Another reason that I like having an agent is that she is the one to ask the tricky questions and negotiate for me. I hate confrontation. Another reason I love working with my agent is that she is actively seeking out new opportunities for me that will not be in conflict with my contract. For example, I have written four books for Annie's Fiction. Even though the word count is the same, Annie's is a subscription based publisher, and therefore not in competition with Love Inspired. It was an opportunity I wouldn't have had without my agent. The latest opportunity she found for me was writing two books for Guideposts in their Love's a Mystery series. As I said before, having an agent is a personal decision. In my life, it makes sense. For someone else, it might not. Remember I mentioned my Guidepost books? My first one is out now. Don't you love the cover? This series consists of stories in towns across America with interesting names. Each book has a historical story and a contemporary one, that are somehow connected. I was thrilled to work with my friend Johnnie Alexander on these stories. The idea of having stories set in the same town, in different times and connected by an object intrigued me. I have a copy of Love's a Mystery in Gnaw Bone IN that I will give to one commenter. Thanks for stopping by! Dana R. Lynn