Agents.... worth persuing?

[Deeply_Twisted]

So, I'm contemplating jumping up to a professional level and offering my work for sale.

Is it better to just put forth the effort, get your work legally copyrighted and professionally edited and then converting it to Mobi format for Amazon to sell in the Kindle store and in Print on Demand along with all the self promotion that is required...

Or is it more effective to go agent hunting until you find one that is both competent and connected AND likes your work enough to get behind it.

I'm just curious if anyone has gone this route yet.

DT

 

[sr71plt]

You're not going to find many agents for erotica--there may be a few taking it because of the Fifty Shades of Grey phenomenon. But I wouldn't count much on that.

 

[lovecraft68]

I'm sure you'll get pro agent and anti-agent opinions here.

Speaking for myself, I never bothered trying to find one. Its not difficult to put out your won stuff. My cost per story is $10 per story to an editor (more of its over 25k) and about $4 for a cover.

I just don;t see what an agent will do to justify their cut. Maybe someday I'll change my mind, but for now I do it all myself.

 

[sr71plt]

This message is hidden because lovecraft68 is on your ignore list.

 

[Boxlicker101]

So, I'm contemplating jumping up to a professional level and offering my work for sale.

Is it better to just put forth the effort, get your work legally copyrighted and professionally edited and then converting it to Mobi format for Amazon to sell in the Kindle store and in Print on Demand along with all the self promotion that is required...

Or is it more effective to go agent hunting until you find one that is both competent and connected AND likes your work enough to get behind it.

I'm just curious if anyone has gone this route yet.

DT

You might be better off posting your work to Amazon or Smashwords on your own and, after you have a substantial body of work, trying to attract an agent. That's not a recommendation, and it's just barely a suggestion because I don't know what you have to offer.

 

[sr71plt]

OK, anyone out there in erotica land who is also posting to Literotica have an agent? I don't think so.

Anyone find "erotica" listed as something an agent listed in the main agent directories, Literary Marketplace, Writer's Market, or Hermann's Annual handles? I doubt that.

 

[lovecraft68]

Agent vs no agent.

and arrogant asshole who thinks he is something against a silly literotica hack.

Two years on smashwords each with an almost identical join date.

On smashwords people can book mark you as they do on lit.

so let's see Pilot (Habu) under a publisher.

https://www.smashwords.com/profile/view/habubarbarianspy

5 people book marked him.

Now let's check out that twisted little slut "Laura Lovecraft"

https://www.smashwords.com/profile/view/LauraLovecraft

Hmmm 26 book marks. 5 times the amount.

also please note Habu's higher prices a necessary evil as he is giving up a slice to his publisher who does not seem to be helping him much here.

then again, look what they're working with.

In other words, you arrogant fraud.....

Fuck you.

 

[sr71plt]

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[njlauren]

Conventional wisdom used to be with print books that an agent was a good first step to getting published, that trying to submit to slush piles at mainstream publishers was hit or miss, etc, and there was some truth to it.

With the e-book revolution agents in many cases are turning out to be as useless as tits on a bull. With sites like Smashwords, where you can publish the e-book and split revenue with them, or self publish through Amazon or even submit to their own publishing arm, or submitting to e-book publishers, that to me is prob the better route. A number of authors have built up huge followings through word of mouth only, and then once it becomes big enough the print publishers might talk to you. With genres like erotica and 'adult' romance, makes even more sense, since mainstream publishers, even with 50 shades of more money, tend to shy away from it, afraid it will scare the children and horses or something.

 

[sr71plt]

Strangely enough, agents are now happy to handle electronic rights in the mainstream. Of course they want to handle the print rights too. That's not really the issue. Agents haven't traditionally handled erotica at all. If that's changing, would like to see the evidence of it.