Do you really need a literary agent?

Literary agents play a key role in the international publishing industry. Yet not many new writers are aware of what a literary agency can and cannot do. In simple terms, a literary agent represents authors, pitches their manuscripts to publishers, negotiates deals and manages the commercial aspects of the deal. In return the literary agent charges a percentage (usually 15%) of the royalty for the author’s books.

You’ve done all the hard work in writing the book. Why should you pay your hard-earned royalty to a literary agency? (read more…Do you really need a literary agent?)