Rona Halsall Author

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Where do I find e-books on offer?

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We all like a bargain don’t we? I know I’m always tempted when a book I’ve been wanting to read is on promotion. Or a favourite author has a new release. So where do I find e-books on offer?

The answer, you’ll be pleased to hear, is lots of places! But my main source of temptation comes through e-mail alerts.

You want to know more? Let me run through them…

Bookbub

Bookbub is a website which publicises e-books on offer for a limited time only – often for just one day. If you sign up, you can then choose which genres you’re interested in. After that, they send out daily emails with the offers which meet your preferences for that particular day . Prices are highly discounted with many books on offer for 99p/99c and even free books.

It’s a great way to try out new authors. What’s not to love?!

extract from Bookbub page showing e-books on offer

There are lots of similar websites, but Bookbub is by far the largest and is used by the majority of publishers.

Kindle Deals

If you use a Kindle e-reader, you can find Daily Deals and Monthly Deals as well as seasonal offers. You just have to check the deals section on Amazon Kindle to find them.

You can sign up for email alerts – daily for the daily deals and monthly for updates in your favourite genres. Then you never miss out when your favourite author has a book on offer, or you are looking for your next read and you’re on a tight budget.

You can also follow your favourite authors on Amazon and you’ll get an alert when they have a new release.

Kobo and Apple have their own promotions, but again, it’s all about signing up for email alerts to get the best deals.

Publisher Newsletters

Most publishers have their own newsletters that you can sign up to for alerts when books are on promotions. These vary significantly, so I can’t really generalise. But the common factor is signing up for alerts.

My own publisher, Bookouture, have a web page called Bookouture Deals. Again you choose genre preferences and you get email alerts when books that fit are on offer. Easy!

Photo of Bookouture Deals web page

Author Newsletters

Most authors who have a website will have a newsletter to keep you up-to-date with book news and alert their readers to offers and new releases. Talking of which… if you fancy signing up to my newsletter scoot over to the panel on the right and fill in your details!

So there you have it, a quick run through where to find e-books on offer. Happy reading!!!

What happens on publication day?

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If you’re not an author, you must wonder what happens on publication day? I thought I’d give you an insight into what my day looks like.

The Liar’s Daughter is my seventh book and I’ve got into a nice rhythm!

I should start by saying I LOVE publication day. It’s like Christmas and birthday and having a baby all at the same time. There is so much goodwill flowing your way, you’re swept up in a tide of excitement and nerves. Excitement that your book is finally out in the world and nerves wondering if readers will like it!

Let me give you a run down of how the day pans out…

Social Media

I’ll be honest, a lot of the day is spent dipping in and out of social media!!! It’s fun and exciting – creating and sharing posts and seeing the reaction to a new book.

Bookouture, my publisher, starts social media at 7am and they do an amazing job, along with my fellow authors, of creating a buzz throughout the day. I like to be up and ready at my keyboard with a coffee by then to support their stirling efforts. They will have already sent me a bundle of publication day graphics, including Facebook and Twitter headers and a few with reader quotes for me to use. I also have a blog tour schedule. I spend a bit of time up-dating my pages and checking my author bios to make sure everything is refreshed. Then I’ll do my publication day posts, share those around, respond to follower comments etc. Hours can tick by without me realising!

Eventually, I’ll realise I’m hungry and need some breakfast!

Publisher's graphic with quote: Wowsers!! My book of the year.

Celebration with book buddies

Late morning, I usually meet up with members of the bookclub I belong to for a celebratory coffee and cake at the local cafe. It’s always a lot of fun, loads of chat and a chance to thank them for their support. A couple of them are beta readers for me and their input is invaluable in shaping my stories.

Then it’s home to… more social media!

Publication Day Gifts

It’s a lovely tradition for publishers and literary agents to send publication day gifts. I usually get a lovely bouquet of flowers from my agent. My editor sends me a personalised gift – I’ve had a book-shaped locket with a quote from my book hidden inside (that was for One Mistake). For The Ex Boyfriend I received a print depicting dog walkers on the beach as she knows this is where I go to think about storylines! What will it be this time…? Exciting to find out!

My husband also sends me flowers – he excelled himself when One Mistake came out – the bouquet was all blue and yellow to match my cover!

Dog Walk

After lunch we’ll take the dogs out, so I can calm down a bit. We’re so lucky on the Isle of Man to have so many wonderful places to enjoy. One of my favourites is Glen Helen and even now my husband can’t walk so far after a serious illness, we can enjoy a stroll along the paths here. My dog, Freddie, loves the river, so he tires me out throwing the ball for him. Our other dog, Molly, loves to snuffle in the undergrowth.

