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Originally Posted by pwalker8
I'm not so sure that literary agents are on the way out. It seems to me to be folly for most authors to negotiate their own contracts without someone who knows the business to warn them of the traps. Most of the authors that I read seem to go out of their way to praise their agents.
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Unfortunately there is a built-in potential conflict of interest, with a very high likelihood of it becoming an actual one. To have any chance of being published the industry forced authors to use agents. Agents dependant on the goodwill of their contacts at the various publishers. Personal friendships were not exactly uncommon. I'd say agents were what I would call a "captive" industry. As for praising agents? Perhaps Stockholm Syndrome. Or simple gratitude for being published at all under the prevailing conditions.
Quote:
Originally Posted by pwalker8
Certainly, if you have an agent who isn't qualified that's a major problem, but then again, that's the same for any legal work, or really any work in general. You also don't want a roofer, electrician or plumber who isn't qualified.
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So what qualifications did/does one need to be a literary agent, other than ones connections? An MFA or a major in literature does not qualify one to negotiate or interpret contracts.
Quote:
Originally Posted by pwalker8
One of the more interesting things that I've noticed is that many successful authors seem to have quite a support network. I just finished Tamora Pierce's latest book and she thanks her support network at the end of the book. It's quite a list.
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I'd say pretty well all. Including self-published authors. They can't afford too many supporters, particularly unqualified ones, if each of them wants 15% of their earnings.