Every author knows the value of an agent. None of the Big 5 publishers will consider a manuscript without a literary agent, for instance (although some of their imprints do). Having an agent on your side can also stop your work from ending up in the slush pile — and they can help you work out a bigger advance during your negotiations for a book deal.
However, it’s important to note that not all agents are equal, and they don’t all work in the best interests of their author. That’s why doing good research when it comes to seeking out representation is vital: there’s no point going through all the work of writing your manuscript and submitting, only to end up with an agent that doesn’t properly represent you or your manuscript. Even an agent that could be a good fit for another one of your manuscripts might not be the right agent for this particular project.
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