Agents have long been the gatekeepers to getting published. Is this the only route a writer can take to succeed in the publishing world?
If you ask most publishers - especially of the bigger houses - whether they ever accept unsolicited manuscripts, or the so-called 'slush-pile,' most of them will tell you point blank NO. For example, at the AWP Conference held this year in Manhattan, speaking on a panel about how editors acquire books, three out of the five representative editors said that most of their acquisitions, if not all, are agented (Norton, Harper Collins, and Viking).
The method of using agents as go-betweens makes sense:
- Publishing companies sometimes receives hundreds of manuscript submissions per year, more than their editorial staff can take on.
- Agents have established relationships with editors and publishing houses which most writers do not. They can therefore normally find the right house for the right writer and vice versa.
But it is fair to ask, is acquiring an agent the only possible way for a writer to succeed at getting published and gaining attention? Apparently not, since there are publishing houses who have voiced a different opinion and who are willing to make direct contact with an author as a feasible option.
At the same AWP editorial panel, Johnny Temple, editor of Akashic Books, an independent publisher, accepts unsolicited manuscripts from unagented authors of mostly fiction, noir and some political nonfiction. He also accepts emailed cover letters and bios. His philosophy is, 'how about going directly to the writer?' He enjoys the idea of getting to know the author well. Further, he says that requiring that authors have agents is a very narrow view; he doesn't like the idea of big houses competing over the same book. What about the other great books out there waiting to be read? His small press moves off the beaten path.
But how does his staff of four or five read through all the manuscripts they receive? They just do. While they are at present on hiatus in accepting new manuscripts, they are paying close attention to promoting the manuscripts they have already accepted. Kate Nitze of MacAdam Cage has also found a way to alleviate the problem of unlimited unsolicited manuscripts; her house accepts unagented manuscripts for a limited time - Feb. 1 - June 1 of each year.
So if you are one of those writers who likes to move off the beaten path, consider the alternative.
Here are the possible advantages to representing your own work:
- There are still publishers out there willing to take you on without a mediator
- You can establish a direct, close relationship with these publishers without a go-between
- You don't have to compete over getting attention from the same big houses
One final note: Do your homework and research the internet and other available resources such as Writer's Market for those publishing houses willing to take on unagented authors like yourself.
