These six reasons successful writers need literary agents are from best-selling author, former journalist, and writing teacher Maeve Binchy… 

Before her tips, a quip: 

“In an agent-author relationship there’s plenty of room for a minefield of misunderstanding,” writes Binchey in The Maeve Binchy Writers’ Club. “The agent thinks the author should be speedy in the writing and the rewriting, yet endlessly patient regarding waiting for responses and results. The author thinks the agent who is, after all, getting money for old rope, like 10% of everything here and 15% of transatlantic deals, should be back in 20 minutes with news that the Hungarian rights have been sold for a fortune.” 

Despite the potential for a rocky agent-writer relationship, Binchy lists several reasons successful writers can’t live without literary agents. For more info on her book, click The Maeve Binchy Writers’ Club. And, read on for Binchy’s reasons writers need literary agents… 

6 Reasons Writers Need Literary Agents –  Dubious Advice From Maeve Binchy

“I believe we do need agents. Badly. And here are six reasons why…” writes Binchey. 

1. Publishers listen to literary agents. “An agent gets a track record of offering readable, saleable stuff, so the publisher will look at it more favorably than at our tremulous, tentative offerings where they can almost smell the quivers of hope and fear in our submission letters,” says Binchy.  Fellow scribes, I totally disagree with the part about writers being all scared and timid! What if you’re a confident writer who doesn’t submit “tremulous, tentative offerings”? Further, what if you have a bad, unmotivated, or un-bright agent? This alone isn’t a good reason successful writers need agents.

2. An agent is like a broker who knows the right place to send a manuscript. “We could waste months submitting to people who only buy poetry when we are trying to sell science fiction,” says Binchy. Again, I disagree with this “reason successful writers need agents” too! Writers won’t waste months if they read the publishers’ guidelines and submission procedures…it doesn’t take a brain surgeon to figure out what kind of books the publisher sells. Binchy makes agents out to be gods of the writing and publishing world, which they’re not. 

3. The publisher is inclined to respond more swiftly to a literary agent. “Publishers don’t want to alienate agents; after all, even if they hate our manuscript, the agent could quite possibly be representing someone marvelous next week,” writes Binchy. I think this could possibly be true depending on the agent, the publishing house, and other factors. 

4. Writers haven’t a clue about money, advances, rights, reversions, translations, remainders, reprints. “Why should we? Our job is to write. Agents are more than welcome to their percentage in exchange for taking all that off our shoulders,” says Binchy.  Man. What are we – stupid dolts who can’t read a contract and research its terms?? Come on. Successful writers can learn about all those things – and/or hire a lawyer to help us negotiate the best terms. Plus, freelance writing is a business, and if you don’t know how to run your business, then you’re not gonna be in business for long… 

5. It’s in the agent’s interest for us to do well. “Any sane agent would prefer to have a percentage of 20,000 euro than 500 euro. An agent will talk us up rather than sell us short,” writes Binchy. This isn’t exactly a reason writers should have agents. Writers can talk themselves up – though admittedly it makes some writers uncomfortable. But again, that’s just part of doing business, and the sooner we learn that, the more successful we’ll be as published authors. Read Tips for Improving Query Letters to learn how to put your best foot forward.

6. A literary agent can be our greatest ally. “They can say that the lead character has become a pain in the face or that our coincidences are ludicrous…Often we can take criticism from an agent more easily than from a loved one,” says Binchy. Why would she compare agents to loved ones? What about writers’ groups, objective readers and editors, friends, etc?? This again isn’t a strong reason successful writers need literary agents. 

What do you think about these reasons writers need literary agents, fellow scribes? Though I do believe there are some great reasons writers should have agents, I don’t think Binchey captured those in this segment of The Maeve Binchy Writers’ Club. In fact, I’m a little insulted at how dumb she makes writers out to be!

That said, I do have an agent. Read my 12 Steps to Finding a Literary Agent.

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