This post was originally published at Novelicious.com and is now at WritingTipsOasis.com. WritingTipsOasis.com acquired Novelicious.com in June 2022.
This last week I had a really great writing week. I went to the RNA summer party and met lots of lovely authors, I got two five star reviews from readers I didn’t know on Amazon, and I had a bumper weekend of sales which means I’ve now sold over 3,000 books in the last three months. So this morning, when I checked my emails and had my first slush-pile agency rejection in two years, I tried not to get down about it. But it did make me ask the question that has been playing at the back of my mind, do I need an agent?My husband works in a commercial environment whereas I have always worked in creative industries. For him he can’t understand why I want an agent; after all, I’m doing ok in terms of book sales, why would I want someone to come along and start taking 10%?
And then if I did get an agent there isn’t a magical guarantee that I’ll get published at the end of it. I’ve spoken to three authors in the last week who are in that situation.
But with that in my mind, I still really do want an agent. I guess for me I want a person in my corner. I want someone I respect in the industry to validate my work, tell me I’m good enough to make it and then help me make it.
I’d almost forgotten what it was like to sub an agent. The little butterflies you get as you send it away; the constant checking of your mobile and your emails, just in case; and the moment that you see said email in your inbox where you know you probably have been rejected but you almost don’t want to click on it and have it confirmed.
A few months ago, I had a different agent experience. I met an agent at an event, and then a week later they emailed me from my website. Whilst our email correspondence didn’t lead to a deal, it showed me a different side to literary agents. Instead of being the faceless, impersonal gatekeeper that they often appear from slush-pile submissions, it felt like I was dealing with a friend.
Whilst it didn’t go anywhere, it boosted my confidence that a literary agent was talking to little old me. Even though it was every bit as nerve wracking as the slush-pile it was just a nice experience, and one that made me realise that agents are real people.
So whilst I may not need an agent to carry on my self-publishing route I guess it comes down to what I want from my writing career. Deep down I want to be traditionally published, and I want an agent to believe in me to make that happen. I guess I’m going to have to get used to the feelings of slush-pile rejection as I’m not going to give up!
Anna's novel Millie and the American Wedding is out now.