A Writer's Guide to Literary Agents: Do today's writers really need them?

This is a book which will tell you all you need to know about literary agents. A literary agent is someone who represents a writer in negotiating with publishers, film producers, and indeed anyone who wants to make any sort of deal with that writer. The theory is that the agent, who spends all his life negotiating deals, and knows the business inside out, will get a much better result than would the poor ignorant writer if she tried to negotiate on her own behalf. Hence the writer will, in the long run, earn a lot more money through an agent. That’s the theory. But is it true in practice? And in today’s digital marketplace, where self-publishing costs you nothing, does a writer really need an agent at all? Michael Allen’s first novel was published over fifty years ago (1963). He is the author of numerous other novels and short stories (some written under pen-names) which have variously been published in hardback, paperback, and ebook editions, in the UK, USA, France and Denmark. He has also run two small publishing companies.