My mum's finally got a literary agent. Does this mean she'll get a book published?
2006-07-09 05:29:10 · 10 answers · asked by tomozzer 1 in Arts & Humanities ➔ Books & Authors
Not necessarily, but a book sent by an agent to a publisher is much more likely to be read than one just sent on spec. It gives her a much better chance, and the agent will know the right publisher to send the book to
2006-07-09 05:32:54 · answer #1 · answered by mike-from-spain 6 · 0⤊ 0⤋
That depends. If the agent is a reputable literary agent, probably. If the "agent" is one of those scammers who collect fees upfront, rather than taking a percentage of any contracts he finds for her, then probably not.
The logic is simple: a scammer already has his money,and has no reason to try very hard to find a publisher. On the other hand, a reputable agent knows the market, and will only be paid if he *does* find a publisher. So, he won't take someone on unless he's pretty sure he *can* find a publisher.
2006-07-09 13:18:08 · answer #2 · answered by Riothamus Of Research ;<) 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
This all depends on the publisher regardless of the agent. There are both pros and cons to having an agent, but in most cases the agent already knows the industry and knows what most publishers are looking for. Hopefully the agent also has good relationships with the publishers your mom is looking to get published by.
Good luck to her.
2006-07-09 12:34:04 · answer #3 · answered by JTSmagic 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
It's still in the end up to publishers to decide. While it's true unrepresented books don't have a chance on the market, it's also true that there are a lot of agents and publishers are very very picky.
I wish your mom luck. Tell her not to be discouraged, and if she feels that her agent is not working hard enough, she should feel free to shop. Unless the agent has gotten her to sign an exclusivity clause... in which event she had better hope he really believes in the book enough to keep pushing it.
2006-07-09 12:41:38 · answer #4 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
She may have an agent. But unless she has something fresh to say, there are no guarantees her book will be published by a reputable publishing company.
She can go the self publishing route. Again, there are no guarantees her book would sell. It's a competitive field out there.
2006-07-09 12:35:05 · answer #5 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
She is in better shape than one who goes the unsolicited route.
The publsihers will at least give her book an honest appraisal, but a lot still depends on the vageries of the marketplace and how marketable the book actually is.
Keep us posted on her progress.
2006-07-09 12:47:07 · answer #6 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
It's not for certain, but you stand a better chance WITH an Agent than WITHOUT one.!
2006-07-09 12:35:25 · answer #7 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
not likely, depends on the market.
2006-07-09 12:33:45 · answer #8 · answered by silentknight64 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
go to lulu.com and let them show you a better way.
2006-07-09 15:04:47 · answer #9 · answered by huguenot21 1 · 0⤊ 1⤋
No
2006-07-09 12:33:19 · answer #10 · answered by Caesar 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