Who Needs an Agent?

Do you need an agent? This question recently came up on a writer’s listserv. Actually, the question was more like, I know I need an agent but where do I find one. I never considered this question, but now I realize that it is an important question to address.

Who needs an agent? If you are writing a couple of short stories or poems and you are looking to submit them to literary journals and anthologies, there is no need to get an agent—in fact you would probably have a hard time finding an agent that would take you on as a client. If you are, however, looking to publish a novel or to sell a collection of stories or poems, you should look to find an agent.

Where do you find an agent? A good place to network and to look for an agent is at conferences. Often there are specialized conferences specifically for your genre or just general writing conferences. Since conferences can be on the costly side of things, make sure you choose the best conference for your needs. This conference will allow you to network with other authors, meet agents, and to learn more about the craft.

Where do you find conferences? Look in the classified section of most literary magazines and you should find a section for conferences. Also typing writer’s conferences into yahoo will do the same thing. There is an abundance to pick from, but be sure to work the cost into your budget. And if you find any good ones on fiction, let me know!