Waterfall in Glen Helen, Isle of Man

Checking Rankings

By the evening, publication day sales will start to be reflected in the Amazon rankings, so I’ll be checking those and that will become an obsession for the next few weeks… Oh okay, I’ll be honest… checking rankings is an ongoing obsession. Can I get in the top 100? That’s my goal and I’ve been lucky to achieve that with most of my books so far. Will it happen this time, though? I’m sure there must be a support group somewhere to help with this affliction!

Reading Reviews

I get a lot of pleasure from reading reviews posted on Amazon, Kobo, iBooks, Goodreads and in FB groups. It’s so lovely to know that the book you have written has given people pleasure. For me, this is what writing’s all about – producing stories that people love to read.

Publication Day Treat

Nobody should cook on publication day, right? Of course not. By evening, my fingers are aching from typing responses to comments on social media, my cheeks are aching from smiling and I’m ready for a takeaway!

So that’s what happens on publication day – it’s a special moment to enjoy the product of more than 6 months of hard labour and an awful lot of anguishing over sentences. All those words, coming together into a story which I hope people will enjoy. My work is done and I can go to bed feeling satisfied that my book is born!

Interview with a digital publisher – Insider knowledge

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Here’s my interview with a digital publisher, talking to Peta Nightingale, who is Contracts, Rights and Author Development Director at leading digital publisher, Bookouture.

Hi Peta and thanks for doing the interview!

Peta Nightingale, Contracts, Rights and Author Development Director at digital publisher Bookouture.

What would you say are the most significant differences between digital and traditional publishing in terms of author experience?

This is such an interesting question, and thank you for asking it!

I don’t feel it would be fair for me to answer from the perspective of other digital publishers. It’s probably not fair for me to answer on behalf of our authors, either! I can tell you what I hear anecdotally.

We have a huge proportion of authors (well over 50%) without agents. This is very unusual in mainstream publishing. But it’s something we love, and we take our responsibilities to our authors very seriously.

I was an agent for 17 years – as well as a publisher for 11 years before that – so I brought a lot of experience to my job at Bookouture. From both sides of the fence. I use that experience to demystify the contractual and publishing processes as much as possible for all our authors. This is especially important for those who don’t have agents to refer to.

We work on a principle of transparency and good communication, and I think our authors really appreciate that. They talk about joining the Bookouture Family, and we are very proud that our authors think of us like this!

I send out regular Author Newsletters, communicating good news, difficult news, exciting news – any news – whenever we need to. And I get regular emails back telling me how important and (sadly) how unusual these are.

We have a Bookouture Author Guide that I send out to every new author once their first contract is signed. This helps them navigate those important first few months, mapping out how we work and what they should expect.

After more than three decades in the publishing industry, the thing I’m most proud of is that Bookouture authors are making a proper income from writing books.

I don’t think that’s something that most mainstream publishers can claim.

In a nutshell, Bookouture authors enjoy all the benefits of commercial success with bespoke, boutique publishing. How we achieve this is outlined in my answer to your second question.

Bookouture has seen significant growth in profits and sales over the eight years of its existence. Why do you think its publishing model has been so successful?

The main differences between Bookouture’s model and traditional publishing (aside from the fact that we’re a digital publisher) are:

1. Global

All titles are published throughout the world in the English language;

2. Direct to readers

We are not reliant on the decisions of sales teams and retailers on whether or not to take a title;

3. Analysis

We collect hard data on all our processes in order to make continuous improvements wherever possible;

4. Quick changes

Because we are a digital publisher, we can make changes if the performance of a title falls below expectation. We can change metadata, retailer descriptions, titles and even covers, before or after publication.

5. Dynamic pricing to maximise revenue

We price dynamically, but monitor sales and revenue on a daily basis in order to maximise revenue rather than rankings;

6. Continual improvement

Work constantly to improve all our internal systems, aiming to automate repetitive tasks wherever possible so that our whole team has more time to work creatively and profitably.

7. Add value

Our aim is to add value – and to find new ways to add value – for all our authors, wherever possible.

How does Bookouture recruit new authors?

In as many different ways as possible!

Unusually, for a mainstream publisher, we have an open submissions policy. We welcome submissions direct from any author, anywhere in the world at any time.

We have great relationships with agents in the UK and in the US and have many submissions through these avenues as well.

