Do I Need an Agent to
Publish My Book?
By Mary Kole
Mary Kole is a former literary agent, freelance editor, writing teacher, author of Writing Irresistible Kidlit, and IP developer for major publishers, with over a decade in the publishing industry.
Many writers find themselves wondering, “Do I need an agent to publish my book?” Why? Well, getting a literary agent is hard. Book rejection rates are often north of 99%. Literary agents see tens of thousands of submissions per year—at least I did, when I spent five years as a literary agent myself.
Do I Need an Agent to Publish My Book?
Aspiring authors have often heard the phrase “you need a literary agent,” at least if they want to land a deal with a major publisher, especially since those houses don’t take unagented submissions. You often can’t get your project into one of the “Big Five” publishers without an agent. There are other ways to secure a book deal without having an agent, but those are more of a shot in the dark. (And notice that I’m not biased toward having a literary agent, even though I was one. I’m able to have a balanced discussion on the topic, because I don’t think agents are a magic bullet.)
Let’s break down the pros and cons of having an agent vs. submitting alone to publishers as you pursue your writing career. With these thoughts in mind, you can answer the question, “Do I need an agent to publish my book?” for yourself.
Do I Need an Agent to Publish My Book? The Benefits of Having a Literary Agent
One of the main benefits of having an agent is that they will know the ins and outs of the publishing industry, and will be able to make robust recommendations for publishing house editors who might be interested in your work. This can be extremely helpful for a writer who is new to the world of publishing or one who does not have connections within the industry. As much as we all claim that a good book is the only factor in getting published, sometimes it really can be about external factors—like social media platform and who you know.
Agents also provide feedback on manuscripts before taking them on submission, especially if they pride themselves as an editorial agent, so you can make sure your work is polished before it goes out into the world. Moreover, agents help writers negotiate contracts and get better deals from publishers since they understand what kind of advances should be expected for different types of books. Their agencies will also have preferential contracts that set precedent for advantageous terms at various houses. You’re not just getting the agent—you’re also getting all of the beneficial deal points that they and their colleagues have negotiated, often over years of deals, that are grandfathered into your contract.
Finally, agents are great at connecting writers to subrights opportunities, like film, merchandising, audio, and foreign. You can get all of these for yourself ad hoc, but it will take a lot more hard work to make these connections and get people excited about your work’s potential in each separate category. Literary agents often have co-agents who can find more opportunities for you, acting as a one-stop shop.
So if you’re wondering, “Do I need an agent to publish my book?”, you can certainly see the benefits of working with one. If you want an experienced professional in your corner to sell the manuscript, negotiate on your behalf, target editors and publishers, work with you on revision, and guide you through the process, you might want to try for literary agent representation.
Do I Need an Agent to Publish My Book? The Drawbacks of Having a Literary Agent
Having a literary agent also comes with drawbacks as well. First, finding an agent can be difficult and time consuming if you don’t have any contacts in the industry that can help point you in the right direction or make introductions on your behalf. Your work also has to be very, very strong already by the time you submit. If you’re not able to do self-editing, this often means working with an editor for hire on your project before submission. That’s a lot of emotional and financial investment, and the results (getting an agent and book deal to recoup your money) aren’t guaranteed.
There may also be some control issues at play, or an imbalanced power dynamic. Writers sometimes feel like they must agree with their agent's opinion when making decisions about their work. They worry that they will lose their sense of ownership over their project, and maybe even their artistic integrity. (If you feel this way with your agent, try to communicate your feelings. Do note that not all agent/writer relationships end up lasting. Unfortunately, sometimes a writer must break up with their agent. This isn’t the end of the world, but very few people talk about this reality.)
This loss of control feeling depends on how much input each party wants to have over certain aspects of the publishing process. Some writers are happy to defer to agents, but sometimes disagreements do arise. It’s how these are handled that tends to spell the success or doom of the relationship long-term.
Also, not every project is appropriate for a literary agents. Agents are working a commission-based sales job, after all, so they want to make money on a book that will sell. That means they might reject perfectly good books that can still have a life at a small, regional, or niche publisher. Or in the indie author realm. Not every project you dream up will be right for a literary agent, and that’s okay.
An obvious downside is that the agent also collects commission on every sale (but only once a book is sold—they should not charge anything upfront because this is a common publishing scam). Even if you’re no longer working with that agent or you part ways, they remain the agent on record for everything you’ve sold for you, for as long as the book is in print (and these days, with digital editions of everything floating around, it can be almost impossible to get rights reverted for your project or to truly go out of print).
Still wondering, “Do I need an agent to publish my book?” While it certainly smooths the path, opens doors, and takes certain things like contract negotiations off your plate, it can be difficult to achieve, and it’s not the right answer for everyone or every project.
Do I Need an Agent to Publish My Book, Or Should I Self-Publish?
Finally, you can sidestep the “Do I need an agent to publish my book?” question altogether by opting to self-publish.
If you decide not to pursue getting a literary agent, there are still options available that will allow you to publish your work without one. You could opt for self-publishing platforms like Amazon’s Kindle Direct Publishing or IngramSpark. Both offer print-on-demand services that allow authors to bypass traditional gatekeepers and publish their work themselves—albeit at their own risk, since these platforms do not offer any editorial guidance or support. This also means you will have to hire an editor, use a proofreader, and cobble together services like cover design, layout, and marketing copy yourself.
Those writers who prize control will be all over this option. But it is hard work to cobble together all of the functions of a traditional publisher yourself. Working with a hybrid publisher is also an option, and they can do all of these things for you as a bundle offering or a la carte, but any “done for you” option can get expensive.
Alternatively, if you already have contacts in the publishing industry or are able to market yourself effectively online, then submitting queries directly to publishers might be another option for getting your book into the market without an agent. Do note that since most of the big publishers don’t take unagented submissions, you will be submitting to smaller, niche, or regional presses. It all depends on what route best suits your needs and goals as an author!
Especially if you’re thinking of going to a small press or self-publishing, the answer to, “Do I need an agent to publish my book?” is a resounding “no.” Definitely not.
All in all, deciding whether or not having a literary agent is right for you depends on your individual situation, the perceived market value of your work, and your goals. If you feel comfortable navigating through submissions yourself then going it alone could be a viable option. If you are curious to replicate the steps of the editing and publishing process yourself, self-publishing might be incredibly attractive.
However, if you feel unsure about your industry knowledge, want an editorial agent to provide additional writing notes, or are gunning for a major publisher, then enlisting the help of someone who understands them may be beneficial in helping increase your chances at finding success as a published writer. Ultimately, whatever path you choose should align with what works best for you. Good luck!
For those eagle-eyed readers who are wondering just what kind of editor would write an article with the clunky phrasing of “do I need an agent to publish my book” over and over on her website, I applaud you for noticing that this reads awkwardly. Please note that I picked this keyword phrase on purpose, as part of my SEO (search engine optimization) strategy. If you’re curious about writer marketing techniques, check out Good Story Marketing.
Click here to purchase Successful Query Letters, my book on query letters, including over forty examples with comprehensive notes on each one. There’s a ton of submission advice, best practices, and insider information in these pages, and you’ll really enjoy seeing what other writers are doing in the slush.