Agents

It is one of the current controversies in the publishing world whether or not you need an agent to sell your non-fiction book to a publisher. You certainly need one for a fiction book, but most non-fiction books are sold each year directly from the author to the publisher.

Part of the answer lies in how you want to publish your book: If you are intent on a large publisher, like a Random House or Simon & Schuster, it if far more difficult to sell the book directly – you probably need an agent. However, when you get out of the top five mega-conglomerate publishers, then you will find it makes more sense to send the manuscript directly. Contrary to what you may have hear, every publisher will accept unagented manuscripts, but the large ones do it more rarely.

The reason you may see on a publishers web site that the publisher does not accept manuscripts not submitted by agents is to slow down the tremendous number that are sent in. Publishers know that the quality of a manuscript, and of the book proposal, submitted by agents is generally far higher than many they see, and they would like to encourage writers to go through that screening process.

The work of an agent is to: ·	Review your work for publishability ·	Assist you in creating the best book proposal for your book ·	Approach publishers and pitch your work ·	Negotiate advances and royalties ·	Negotiate important contract terms ·	Market subsidiary rights ·	Keep up with trends in the industry affecting the author ·	Monitors licensing agreements for your materials

Generally, a reputable agent will charge a standard 15% of your advance and royalties when your book is sold to a publisher. The agent should generally bear all the costs involved in getting that proposal to editors – photocopying, mailing, phone, etc.

It is important to note that when you sell your manuscript, the agent gets the advance check and subsequent royalty checks from the publisher, subtracts his or her percentage, and sends the balance to you.

There is little to keep anyone from representing himself or herself as an agent, so buyer beware. There are no licensing requirements or any real scrutiny. When you are looking for an agent, you want to be sure that agent has a verifiable record of books sold to known publishers. One of the best ways to find an agent is to find an author who is pleased with the work of his or her agent. Be concerned about any agent who has contacted you – this is very rare with quality agents.

There is a trade association, The Association of Authors’ Representatives which many good agents belong to and which has an agent code of ethics that is worth reviewing. They also have a public database with contact information and web links that may help you locate an agent. It also has a list of interview questions the writer should ask the prospective agent.

Another place to find an agent is through the book or online service, Literary Market Place.

There is also a web site that helps people screen for agents who are notoriously fraudulent called Preditors and Editors.

One thing worth noting is that an agent should never charge you an upfront fee for reading your manuscript.

If you get an offer from a book contract, you might be well served to find an agent to represent you in contract negotiations, especially if you intent to write more books. You will have many more options of agents once you have demonstrated interest of the publisher.

It might also be wise to seek agent representation of your intellectual property has merchandizing possibilities beyond your book – such as movie rights, games, etc.

Tanyab 08:11, 5 December 2008 (UTC) | www.publishing-store.com