Do you need a literary agent?

“It’s time for me to get an agent,” the writer told me. “I’m tired of trying to market my work all by myself.”

While I sympathize with the tired feeling, I had to break it to him that an agent wasn’t going to relieve him of his marketing responsibilities. Whether you have a publisher, an agent, or you’re on your own, making yourself visible to readers will always be your job as the author.

So then why would you need an agent?

If you want to be published by a large or mid-sized traditional publi...