Publishing Your YA Novel: Should You Get an Agent?

Finding a publisher takes a lot of effort, and that’s where a literary agent comes in. But do I need an agent?

When it comes to publishing, there are two basic schools of thought: traditional and independent. As you wrap up your manuscript revisions, you’re likely starting to think about how you want to share your story with the world.

I wanted to take control of my YA book’s journey, so I went the self-publishing route, choosing to get my novel out there independently. But it takes a lot of work. Some would rather have a professional handle that, which is where a publisher comes into play with the traditional model.

However, finding a publisher also takes a lot of effort, and that’s where a literary agent comes in. But that doesn’t mean you need one.

A Big DIY Project

The most obvious way to circumvent the need for an agent is to publish independently. Before the advent of the internet, self-publishing was a massive challenge.

Now, it’s never been easier when there are a variety of websites and places like Amazon’s Kindle Direct Publishing around for anyone to access. But what you need to be aware of is the workload and costs involved.

When you go independent, you shoulder the entire financial burden of hiring an editor, getting a cover art design, and marketing the novel in hopes of getting it onto more shelves. Getting readers looking at your YA book over others is a constant hustle.

Now, some businesses, like BookBaby, who I self-published with, do provide extensive services as part of their costs, so that can help alleviate stress, but if you’re not ready to pay for that, then you’ll need to be prepared to work to fill in the blanks on your self-publishing journey.

What Does An Agent Do?

But maybe you’d like to take a chance with traditional publishing and let a big publishing house handle the finer points of delivering your YA book. What exactly would a literary agent do to help you with that? Here are the broad strokes of what you can expect:

Relationships

An agent’s job is to know who to talk to with the big publishers of the world. Because they’ve been developing those relationships, they make it easier for an author’s work to get in front of the right eye.

Simultaneously, they’re helping build your relationship with those publishers, especially when you get signed. Many writers prefer to avoid being bogged down by constant back and forth with publishers when they’re trying to write, so your agent can take care of that for you.

Making the Deals

Agents will secure the best deal for their clients. Because the less money you make, the less they make. So you can always count on them to help you navigate contracts and agreements to achieve the best outcome for you and your story. That means movie or tv rights, tapping into foreign markets, and everything in between, which can sum up to a lot of paperwork.

Knowing What Sells

If your idea of success as an author is fame and fortune, then an agent can help navigate the ever-changing YA marketplace. They keep up-to-date on trends and will know the best way to slot your book into the zeitgeist. From finding the best editor for the genre to helping you pitch to publishing houses, agents want to help you sell, sell, sell.

Traditional Publishing

With all that said, can you secure a deal with a traditional publisher without the help of a literary agent? The short answer is “yes.” The longer version is that it will be a lot more challenging and, at times, heartbreaking to try and get into a large publishing house without an agent’s help.

Anyone can reach out to publishers, pitch their work, navigate contracts, and all the other finer points. And if that appeals to you, then I encourage you to go for it. But if it’s at all daunting, you’d likely be best served signing with a literary agent. It’s their job to be experts in the field, making it easier for authors to focus on their expertise and not sweat the details.

So if you want to hook a traditional publishing deal, make sure you review everything involved before committing to that journey before getting in over your head.

As an author, you have some power over how your book gets shared with the world. Some routes are easier than others, but it’s always possible to handle everything yourself. A literary agent is optional, thankfully, though having one would help if you want to get picked up by a major publisher.

Alternatively, if you’re like me and want total control of when your book gets published, then self-publishing is the way to go. And even then, that’s a learning curve all on its own!

But you can check out my free self-publishing guide to avoid the mistakes I made along the way and ensure your novel comes out in less than the 10 years it took me to write and publish Getting By!

If you have further questions about publishing your young adult novel, feel free to get in touch or find me on social media.