I think we can all agree that writing is a fulfilling endeavor. The great news for writers is that you not only have the chance to share an integral part of yourself with the world, but you can also earn a living doing it.

Earning a living by writing, however, is not as easy as it may seem, especially if your goal is to publish a book. In fact, the process of convincing companies to publish your book and then negotiating agreements on how to market your book can be more taxing than writing.

And so, this is where the important role of a literary agent comes in. If you don’t want to waste all your creative effort on doing the business work yourself, a literary agent is a must.

What Is A Literary Agent?

A literary agent is someone who represents writers and their written works to publishers, producers, and other companies. These agents assist you in selling your book and in dealing with contract negotiations. They do not get paid up front, but they do get a percentage of your royalties for the works they help you get published.

Agents can be very useful as buffers between you and your publisher, especially when it comes to negotiating your deal. Also, most publishers want to make changes to your work in order to cater to its saleability. Having an agent around to help settle things can make this process easier on everyone.

Why Should You Get An Agent?

As a writer, you want to focus your energy on the creative aspect of being an author. Isn’t it easier to hire someone to do all the negotiating and business deals for you. Additionally, agents have connections that you don’t.

Bob Bly is one of my favorite authors on freelance writing. He says that he has other people to do EVERYTHING for him so that he can spend his entire day writing. Boy, has it worked for him, with dozens of books to his credit and a regular column in writer’s digest magazine, he’s one of the most prolific writers on writing of our generation.

If you find the right literary agent, he or she should assist you in earning more money from your work than you could earn on your own. When that happens, you don’t mind the agent getting a portion of your royalties. The right agent will fight to defend your artistic choices and help make sure that your original concept is not compromised.

What Should You Know Before Getting An Agent?

As good as it may sound to get a literary agent to represent you, do not be in too much of a hurry. Make sure you research the right agents for the genre you write. Once you’ve narrowed down a few good ones, send them your first three chapters along with a comprehensive synopsis, and a short letter asking them to represent you.

Keep in mind that most agents are swamped with manuscripts from many different writers. They may sometimes come off as picky and hard to please. Don’t get frustrated at this stage. There are a lot of agents out there, and in time, you will find an agent who will believe in your work and help you sell it.

Be warned that if you find agents advertising too much, or offering too-good-to-be-true offers, they may not be the real deal. One of the best ways to find the right agent is to join writing organizations and attend their conferences. I highly recommend Romance Writers of America, and the California Writers Club.

Romance Writers of America

California Writers Club

Doing the creative work of writing is one thing, the business aspect is something else altogether. A good literary agent can help launch your career as a writer, make the process easier, help you make better business decisions, and keep your manuscript out of the slush pile. And so, if you want to become successful in your writing endeavors, it would certainly not hurt to get a good agent.

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