Featured article by Emma Jones, content writer at TechsCrunch
One of the many changes the internet has wrought is the lowering of the barriers to publishing a book. Self-publishing is easier than ever and platforms like Amazon will let pretty much anyone upload a book and take their chances. However, if you want to get picked up by one of the big publishing houses, self-publishing might well kill your shot. In those cases, you generally need to seek professional help. Still though, done right, it is possible do quite well selling on your own. Ultimately, this begs the question: Do you need a literary agent to sell your ebook?
What Agents Do
One of the roles of the literary agent is to shop your book around to publishing houses in an effort to drum up interest. Yes, you can do this yourself. However, if you don’t know an editor at one of these places, your odds of getting your book read are pretty slim. And, even if you do, negotiating a good deal might be outside the realm of your capabilities. The best agents have a roster of editors who trust their judgment, which means if they like your book, it will get serious consideration. Plus, they’re used to working out the details of contracts and the like, so they can be quite helpful in that regard.
What Agents Don’t Do
No legitimate literary agent will ever ask you for money to represent you to publishers. They get paid a percentage when a publishing house agrees to pick up your book. In most cases, it’s 15 percent of the advance and royalties. Further, really good agents don’t advertise. They’re already inundated with titles, so they don’t need to solicit. In fact, they are usually being solicited. Additionally, reputable agents don’t ask for reading fees, copying fees, placement fees or editing fees. Some might refer you to a professional copyeditor if they see potential in your book but know it needs cleaning up before showing it to a publisher.
With That Said…
Now that self-publishing has become so readily accessible, a number of established authors have begun doing so, and have enlisted the assistance of literary agents to handle much of the legwork publishing houses used to do. They review contracts, deal with the administrative minutiae, find art directors, copy editors, proofreaders and etc. They have also moved into placing books with retailers, helping authors set up ebooks online stores and helping accomplished self-published writers move into traditional publishing.
So, Do You Need One?
As you can see, there are a number of advantages to working with a good literary agent, even if you self-publish. After all, with someone handling the business end for you, all you have to do is focus on writing. This can be a big relief if you’re inexperienced in those other areas. However, you will pay for this help and that’s money you could be keeping in your pocket. On the other hand, an agent can help you get paid more than you could get on your own.
So, bottom line, the answer to the question of whether you need a literary agent to sell your ebook is — it depends.
One more thing you should know: great agentslook for a number of key conditions to be in place before they agree to work with a writer. You will have to have created a pretty solid track record and you’ll need to be well represented on social media. The best agents are looking for committed writers with solid followings to represent, to ensure they are using their time to best advantage.
