Misconceptions About Agents

Sometimes the cartoon bubble of what an agent is and does is skewed. Here are the top 4 misconceptions about literary agents and the truth to clear them up.

They are expensive.

Read my lips. You don’t have to pay up front for an agent. If you find one that charges you to sign with them, run far and run fast. Most reputable agents are paid a commission when they sell your manuscript for a pre-arranged percentage and require no payments before that sale.

They are easier to get than a publisher.

Nope. Not so much. You jump through the same hoops to get an agent as you do a publisher.

You don’t need to have an agent.

True. I’m living proof that you can get published without an agent. But (and I’ve always got a big but) your opportunity for snagging a bigger publisher is pretty much squat. It can happen, but that’s rare. A good agent is worth his or her weight in gold…and in this day and age, that’s a hefty amount.

They are hard to find.

Not really. Good agents are hard to acquire, but agents in general are not hard to locate. Check out conferences. Even if you can’t afford to attend, you can see who’s lined up to speak and snoop around their websites. Ask writer buddies for recommendations. And when you do find one that looks good, don’t forget to make sure they’re really all that and a bag of chips by visiting Preditors and Editors.