There are many paths to publishing a book — self-publishing, hybrid publishing, and traditional publishing are the main types. But how do you know if you need a literary agent? Here is some information about the publishing landscape, plus five great reasons why you might want to seek a literary agent to help you on your publishing journey.

First, let’s take a look at the three main types of publishing.

Self-Publishing is the process of publishing a book without the involvement of a third-party publishing house. Authors pay for every part of the publication process, from editing, design, printing, binding, distribution, and fulfillment. Authors control all the decisions and keep all of the profits.

Hybrid Publishing is, simply expressed, a cross between self-publishing and traditional publishing. The author and publisher co-invest in the costs of a book project (editing, design, printing, binding, distribution, and fulfilment). The publisher lends their professional expertise to the project, but the author usually has more control than they would in a traditional publishing situation. The profits are shared.

Traditional Publishing is the process of submitting a book for publication to an established publishing house. Authors are typically given an advance payment against future sales and a royalty rate that reflects a percentage of the sales of the book. When the book goes on sale, the author’s royalties are calculated and subtracted from their advance. When the advance is earned out, the author is able to earn additional royalty revenue. In a traditional publishing model, the publisher funds the editing, design, printing, binding, distribution, and fulfilment. The author may be consulted regarding aspects of the process, but the publisher has the final say. The publisher keeps a larger percentage of the profits because they invest the most money in the book. Traditional publishing is typically considered the most prestigious form of publishing.

Of these three main publishing models, traditional publishing is where a literary agent can be the most useful. Here are five reasons why:

1. Agents are Often Mandatory in Traditional Publishing

If your goal is to be published by a traditional publisher, especially one of the larger publishers or “The Big Five,” you’ll most likely need a literary agent to get you through the doors. Many smaller publishers prefer agented authors as well. While some mid- to small-size publishers will take unagented submissions, the advantages of having an agent on your team are many. In addition, book submissions will typically get read much more quickly if an agent submits them than those from an unagented author, with the assumption being that another industry professional has already vetted the author and their story for marketability. Some authors will also consult agents for hybrid deals to get through tedious contract language.

The “Big Five” Book Publishers (Penguin Random House, Simon & Schuster, HarperCollins, Hachette, MacMillan) are some of the biggest media companies in the world. These large publishing companies have several imprints, or sub-labels, under them, each with different genres and editorial wish lists. They also can have deep pockets and are able to give larger advances to authors. A literary agent knows how to work with these large companies and has contact information for all of the different editors and their tastes.

2. Agents Cultivate Relationships on the Author’s Behalf

Part of a literary agent’s job is to develop relationships and understand what editors’ want to see on their lists. Agents often meet with editors, both in person and virtually, to find out what they are looking for, then use that knowledge to put together customized submission lists for each author they represent. Also, when editors have special opportunities — such as seeking writers for specific books to fill in holes in their list, or in-house series that they would like to pursue with outside talent, or even work-for-hire projects that could augment a working author’s income — editors will reach out to literary agents in their network to let them know about these ancillary projects. As such, agented authors may have access to greater opportunities than unagented authors.

3. Agents Know Publishing Lingo

Using their specialized knowledge of the industry, a literary agent looks at all the available rights in a book contract and aims to leverage every opportunity for an author, such as a multibook deal, subsidiary rights (foreign language translations, ebooks, audiobooks, etc.) escalations on royalties, award bonuses, and more. Without an agent, authors “don’t know what they don’t know” and might miss out on negotiation points that could lead to important revenue streams in the future. From a publisher’s point of view, they often prefer to work with agents who can vet their contracts swiftly and without a lot of newbie questions — it’s well worth their while to work with an industry professional who knows publishing contract vernacular.

4. Agents Work their A$$es Off

Since agents don’t get paid until they sell a deal, you can expect them to work HARD on your behalf! Indeed, you may have heard stories about how difficult it is to find an agent. It’s likely because selling a book to an acquisitions editor is really tough work. Before taking you on, the agent needs to have a solid notion that they will be able to sell your book to a very fickle and ever-changing group of editors. As for payment, the industry standard for literary agent commissions is 15% of whatever deal they are able to get on behalf of their clients. No money changes hands until after a contract has been signed with a publisher, which can take months and even years. (Pro tip: If an agent asks you for money up front, this is a red flag and you should walk away.) In short, agents are very selective about who they sign because it can take a lot of effort and time to find the right person and place where the book will find a home.

5. Agents Are In It for the Long Haul

A literary agent’s job doesn’t end when the book sells. They stay involved for the life of the book and they are on hand as the author’s “business affairs representative” whenever needed so that the author can stay focused on creating. If ever something comes up with the publisher that needs attention — good or bad — the agent jumps in to help. In addition, most agents are keen to help authors develop their writing careers and look forward to helping develop the author’s next book. Agents typically also work on manuscript development, book proposals, and more (note: for no extra fee!), making them key components of an author’s career team.

If you’re considering taking your book writing career to the next level by seeking a literary agent, here are three places to seek out possible agents to represent your work:

• Manuscript Wishlist is a free tool where you can search for agents (and acquiring editors) to find out what they are looking for specifically for submissions.
• Query Manager is another free tool for searching for agents. An advantage over Manuscript Wishlist is that you can query agents directly from the interface.
• Publishers Marketplace requires a subscription, but it is very comprehensive. You can do specific searches and find actual deals that agents have sold throughout their career. However, it does not indicate whether or not agents are actually open to new clients, like with Manuscript Wishlist and Query Manager.

I wish you all the best in your writing endeavors, whichever route you pursue.

At different phases of her publishing career, Jen Newens has been an author, editor, and publisher, giving her experience in all sides of the publishing business. In her role as senior literary manager at Martin Literary Management, Jen applies her 360-view of publishing seeking out fresh, original voices and developing new and established talent. She represents both children’s literature, representing all authors from board books through YA, and adult nonfiction, with a special focus on food and drink, health, and wellness titles.