Prisimpad: A Guide to Wattpad, Writing, and Whatever

ON WHATEVER: Getting that Agent

Let's talk agents now. I've seen so many people trash agents, some going as far as calling them thieves because they dare take a cut of your money. This is another one where an agent won't be right for everyone and so you have to decide what is the right path for your book. I have personally decided that if I continue pursuing publishing, I will get an agent first. I simply don't want to do what it is the agents does, thus I'm willing to pay them for it.

So what is an agent? They're the middle man essentially. They're the ones who will take your book to publishers and try to sell it to that publisher. Again, if your dream is Big 5 then you need an agent. There are multiple publishers who will only take agented MS' so having one opens a broader spectrum of publishers to your book.

They only get paid if your book sells so they're going to want to work their butt off for you. They will negotiate better rights for your baby and help you go through the contract. The agent knows the trends of the publishing world and stays on top of them. Are unicorns in? Vampires? Historical fiction? Is paranormal over done? Is fantasy dead? The agent will be up on all of that. They'll know who to send your baby to and who not to.

They'll negotiate royalty fees, publishing rights, audio book rights, movie rights, all the rights you could ever need--the agent helps you with that.

Yes, they take a percent of your books profits, just like the publisher will, but the agent will be knee deep in the contract trenches so that you don't have to.

Finding a good agent is like finding your husband/wife. You want to make sure you connect with each other. He or she is going to be a life long companion to you and your books. So like looking for a publisher or editor, take your time and do it right. Make sure they're the right fit to fight for your baby.

There is a website called Manuscript Wish List that has a ton of agents and editors on there. They will clearly list the MSWL and the things they're not taking. Again, if they're not taking your ninja fighting vampire boy band style of story, don't query them. Find someone else who is taking that style of story. Respect their wish list.

Once again, sit down and make a list of pros and cons to help you determine if getting an agent is the right step for you. Publishing is a case that if you're too lazy to research, you unfortunately will either fall flat on your face or get scammed. So find the patience to research every aspect of it before you make a decision.