Agents

I touched on finding an agent during my last post and how to avoid the not so reputable ones out there. I need to say, alas, I currently don't have an agent but am seeking one.  Why?  In this world of e-publishing and success in self-publishing, why do I still want an agent?

There are many reasons which I plan to outline here tonight.  Mostly, I want-wait!-I strongly desire the assistance of someone who knows how to navigate this industry.  From what I'm reading on other blogs and websites out there, it sounds like even those who self-pub eventually seek an agent as they become more and more successful.  I'd like to start with someone from the get-go and have their help navigating through the complicated and fascinating world of publishing.

Call me naive, but I envision a partnership (maybe eventually even a friendship) where I can bounce my ideas off someone and know if I'm on the right track or not.  I'm not talking about whether my heroine should or should not end up with bachelor number one or two.  I'm talking about whether I should try my hand at a suspenseful subplot or whether my multiple point of view novel would work better as a single point of view.

Lastly, I didn't major in business.  Didn't even take a single business class in college.  I don't know how to market on my own or which publisher is particularly looking for a multi-POV contemporary romance.  My agent would know these things and then some.  I would welcome any advice and constructive criticism I could get.

I've now written three full length novels which I have submitted to numerous agents over the last three years.  With each one I feel I've gotten better.  I currently have two finished ones I'm polishing and the ideas keep flowing.  None of them are published because simply put, they weren't ready.  I wasn't ready.  I learned that only through my submissions.

To prove my point even more, I can quickly relay the story of my third novel.  I'd submitted to several agents without hearing a word.  Just polite no thank you's or my story didn't fit with what they were looking for.  One agent at a prestigious lit agency in New York asked for more pages.  Yay!  She ultimately passed but it was my best experience to date.  Why?  Because she told me she liked my idea but I needed to work on showing vs. telling.  Now, I pour over everything I can instructing how to do this.  It's not as easy as it sounds but I work and work and work.  Without this particular agent's advice, I would never have known what my writing was lacking.  If I hadn't known what it was lacking, I would never progress to the next level.  My beta readers can't tell me this.  Critique partners, sure, but only an agent knows what's being looked for and who's looking for it.

Call me old-fashioned.  I don't care.  I'm continuing my search for an agent and taking any scraps of criticism they throw my way to make my writing better.