Do I Need a Literary Agent? Two Words: Hell Yeah

Do I Need a Literary Agent? Two Words: Hell Yeah.

The definitive way to separate oneself from being 'a waiter who writes on the side' to 'a published writer' is to land an agent [for more on How to Get Reputable Author Representation without getting scammed, click here]

Unagented work, simply put, goes nowhere. Technically, it sits for an indefinite period (months to even years) in what's called a 'slush pile', two words that individually have negative connotations and when put together, should strike fear into even the most criticism-hardened aspiring writer.

Depending on the resources a particular publisher can muster, the pile may after many agonizing months, eventually be perused by an overworked editorial intern, whose real priority is stuff that's agented.

In a Salon article 'Confessions of a Slush Pile Reader', Patricia Chui recalls that "Slush calls were tedious, time-consuming and instantly recognizable" and detailed a litany of manuscript faux pas from single spaced manuscripts with no margins, to utterly incoherent handwritten jibberish and samples that were signed off with 'In Jesus' Name'!

If Fortuna's wheel turns favorably in one's direction, there is a very remote chance material will be deemed worthy of publication and excavated from this ignored and ever-growing dreary pile awaiting a rejection slip. And if this exceedingly unlikely event should occur, you would STILL need an agent to negotiate a contract, unless you are confident in your ability to navigate through page upon page of legalese.

Why not put the odds in your favor and land yourself an agent?

An agent stands between writers who are serious and those who are dillettantes. They are gatekeepers, doing part of a publisher's job for them---that is to say, they suss out writers of quality, or those with commercial potential, or better still, when the two overlap! Publishing houses know this full well and many of them explicitly do not accept unagented works at all, letting the agents 'do the dirty work', as it were, weeding out all the bizarre material the likes of which Mrs Chui had sent her way.

 
So, an agent is required for publishers to even begin to take notice of your work. But what else do they do?

 
Agents are able to tell you, in clear terms what, 'secondary serial rights', 'boilerplates' or 'subsidiary rights' are, for example, and explain the often confusing jargon contained in a typical contract.

They have backgrounds in English literature, are used to reading loads of manuscripts and as such are able to provide editorial guidance and helpful suggestions before your material is sent off to a publisher. They can also help determine, where your manuscript would have the best chance of success, i.e, a publishing house that specializes in crime thrillers, for example, if that's one's forte.

 
Most importantly, as they receive a 15-20% cut of your advance against returns, it's in their best interest to negotiate the most favorable deal on your behalf.

Christopher Lombardo is the co-author of The Man Who Scared a Shark to Death and Other True Tales of Drunken Debauchery (Penguin Global, 08) and is one half of www.thesharkguys.com