The most recognized path to publish a book is through traditional publishing. It’s also common practice to query agents to secure representation. Although there are some great benefits, it’s something that doesn’t interest me overall.
Now, I’m not saying that I’ll never have an agent or that they are worthless. On the contrary, there are a couple of benefits that make the process worthwhile to some.
However, I prefer the self-publishing route, especially as a beginner.
Why I Avoid Pitching Manuscripts to Agents
First of all, it has nothing to do with not having a good story. I put in maximum effort with everything I write, and am exceptionally proud of what I create.
You don’t need an agent or a publisher to write or promote a good story. For the most part, selling copies of your book comes down to marketing prowess, whether you’re an indie author or not.
As long as your target reader is happy with the tale, that’s all that really matters in the end.
Writing for an Audience of One
Perhaps the biggest hangup I have about querying agents is the fact that they are looking to make money. This means that if they don’t think they can sell your book, they won’t pick you as a client.
It’s just good business, really. No agent wakes up and relishes not being able to get your manuscript to the right publisher. They want to make money off of your talent.
This means you need to write a story that agents think they can market. If that one agent doesn’t think it’s worth the time, then your manuscript doesn’t see the light of day. And this can go on and on for months and even years.
Even if you have hundreds of fans who love the manuscript, it won’t matter to the agent who is looking to make a few bucks on your book.
Afterward, you’re then hoping that a publisher likes the story. If not, they reject the manuscript. Some will even suggest that you rewrite the story or write something else they think they can sell.
The Market Is INCREDIBLY Saturated
Like self-publishing, going the traditional route is full of people who are trying to do the same thing. Agents will receive literally hundreds of submissions per month and only select an extremely small few.
The ones these agents select are going to be the cream of the crop. These are the ones who deliver a great story the agent can market to publishers.
So, you’re competing against thousands of would-be authors to get the attention of good agents. It’s like screaming at a concert at Radio City Music Hall hoping your favorite artist will look you in the eye, despite you sitting in the last row.
Of course, saturation is also persistent as a self-published author. Only in that case, you’re pitting your marketing expertise against another author. And with so many books to choose from, it’s easy for yours to get buried among the plethora of titles.
Hundreds of Rejections Can Pick at Your Esteem
One of the easiest observations to make on social media is how so many authors get crushed by rejections. Though I have to admit, some of them need to develop a bit thicker skin.
That’s not to say that a continuous stream of rejections doesn’t do a number on your mental health. It can get frustrating, and some wind up giving up altogether if they don’t land a client within a few months.
From what I’ve witnessed on Twitter, it’s usually the newer authors who wind up dwelling on query rejections.
In any case, even the most confident of us can get slowly picked apart by an endless stream of “no” answers. It’s not an easy task to secure yourself the right agent for the job. And it can take an incredible amount of time before that single “yes” appears in your inbox.
I’ve seen one author query off and on for nearly a decade before she finally got accepted by an agent. In that time, I could have written and self-published nearly 10 books.
I Have Stories to Tell
The last thing I want to do is to sit on my hands waiting for agents to take me on as a client. You might say, “Why not just keep writing until an agent accepts you?” Well, you could do that. But what if the agent doesn’t like the other stories?
I don’t care whether I can bring in $10,000 in sales in a month or $10. I’m going to write what piques my interest at any given time. Recently, I’ve been working on a dark western, which is quite a bit from the normal fantasy I write.
I’ve been known to dabble in sci-fi, romance, and fan fiction. I don’t wan’t someone to tell me that I really need to stick to a specific genre or trend.
As I have a long backlog of projects I’d love to finish, I don’t want to waste time worrying about agents. This is especially true since there is absolutely no guarantee anyone would enjoy my work.
I Love to Learn Everything
One thing that drives me to continue self-publishing is learning everything I can to make it a successful venture. I love to learn and discover new tactics and methods for being an indie author.
Well, with the exception of using AI-generated trash. AI will never write a single line of text for me…ever.
Anyway, I love discovering new tools, apps, and marketing techniques while figuring out what works best for me. Then, I try to share that information with everyone else to hopefully improve their journey as an author.
It’s safe to say that I find it incredibly fun to be a self-published author because of that fact.
Would I Be Opposed to Agents Reaching Out?
I was asked recently whether I would be accepting if an agent reached out to me instead. To be perfectly honest, I would probably jump at the opportunity. That would mean:
- The agent liked the book after the fact.
- The agent felt he or she could make a few bucks off of me.
- I would get access to marketing methods and publishers that I wouldn’t have had otherwise.
I’m still working on how to properly and effectively market a self-published book. And I have no doubt that I’ll learn what I need in order to have a successful platform…eventually.
But having an agent’s help with access to all those resources would simply cut down how long it would take to reach such levels of success.
So, no, I wouldn’t be averse to agents sending me an email. But I’m not going to go out of my way to make it happen. I’ve got things to do and stories to write, remember.
Don’t Shelve Your Book!
For those of you who are debating on giving up or shelving your book indefinately because you can’t land an agent, don’t.
Why deny others the enjoyment of your tale because the agents you query don’t like it? This right here is why I will never write for an audience of one. Agents may not like my book well enough to take me as a client, but I know quite a few who loved the story.
And to me, that’s all that really matters.
It’s true that self-publishing is a lot of hard work. But it’s also true that you could amass a fanbase who loves your stories despite what agents and publishers think.
Yes, a self-published author is just as much of an author as someone who goes the traditional route. It all comes down to the quality of the manuscript, and I’ve seen some indie books that were better written than trad books.
Agents reject what they don’t think they can sell. It has less to do with the quality of a manuscript and more to do with making as much money as possible. Never forget that.
Just because an agent doesn’t think he or she can sell your book doesn’t mean your story doesn’t have a viable audience. But you won’t know that until you put it out there.
Follow the Path that Works Best for You
I know, this post seems like I am bashing traditional publishing. But in reality, the best method for publishing your book is the one that works best for your needs and wants.
There is absolutely nothing wrong with querying agents and striving to land that lucrative book deal. It’s just something that doesn’t interest me.
Agents aren’t the devil or the bane of an author’s existence. They’re just people with connections who strive to make money.
It’s a business.
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