Our editors approach authors direct, and we hold partnerships with other organisations. These include Dahlia Books and the Asian Writer, Black Girl Writers and The Word to encourage submissions from underrepresented writers.

We are constantly looking for ways to increase our outreach to authors, agents and writers’ groups. Our aim is to increase the quantity, quality and diversity of our submissions.

How does the submissions process work and how do you decide which editor will get to work with each author?

We have an in-house submissions platform onto which our direct submissions are made.

Any submissions that don’t come direct onto the platform via the portal on our website are added onto the platform manually. In this way, we can manage and track everything that we’re considering at any one time.

We make a commitment to respond to all submissions within four weeks, and our response time is usually faster than this.

Submissions are distributed across the editorial teams, according to who has the space to acquire and the opportunity to read and consider at any one time. If an agent submits a novel to a specific editor, but somebody else is better placed to consider it, I will reassign and make sure that everyone is in the loop.

Genres seem to ebb and flow in popularity – what are Bookouture specifically seeking to acquire at the moment?

You’re right that genres definitely cycle in and out of fashion, and there are all sorts of factors that influence that.

At the moment, escapism seems to be key – for obvious reasons – and we have seen a lot of success with our historical novels.

1. Regency-era historical novels

You can’t fail to be aware of the enormous success of Bridgerton on Netflix, which has brought Julia Quinn’s wonderful novels back into the bestseller charts. So undoubtedly we’ll be seeing more Regency-era historical novels following this in the charts, and we’ll be hoping to add something competitive to this to our list.

2. US market appeal

More than half our revenue is from the US, so we always have an eye on how our submissions will sell in that market. Something that is very UK-centric or wouldn’t travel well in terms of the US market, is less likely to do well for us.

3. Compelling hooks

We are always looking for stand-out commercial fiction with a cracking hook.

It’s worth remembering that the Bookouture model relies on being able to pinpoint the pitch and positioning to an almost forensic degree. This enables us to optimise our marketing. So something that could be described as ‘different’ or ‘genre-busting’ or a mix of genres, is probably not going to work for us.

Give me three top tips for authors – what makes a successful submission?

Your submission needs to stand out from the crowd and there are several ways you can do this.

Do you know your market? Do you know what is currently doing well and therefore what we’re likely to be looking for? Does your submission sit well alongside these bestsellers?

It’s really helpful if we can immediately see from your submission that you understand both the market and what you have written.

1. A brilliant, pithy pitch

Give us a brilliant, pithy pitch in as few words as possible. Here are a couple of recent good examples from Bookouture authors. See if you can work out which books they describe:

Everyone is going to the housewarming party.
All the same people who lived on the street the day Abi vanished…
Will her mother finally learn the truth?

She’s been waiting her whole life to meet a man like Alex. But he’s been waiting too. And once he has her, he’ll never let her go…

2. Comparisons

Tell us which authors you think compare well to your writing, or which bestselling titles you think are similar to yours

3. Standout hook

We’re looking for commercial fiction that is recognisable in terms of the pitch and positioning of books that are currently selling well. It needs to have a brilliant hook that marks it out.

Thank you so much for taking the time to answer my questions and here’s hoping it stimulates some fantastic submissions!

I hope you have enjoyed my interview with a digital publisher. I am doing a series of interviews with people in the publishing industry and you might enjoy my interview with a literary agent.

You might also like some of my other posts relating to writing and publishing:

Do I need a literary agent to get published?

How to edit your book – top tips!

How to start writing a novel

Story ideas – where do they come from?

Interview with a literary agent – Insider information!

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Today, I’m doing an interview with a literary agent. We’re talking about market trends and tips for submissions.

Hayley Steed, is my fab agent with Madeleine Milburn Literary, Film and TV Agency. They are a small London based agency with some BIG names on the books and some great deals under their belts.

Hayley was named in The Bookseller as a Rising Star in 2019 and the agency has won several awards.

Let’s start with market trends…

Historical novels and psychological thrillers have performed well in recent years, do you see any changes in the market going forwards? Which genres will be the star performers?

Changes are so hard to predict, but it doesn’t look like historical fiction is disappearing any time soon. Especially if the novel falls into the more upmarket end of the market.

We’ve seen tremendous success at the agency with The Doll Factory and The Animals at Lockwood Manor. I think their strength is that they’re set within a historical period but the narratives and characters feel fresh and relatable to a modern audience.

In the digital market, WWII is endlessly popular so it’s about finding a new angle to tell those stories.

