A publishing agent is a person who helps writers get their work published. He or she does this by pushing the writer’s manuscript to various publishing houses. Other publishing agent duties include negotiating contracts and editing.
For aspiring authors, finding a company willing to publish their latest literary masterpieces is extremely difficult. It is hard to convince a publishing house to take a risk with someone who has yet to prove their marketability. Moreover, some publishing houses will only accept manuscripts that are represented by a leading publishing agent. Publishing agents play a crucial role by helping writers get recognized by publishers.
The role of a publishing agent is more than getting a lucrative book deal. Marketing expertise is an essential skill of many publishing agents when pushing manuscripts. They will typically have contacts in every level of the publishing industry. This is because publishing agents must convince publishing houses that a novel will sell in order for them to take it. Publishing agents will also negotiate to receive the best book deal possible.
Some publishing agents specialize in a particular genre or medium. A book publishing agent normally focuses on selling novels while a script publishing agent would support scriptwriters. He or she may work for a publishing agency or be an independent publishing agent, and it is common for a publishing agent to manage more than one writer at a time.
A publishing agent usually sends the same manuscript to multiple publishing houses to increase the chance of selling it. In some cases, the publishing agent provides new insight by giving the writer valuable feedback. He or she can also assist in editing or may send the manuscript to a professional editor if it requires substantial revision.
Publishing agents primarily earn their incomes on a commission basis. Once a publishing house agrees to print an author’s book, the agent receives a commission, which is usually around 10 – 15 percent. The commission may also cover the royalties and other income that is generated from the book deal.
One the most important roles of publishing agents likely is discovering new writers who have the potential to become bestsellers. For instance, Bryony Evens was working at a small publishing agency when she saw a children’s book manuscript in the reject pile. Intrigued by its unique binding, she decided to read the first few chapters of the book. She liked the story, and after contacting the author, she managed to get her a book deal with a major London publishing company. The author she contacted was J.K. Rowling, and the manuscript would turn out to be the draft for the first Harry Potter book.