For pitching monthly comics publishers, you do not need an agent. However, for bookstore / trade publishers, as in prose fiction, you definitely get further with an agent. So it depends on what your goal is.
My literary agent is worth their entire % and more. As well as pitching work, they take care of legal, foreign rights, and a lot of tax stuff, and they co-ordinate with my book to film agent. I have landed two book deals and a few other things I would not have gotten without them
There’s also a lot of advice, strategy, etc I get from them. But I want to be doing a bookstore book a year, so having an agent suits my goals.
Do they get me ALL my work? No. And this is a common misperception.
Do they get me ALL my work? No. And this is a common misperception.
Once you get an agent, you do not in fact sit back and wait for the work to roll in. You’re still hustling just as hard, only now you have backup.
There are still publishers I pitch directly. My agent knows I’m taking the project to that pub, and it’s fine.
There are still publishers I pitch directly. My agent knows I’m taking the project to that pub, and it’s fine.
And I still have to make a full pitch, with art and sample pages and everything.
Oh another great thing about agents? They hassle the bad payers, so you don’t have to. So even gigs I get myself, I loop my agent in and have them invoice for me (and check the contract and stuff). You gain nothing by hiding jobs from your agent to “save” that 15%
tl;dr if your career is oriented to monthly comics and/or work for hire, sure, there’s no point in an agent.
if you’re heading to bookstore, YA, etc and might also want to cross over into prose, and you already have a strong track record, it’s probably time to get an agent
if you’re heading to bookstore, YA, etc and might also want to cross over into prose, and you already have a strong track record, it’s probably time to get an agent
But agent or no agent, DO THE WORK, MAKE THE THING and make it WELL
All this talk about agents is a way some creators distract themselves from actually making the book
“oh, it’s hopeless, I don’t have an agent—“
BOLLOCKS
All this talk about agents is a way some creators distract themselves from actually making the book
“oh, it’s hopeless, I don’t have an agent—“
BOLLOCKS
Look I restarted my career via Kickstarting a graphic novel
Nobody helps you with your books until you don’t really need the help any more
Shut up and make the thing
Then find a way to get it out there
Then make the next thing
Nobody helps you with your books until you don’t really need the help any more
Shut up and make the thing
Then find a way to get it out there
Then make the next thing
It is hard and it is depressing but keep at it
And make sure you really love what you’re making because that selfishness is sometimes all that keeps you going
a career in the arts is NOT EASY but it can have moments of wonder and delight
And make sure you really love what you’re making because that selfishness is sometimes all that keeps you going
a career in the arts is NOT EASY but it can have moments of wonder and delight