The thriller market is incredibly competitive and saturated, but the readership continues to grow. I think we’ll continue to see star performers which stand out and excel in originality in this space. The Hunting Party, The Seven Deaths of Evelyn Hardcastle, upcoming Girl A all feel notable. There have been so many successful takes on ‘the locked room mystery’ in the last few years and readers seem to be very keen for more of these too.

Book club fiction across all genres also feels like an area of strength in the market. I feel like we’re due another big love story or character-led heart-stopper like The Flatshare or Eleanor Oliphant is Completely Fine.

Is literary fiction a growing market?

It’s an interesting question and I think the answer is yes and no.

Perhaps it’s not that literary fiction is growing, and more that the divide between commercial and literary is becoming less clear.

The real sweet spot at the moment is fiction which delivers a compelling plot, hook, and characterisation on a commercial level but with high quality writing. That makes it both accessible for a wide audience, and also enjoyable for a more literary readership.

Books like Normal People captured fans of literary fiction whilst pleasing more commercial readers with great characterisation and delivery of emotion and story.

Literary fiction has always had a place in the market. I think perhaps there is more crossover than ever encouraging readers across the board to branch out into genres they may not always have naturally been drawn towards.

The rise in digital publishing has been a game-changer for both authors and readers. Do you think it’s been a positive change for the market?

I definitely think it’s been a positive change. Ultimately it’s another route to readers for brilliant writers, and some of our most successful and talented authors have found their readerships this way.

A bustling eBook market has been especially important in 2020 when browsing bookshops hasn’t been an option.

How has it changed the role of agents?

I don’t think it has changed my role a huge amount. We represent every author and book individually, dependent on what we feel would bring the most success. If we feel our authors would succeed in a digital market, we’ll gladly direct them that way.

Our jobs are much the same as they would be with a traditional deal. We submit these books for international rights, film/TV, and help craft and grow brands across several books. We feed into edits, covers and look ahead to what their career will look like so we can guide our clients appropriately.

There are several writers who choose to take that journey solo, which we completely respect. But we’ll always feel like we’re adding value. Whether that’s in finding the right publisher and continuing to push and challenge them to publish as best as they can, adding rights sales, crafting a brand, and also just being there to support the author’s journey.

For example, Fiona Valpy and Teresa Driscoll have found incredible success in the digital market and have since sold into over 20 languages respectively. All with individual deals and publishers directly around the globe. The agency also now represents Mark Edwards and we’ve found great success optioning his backlist for film and TV.

I also think it’s hard to have difficult conversations with your publisher directly. It’s always helpful to have someone with your best interests at heart who can also offer an informed opinion and help strategise your career with experience in the industry across several publishing models.

Talking about game-changers, how has Covid-19 affected agents and their ability to take on new authors? Has it changed the way agencies work going forwards?

It’s not changed anything for us thankfully. I’ve been chatting to potential authors over email, phone and Zoom, and we’ve still been taking on just as many clients as we usually would.

We’re fortunate that our job can nearly entirely be done from home, and often quite independently. But I don’t think it’ll change how we work long-term.

We’re a small team and really benefit from being around each other in the office so we’re all looking forward to some normality returning!

Following the rise of the Black Lives Matter movement, has this made publishers more open to a diverse range of voices, stories and settings? How quickly are things changing?

Publishers were already calling for submissions from underrepresented writers before this year. But I think the Black Lives Matter movement really exposed how much needed to change still and focused their minds.

We saw them commit to this change much more urgently.

Advances went up, more books by Black writers were snapped up across the board, and we’re seeing more actively being done to making changes to their lists, staff and their strategies.

There’s a long way to go still, and it’s a shame this is what it took to really draw the attention of the industry, but it certainly accelerated the process.

Let’s turn to the subject of submissions…

Many authors have had the experience of being told an agent loved their story, their writing is fabulous and then they’re turned down. What is the decision-making process when taking on new authors?

So much of the decision comes down to timing and subjectivity.

If I’ve recently taken on a book in a very similar space, or I already represent a very similar author, I might be more likely to say no to another in the same vein unless it feels absolutely stand out. It wouldn’t be fair on either writer for there to be any conflict of interest.

More senior agents may only take on a handful of books a year. And there’s such a fine line between liking something and loving it so much you feel you have to represent it. That gut feeling is a purely subjective one. You fall for a voice, or a character, rather than there being anything objectively ‘wrong’ with the submission if you turn it down.

I would say my near-misses are books that I can see have potential and talent, but that I didn’t quite fall for personally, and I know it’s likely another agent will.

