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4th Jan 2009 - A Careful Man by Joanne Phillips has been chosen as one of the winners of the Turner Maxwell Books best short stories of the year.

HOW TO MARKET YOUR WRITING SERVICES ONLINE

Article for top writing website www.writersservices.com

Click on the link above to read the article in full.

Getting Published - Do You Need An Agent?

There has been talk in recent months about publishers in the UK opening their previously closed doors to submissions from un-agented authors. It seems that so few agents are taking on sparkling new authors these days, publishers are looking to their 'slush' piles to find the writing stars of tomorrow.

There is also a growing trend for publishing deals to be handed out to authors who have previously gone down the self-publishing route. In the latest Writers' News magazine (Jan 2009), it is reported that "novelists Polly Courtney and Melanie Rose have both signed three-book deals with Avon, an imprint of HarperCollins. The deals follow the success of their novels, which were self-published by Matador."

If this is the case, then do we still need to approach, and enlist representation from, an agent in the first instance? Or is their role in the publishing process becoming sidelined? Should authors circumnavigate literary agents completely and either contact suitable publishers directly or put their considerable energies into self-publishing and self-promotion?

As a (currently) un-agented author myself, I would answer that despite the evidence presented above, writers do still need to seek out the services of a good agent. Embarking on a writing career without an agent onside is like selling your house without a solicitor - possible, but fraught with difficulties and needlessly complicated. The fact is, you need the professional services of an agent, just as you need those of a good solicitor…

Just as the world of conveyancing has its own conventions and language, so does the world of publishing. Your agent will navigate this path for you, helping with the editing and polishing process, negotiating the best financial package, thrashing out a beneficial contract, and then holding your hand until your book hits the shelves - and beyond. Yes, of course, as an intelligent person you could educate yourself about how the world of publishing, sales and promotion works, but wouldn't you, as a writer, rather be writing?

I know I would. Which is why I will continue to search for representation, despite all the evidence that this route is becoming increasingly closed-off to new authors. I have faith - in myself, in my writing, and in the place of the agent as an integral part of the process.

Read David Smith's informative article 'The Literary Agent' here.