Looking for an Agent

As soon as you read it you ask yourself, “Why?” Why in this day and age when everyone is self-publishing FB pages, posts, tweets, instagrams, blogs and books, does anyone need an agent.  An agent works with traditional publishers, a dying breed to say the least. Besides, does anyone read books anymore?

Could she be the right agent?

If most writers are like me, they are more interested in the writing process, the telling of the story than the selling of the story. Still, it’s much easier, if not simpler, to cut out the middleman or woman, especially in this electronic age, and publish books directly on Amazon, Lulu, or whatever available format one chooses. In fact, it’s so attractive a method that more books are published in this manner than the traditional method. So, why on earth does someone want to pursue an archaic method of reaching an audience, other than masochistic proclivity?

After pouring their heart and soul into their writing many new authors avert the tradition of groveling at the door of some publishing house. The move to self and independent publishing has soared into the stratosphere. Average sales reach into the tens of copies. 

Meanwhile old school publishers with their deep pockets and fancy marketing campaigns refuse to look at a book or its author unless they can sell thousands of copies in its first printing.  Not only that, their policy is not to negotiate or pay authors.  Authors, new or otherwise, present their work and are compensated through their agents.

Would you trust him to be your agent?

For the past eighteen months, since the completion of my first novel I have pursued literary agent representation. Most, if not all, do not accept unsolicited manuscripts, phone calls or visitors without appointments. The proper method of groveling is called the query letter. One cautionary tale—and there is nothing satirical about it—is anyone who asks for a reading fee to look at the manuscript is not to be trusted.  For this reason, legitimate agents, who receive a dozen or more of these queries each day, only ask to read material that peaks their interest and they believe they can market.

I'm just not sure about her negotiating style.

During this year and a half I have sent fifty-four queries, received twenty-six responses declining my offer, and understand the other twenty-eight are not interested either.  Although the standard response indicates selection is a subjective process and the respondent wishes me well in my continued pursuit of getting my manuscript to publication, it doesn’t diminish the sense of wandering in a cave looking for hidden treasure trying not to get hit in the head by a stalactite or trip over a stalagmite, all the while wishing I had worn something warmer and hoping I can remember my way back once I have found my destination.

Still, if I want to continue to poke fun at those who choose to self-publish rather than wander through illusive query caves, I have to pick up the pace. Not only is it time to get down to work on the second novel, it is time to send more than one query a week—those doing the math will know I am about twenty queries shy of that rate at this writing. So, look for an update in about six months, or better still have your literary agent contact me.