That’s why it’s so important to find the right person for your work!

The other thing I always have to think about is if I can see a clear route to market.

Sometimes I read a submission which is beautifully written, and the story is strong, but it feels familiar or doesn’t have that clear ‘hook’ that will make it stand out in a competitive market.

Publishers need to find the unique selling point to be able to pitch the book into the retailers, and to draw in readers, so I try to think of this early on so I can edit and pitch with this in mind.

Ultimately, I think of three things when reading a submission:

  • do I love it enough to read it over and over?
  • can I see a clear route to market with the pitch?
  • is there a space on my list for an author writing in this area?

What makes your eyes light up and your heart sing when you’re scanning the submissions folder?

I love a strong concept.

A one line pitch that makes me stop and catch my breath;

An idea that feels new and exciting whilst having a clear audience and pitch;

A book that feels like it’s doing something different within a familiar genre.

A great example would be The Flatshare, where the tag line is ‘they share a bed but they’ve never met’. I immediately know it’s a love story, with a clear readership, but it’s also drawn me in with a great concept I’ve not seen done before which I know I could build a pitch around.

What are your three top tips to writers and authors who are in the submissions process at the moment?

1. Do your research

Send your book to a selected handful of agents who are right for your work and also feel right for you as a writer. You can tell a huge amount about an agent’s taste and personality from a quick google. Check on social media, and you can check their list for any similar writers.

2. Make sure you’ve done your reading.

You should always know where your readership is. Reading around in the area you’re writing in is crucial to know what’s working in that area and what’s already been done so you know your own book will deliver something new and satisfying to your readership.

3. Don’t give up.

It’s a tough year all round and we’re seeing a lot more submissions than usual. Take your time getting the submission right. Edit your novel, revise your covering letter, ask friends and family to look things over with a fresh pair of eyes so you know it makes sense to someone who has never read the book before.

Take the time to find the right agents, and keep a second list of names you can send to if you don’t hear back from those.

Is there anything specific that you look for in a query letter and synopsis?

Personally, I’m looking for a strong one line pitch and convincing comparison titles.

I’m always reassured that a novel is going to deliver if the writer knows exactly who they’re targeting and where it would sit in the market.

It’s also always nice to know why a writer has approached me specifically. It shows they’ve done their research and have thought about why their work makes sense for my list in particular.

As for the synopsis, I just want to know what happens in the story – succinct clarity is always preferable!

Thanks Hayley for your considered responses – I’m sure that’s given people a lot of things to think about!

If you’d like to submit to Hayley, you can find more information on what she’s looking for here.

Readers – if you’ve enjoyed this interview, you may also like a previous blog post – Do I need a Literary Agent to get published?

Do I need a Literary Agent to get published?

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I see lots of posts by writers and authors asking ‘Do I need a literary agent to get published?’ Based on my experience with my own agent, Hayley Steed, and discussions with fellow authors, let me have a go at answering.

Firstly…

What does a literary agent actually do?

This list is not exhaustive, but a literary agent will:

  • Prepare your manuscript for submission by working through an editing process with you;
  • Identify publishers who will be a good fit for your story and put out initial feelers to gauge interest;
  • Organise a number of submissions;
  • Manage any bidding process and negotiate a contract;
  • Gather royalties and disperse them to you;
  • Possibly keep rights for audio and film and try and sell these if the chosen publisher doesn’t want them or isn’t strong in that area;
  • Sell foreign rights;
  • Step in and sort out any problems you might have with the publisher;
  • Guide your career;
  • Provide moral and emotional support in what is a very solitary occupation.

That’s a lot of different aspects to the job! Your agent is your coach, your confidante and your sounding board. There has to be a strong bond of trust, as they are essentially in charge of your author career. And you have to have a personal chemistry, like any other relationship.

Picture with quote - finding a literary agent is like finding a best friend for your book

A key thing to remember is… not all literary agents are the same! Agencies vary from one person outfits to larger operations with a number of agents. Some are able to sell foreign rights, some aren’t as strong in that arena. Others have agents dedicated to TV and Film, others don’t.

So now you know what a literary agent does, you need to ask yourself a series of questions.

What are your career ambitions?

Is writing a hobby, or do you want a career as an author? Has writing one book been your goal and now you’re done with it, or has it lit a fire in your belly and you want to write more? Or have you got a drawer full of manuscripts that you’d like to see out in the world?

Agencies and publishers are both looking to build author brands, which takes time and money. Very few authors make it big with their first book – it requires a patient building of a fan base. Also, the vast majority of debut deals are for two books, so can you write a second one, or does that feel too daunting?

