Christine Fonseca's Thankful Tuesdays #2

Christine Fonseca had the brilliant idea of dedicating each Tuesday in November to writerly things we are thankful for. She invites anyone to play along, and she even set up a schedule for us. Here is the remaining schedule:

11/9 – Giving Thanks to Agents
11/16 – Giving Thanks to Editors
11/23 – Giving Thanks to Writing (in general)

Today's focus is on Agents

Sadly, I do not have an agent. I'd like to have an agent. So, ya know, if you happen to be one, feel free to call me anytime. K? Thanks! Seriously, though, agents are a treasure beyond measure.

Jody Hedlund did a post, "What Do Agents REALLY Offer Writers?" about a year ago (11/23/09) in which she listed some of the reasons agents are valuable. With her permission, I have re-printed a portion of her post.

1. Agents Are Gatekeepers. There are a lot of people writing these days. Okay, that's an understatement. There are a zillion people writing. One only has to look at the follower gadgets on agent blogs to see a fraction of those serious about publication. The competition is very high.

Agents have the tough job of sifting through numerous manuscripts and finding books that are ready for publication. As gatekeepers, they help offer an industry standard. And lest writers think the standard is too high, I believe if a story and craft are good enough, an agent will see that at some point. I have several writing friends who've recently landed agents. Don't lose hope.

2. Agents Are Teachers. Indirectly (via blogs and the querying process), agents push all writers to be better students of the writing craft. Those serious about a writing career work harder and study the craft and industry even more. And perhaps the faint-of-heart learn they need to pursue writing as a hobby and nothing more.

More directly, agents teach their clients many, many things. They help us improve our books, titles, proposals, and skills. They educate us on the realities of the publishing process, direct us how to market, and challenge us to grow. Agents have an invested interest in our writing careers and therefore want to teach us how to succeed.

3. Agents Are Matchmakers. This is perhaps the biggest advantage to having an agent. In the enormous, complicated publishing industry, writers need experts who know editors, who are familiar with all of the publishing houses, and who interact with them on a daily basis. Agents have their fingers on the pulse of the publishing industry in a way that the average writer could never hope to achieve.

My agent laid out a plan of action for my books almost immediately. She picked a publisher she thought was perfect for my books, made initial connections, and then proceeded to strategically negotiate until the deal was done.

To read ALL of Jody's post (and follow her amazing blog) go here.

Thank you,
to all the agents out there,
for all you do to help writers like me.