Mick Silva Editing

Ah, the eternal conundrum. Whether ’tis nobler in the mind to suffer the slings and arrows of outrageous publishing house’s offers alone, or to seek such representation as will improve your chances of securing a large fortune, minus the customary 15%.

But soft! Methinks there is an answer!

Okay, okay. Enough of that. As an editor, I get this question a lot from writers. of course, since my house doesn’t take unsolicited manuscripts, I have to say there are definite advantages. Most if not all of the biggest publishers are the same way. And bigger means better when you’re talking about getting your message out to the most people possible. There are alternatives to big business, of course, but most of them suck. I’m just going to be straight up about that and not hide my petty biases since this blog is a no spin zone.

An agent not only helps you get attention, he or she can help to inform you about the volatile market, keeping you abreast of changes and developments you might not otherwise know about. An agent, depending on his particular speciality, will also help greatly in crating not only your particular message, but your career as well. The idea of branding has become a necessaity in our info-driven market and most new authors need all the help they can get in understanding this new reality.

Yet lest you think I’m all about agents, I will say to take this with a modicum of sodium–agents are paid to creat brands and marketing is the great bane of my existence. However, it can only help a burgeoning writer to understand what an author brings to the table with publishers before beginning a writing career.

There’s much more, but I’m thinking that’s enough to begin with. We’ll continue with more if people would like. But until then, have a great day, everyone.