You also need to think about time commitments. Publishing works to deadlines, so if you have a busy life already, you need to consider how you could carve out time for working through the editing process and writing a second book.

The other consideration is to do with personal goals – do you want to see your book on the shelves of bookshops and supermarkets? In which case you need a traditional publisher and an agent. Or are you happy to write books that are geared towards e-readers? In which case, you have more options!

woman working on laptop

What type of publisher is most likely to be interested in your book?

I think the publishing industry is a mysterious beast to those not working in it, so let me give you my understanding of how it’s organised.

  • There are 5 massive publishers, who each have a large number of imprints. Each imprint caters for a different segment of the market and focuses on publishing titles which will appeal to its audience.
  • All of the large publishers have digital imprints, which focus on commercial ebook sales. For example, my publisher, Bookouture, is a part of Hachette.
  • Each imprint has its own editorial team and submissions requirements.
  • Alongside the big 5, there is a large number of smaller indie publishers, which each have their own personality in terms of the range of genres they publish and the look of their books.

You need an agent to access the big 5 publishers, but a number of the indies will take direct submissions. Most of the digital imprints will also take direct submissions.

The type of publisher most suited to your book depends on the type of story you have written.

Which leads me on to my next question…

What genre do you write?

If you’re not sure, you can find a comprehensive list on The Book Genre Dictionary.

I’m going to split these into commercial and literary fiction.

Commercial fiction is generally more plot driven, and read for entertainment rather than its art. It is written in an accessible style, is faster paced and subjects are relatable. Literary fiction has more of a focus on the writing than the plot.

Literary fiction

If you write any genre of literary fiction, then you can only access traditional publishers via an agent.

Commercial fiction

If you write commercial fiction, then digital imprints are an excellent option.

Royalties are higher than traditional publishing and it is much speedier – 6 months to get a book to print rather than 18 months to 2 years with a traditional publisher. But… the focus is ebooks and although paperbacks are available as print on demand, they don’t tend to make it into book shops. So if your aim is to get your book into a major store, this is not the route for you.

Technically, you don’t need an agent, as most digital publishers take direct submissions and will do everything an agent will do for you except: negotiate the deal, make sure the contract is okay and mediate if there are problems.

Having an agent can also push your submission in front of an editor quicker than if you go through the general submissions process and your agent will pitch it for you.

As with agents, not all digital publishers are the same! I’m with Bookouture, who pride themselves on author care. At the moment, 60% of their authors are un-agented. Being part of Hachette means they have access to a wide range of options for their authors, including paperback deals, US print runs, foreign and film rights. This means they can do everything for an author that an agent would do and as every author is offered the same deal, there’s no negotiating to be done.

What’s your personality and skills set?

This is an important consideration when trying to decide… do I need an agent?

If your day job has trained you in contracts and negotiation and you feel confident you know what you’re doing then you can probably do without. The Society of Authors will cast an eye over contracts for members, so there is independent support out there.

Quote- literary agents don't take on every client

So… do I need an agent?

The answer is… it depends on your ambitions, your personality and skills and the genre of book you are writing.

If you want a traditional publisher and books in shops then yes, you need an agent.

If you write commercial fiction, want a career as an author and are happy to write two books a year, then digital could be the way to go. In which case, you don’t need an agent to submit.

If you have ambitions to write more than one genre, then an agent would be useful.

A better question in the digital arena would be do you want an agent? So this is where it comes down to personal preference!

My personal view is that having an agent in your corner is beneficial, especially when you are starting off and haven’t a clue how the industry works. You can read my own journey to publication here.

Publishing tends to work on two-book contracts, so as a career choice, it doesn’t feel terribly secure. Your agent is there to help you decide what is best for you and to make the most of opportunities. They will help you sort through story ideas before presenting them for a new contract and they can advise on whether the publisher is doing a good job for you. If the view is that they’re not, they will help you find a new publisher.

Industry knowledge is invaluable when making career decisions and agents have an overview of what is happening. They know the market trends and can guide you in the best direction.

Quote: A good agent can identify which projects are right for which editors.

The best bit about having an agent though, is knowing that your biggest fan has always got your back!

If you’re still not sure, you might like this article, which has a more detailed examination of the pros and cons of having a literary agent.

Do you need a literary agent pros and cons

I would love to hear you comments, so please do let me know if this post has been helpful!

My next post will be an interview with my agent, so let me have your questions in the comments and I’ll put them to her.