*Sue whispers out-loud.* There's no such thing.
First of all, it's harder to find a real literary agent than it is to find a real publisher. If you can get to one via e-mail or phone then they aren't going to be anyone who can help you. Finding a literary agent is like finding a needle in the haystack . . . where the needle has actually been removed.
Big publishers don't take submissions. They direct you to the elusive "literary agent" setting the new author up for trap after trap after trap.
So should new authors seek out a literary agent to help them find a publisher? Of course they should and then they should contact me for that cheap swampland . . . aw, I think you get the idea. ;)
It was also my dream to be published and find that mythical being called a "book agent". I saw one once and she rode off on a unicorn. I ran and ran and ran. She rode away and disappeared like a rainbow. Each day I see the different facets of publishing and I learn something new. I thought it was about writing a book, but it was more than that: it was to illustrate it, edit it and then...promote it. Promotions became as difficult as writing it.
ReplyDeleteSue...
ReplyDeleteI've known this for years.
This is simply a way for big publishers to be lazy and not do any work. 99% of people will never get a literary agent for one reason or another.
Hence...publishers have only the work they truly, truly want.
I love it when myths are busted! ;)