3 Great Benefits Of Using A Literary Agent

Creating your literary masterpiece requires you to squeeze every drop of creative juice out of  your brain. It’s such a taxing task that other areas of concern, like dealing with potential publishers, might be set for a later date so you can focus more and finish your work fast. However, wait too long, and you, as a writer, might lose business opportunities to the competition.

It’s in that regard that a literary agent can become a potential boon to your life in the literary industry. Here are three benefits of hiring the services of a literary agent that you shouldn’t miss:

1. Easier Submission Process

Traditional publishers need a completed manuscript for them to consider your work. Once the company sees your skills and talents in writing, you now have two options: (1) send unsolicited submissions, or (2) let the literary agent move the submission process forward on your behalf.

Choosing the second path allows you to refine and perfect your manuscript before letting the publishing firm finalize your book. One of the tasks required of a literary agent is to ensure that your novel, short story, or whatever literary piece you have is ready to hit publishers’ desks.

For example, you’re writing a guide book on how to renovate your home. You can let a reliable literary agent see your manuscript first before the document falls onto the desks of publishers. The agent can check for errors, like if you missed citations in specific areas of the document.

Literary agents have expertise in the different facets of the writing industry. Letting the professional represent you also reduces the risks of you committing mishaps during the creation of your manuscript.

Moreover, the agent should know what the publishers want, helping you get your literary piece published for the world to see. But, you need to learn how to get a literary agent first to gain the services of the best assistance in publishing your literary work of art. Take the time in searching before contracting the services of this professional to help you gain excellent value for money.

2. Business Skills

While talking about the topic of the business side of publishing literary pieces, it will help you if you know how to handle negotiations among different publishers.

Many publishing contracts create legally-binding documents that are about 15 to 25 pages long. Beginners might find it challenging and confusing to know about different legal terms found in the agreement.

Let a literary agent help you in that regard. The professional will help you understand the details of the contract in layman’s terms. For example, your chosen representative can help you determine the amount you can profit from each sale made from a particular publisher.

Also, you’ll know if the publisher wants additional details placed on your next book. But, one piece of information that you should ask the agent regarding the publishing contract is your rights as the author. Some publishers won’t return your rights to use the title of the book in other forms of media if you decide to sever your ties with them. But, there are those who return these rights to you so you can place the title and text of your literary creation in any form of media.

The literary agent should negotiate with publishing companies on your needs and wants as the author of your book. You should have a fair deal while maintaining the best terms possible for you and the publishing company.

3. Advocates

Many authors think that hiring literary agents means you have to shell out more money than intended. So, you may have a winning literary piece, but you just end up storing the manuscript on a bookshelf because of the costs of hiring an agent.

But, several of these literary representatives won’t make money unless you, as the author, will earn profit from your published works. Look for agents that can go on a commission-based payment structure, wherein the expert will take payment from commissions made from the sales of your published books.

You may earn less than intended, but this move can be an excellent choice for budding authors on a tight budget. With this assistance, the agent can help shape your career without asking you for a high price for their services.

4. The Bottom Line

Many literary agents are masters of the document-handling industry. These professionals will help you in different aspects of writing literary pieces. Working with a reliable representative will help you get your book published and maintain legal rights to your work while letting you save cash for your next project. Take advantage of these services today to see what extra help these experts can offer you.