Just the other day, I posted a comparison of what an indie author would need vs. what an indie musician would need to make their project available to a waiting audience. At the top of the list, I had “manager” for the indie musician and “agent” for the indie author. There was one comment from Vanessa O’Loughlin
of www.inkwellwriters.ie that said:
"Your Key Player list though is pulling on both self-publishing and traditional publishing, which may be confusing for some writers. If you are self-publishing, you don’t need an agent.”
While I had to rethink what I had said and respond to her comment with what I intended to say, I have since mused over what services an agent may indeed be able to provide an indie author.
Vanessa was right in part, but in a #litchat Twitter discussion today, @JulieBritt asked a brilliant question: “What about selling movie, TV, or technology-not-yet-invented rights. How do you do that without an agent?”
One answer, of course, is simply that you can do whatever you need to do to get your book into the venues and formats you desire without having an agent, but do you want to venture into that without a professional guide?
Many writers want to be able to focus on the creative part of their work without having to focus so much on the business aspects. I understand that this is largely impossible these days, but that’s where my Heavy Hitters for Writers list really shows its value. A writer really should find ways to delegate some of the publishing responsibilities to their network. It actually takes a village to raise a good book (or music project). Publishing companies have teams of people on hand to make one book a success. How much more for the indie author?
Who would fill the top slot of managing an indie writer's career if not an agent?
This is how I understand it from a music perspective: I may not ever want a traditional recording deal, but it is wise for me to acquire an industry-savvy manager who can guide me through making the best decisions about performance contracts for live shows, TV appearances, and compilation projects; commercial endorsements or movies; merchandise, image, and branding; and what venues to perform in. And then he'll even be my muscle when it comes time to collect honorariums, royalties, and other fees. So my need for a manager goes beyond me wanting to be represented in front of record labels; he is there to support me in all my music endeavors. Of course, I am taking responsibility to educate myself and obtain the best basic information I can, however, I don't have to do it all myself.
Just the same, agents have a specialized knowledge of the book publishing industry that covers everything from pointing out content issues in a book to protecting intellectual property rights to helping a writer plan a long-term writing career. But, traditionally, agents are there to represent authors who will eventually go the mainstream publishing avenue by selling their manuscripts to publishers.
So here’s my question: as the book publishing landscape continues to evolve and the quality of self-publishing changes connotations and takes on a more credible indie feel, will agents make themselves available to indie authors to help them navigate derivative product and multimedia options for their books? Will it ever be necessary for an author who is indie by choice to acquire the services of an agent?