The Case for Pursuing a Traditional Publishing Deal Without an Agent

Today’s post is by author Amy L. Bernstein.

Securing the services of a literary agent has long been the gold standard for authors pursuing a long and successful career in publishing.

It’s easy to understand why. At the turn of the twentieth century, the so-called “author’s representative” emerged as the figure who would help authors cut a better deal with publishers. Most publishers were unhappy about this since agents who skillfully leveraged their clients’ hot properties forced publishers to shell out more money on better terms.

By mid-century, the agenting game was well established. Legendary agents like Sterling Lord (Jack Kerouac and Doris Kearns Goodwin were among his clients) and Robert Gottlieb (Toni Morrison, Robert Caro) impressed writers with their ability to champion talent, nurture genius, and land lucrative publishing deals. Needless to say, authors couldn’t accomplish half so much on their own behalf. The gatekeepers had won—and were here to stay.

Fast forward to today. Agents still function as gatekeepers, especially to the Big Five publishers and many top-tier smaller publishers, such as Tin House (whose open-reading periods are limited to a few days a year). Breakout debuts by authors like Jessica George (represented by David Higham) and stratospheric careers like Bonnie Garmus’ (repped by Curtis Brown) would not be possible without agents in the mix.

But, dear authors, securing an agent is not the only path to getting happily published (outside of self-publishing).

One big reason to consider other strategies (especially with a first book) is that the agenting business model is showing serious signs of wear-and-tear. Many agents readily admit the industry is in flux.

According to the latest member survey by the Association of American Literary Agents, an overwhelming majority of agents report feeling burned out and are working too much uncompensated overtime. And no wonder, as roughly a fifth of them receive 100 or more queries per week. Many also feel underpaid, given that roughly two-thirds depend in part or entirely on commissions—and making a sale can take months, if not years. (Do you imagine this is an elite group? Roughly 30 percent of American agents earn less than $50,000 annually.)

There’s no need to put all your editorial eggs into this one (turbulent) basket.

Scores of traditional small presses operating professionally and ethically in North America (and the UK, Australia, and elsewhere) are open to reviewing manuscripts year-round or seasonally without charging a fee.

Before getting into nuts and bolts on this, let me anticipate some objections that I know are out there, because the lure of agent-magic is strong:

But going directly to a publisher is less prestigious than going with an agent!

Even if that were objectively true, by the time your book is out in the world, readers have no idea how it got there and aren’t thinking about who reps you. The means justify the ends.

But an agent will fight for a better contract, or a bigger advance, than I’d get by negotiating with the publisher myself!

There may be some truth to this, but the tradeoffs are worth considering. For one thing: you’re getting published! A small advance, or no advance, may be offset by your efforts to successfully market your book when it comes out. Secondly, consider spending a few hundred dollars for an attorney to review your contract. The Authors Guild does this for free, and some states (such as Maryland) offer pro bono legal services to artists.

But a small press can’t market my book effectively!

It’s true that the Big Five publishers have bigger marketing budgets for ads and other forms of publicity. But will they put any of that money behind your book? And even big-name authors are increasingly expected to help market their own books and participate on social media.

The best small presses will submit reviews to the same outlets as the Big Five, from Kirkus to Publishers Weekly, and will engage in guerrilla marketing techniques to get you noticed. The gap in marketing efforts is not as wide as you think—and you’ll be expected to self-market with any publisher.

Now that you’ve begun entertaining the idea that getting into bed with a publisher without an agent isn’t the kiss of death, let’s review how you can make that happen. I’m highlighting three strategies to get you headed in the right direction.

1. Find small presses

With the emergence of AI-assisted search tools, it is easier than ever to generate lists of “publishers accepting manuscripts without an agent.” (That very search term will yield results.) But AI-generated lists in particular may be incomplete as well as misleading, as they are likely to contain publishers that have switched over to agent-only submissions and/or may be outdated. Vanity presses that require authors to pay-to-play may be on that list, as well. So, beware! AI is not entirely reliable or particularly thorough for this task.

Here are five consistently reliable sources for tracking publishers open to queries (also bound to change over time):

1. Authors Publish. Run by a handful of dedicated saints who routinely refresh annotated lists of publishers and other literary outlets.
2. The Writer’s Center. An independent home for literary arts, originally in the Washington, D.C., area, but now national in scope.
3. Published to Death. Maintained by author Erica Verillo, who frequently writes about writing.
4. Reedsy. A membership-based resource center for authors and publishing professionals.
5. Duotrope. A subscription-based service for writers and artists that offers an extensive, searchable database of publishers and other literary outlets. Updated frequently.

2. Vet the presses

Research each press or publisher thoroughly before submitting. To that end, here’s a vetting checklist.

Vanity press tip-offs. Scour the publisher’s website to ensure they do not charge authors a substantial reading fee or any fees associated with the publishing process. Some writers don’t mind paying, say, $10 for a reading fee to offset a small press’s labor cost or to defray the expense of using Submittable. That’s up to you. A small reading fee isn’t necessarily a red flag. However, a website that devotes more space to touting the publisher’s services and “packages,” as opposed to highlighting the authors it’s published, is a big red flag. Run away—unless you specifically want this model.

Professionalism. Are the covers of published books consistently professional? Are the genres compatible with yours? Are the titles well displayed on the website? Are the authors professionally profiled? Are book reviews excerpted? Are new releases highlighted? These are all hallmarks of a quality publisher. The website itself should also look updated and professional.

Distribution. Is there at least one distribution partner listed, such as Independent Publishers Group, America West, or Baker & Taylor? If not, seek answers on their distribution outlets.

The Amazon test. Look up a handful of the publisher’s titles on Amazon to ensure the listings appear correct, which formats are listed, how the books are priced, and to ascertain how many reviews have been posted. It’s not the only quality indicator, but it is an important one. Single-digit reviews may suggest weak marketing on the publisher’s part—or an unsuccessful marketing partnership between author and publisher.

Presence. How is the publisher faring on social media? Are they posting regularly on Instagram or Facebook? Do you see signs of real engagement? What are their follower numbers like? Some presses have only a few hundred followers while others have thousands. This could affect their ability to spread the word about your title.

Jane also has tips on evaluating small presses.

Step 3: Submit to a small press

One advantage of submitting to a small press rather than an agent is that many presses will request the full, complete manuscript—and they will read the whole thing before replying to you. At least this way, you know you’ve gotten a truly fair shake.

That said, some presses prefer that you query them with sample pages, as you would an agent. The key is to pay close attention to their preferences and follow them to the letter.

Because some presses have limited open-submission windows, it’s helpful to join their mailing lists and get notified when those windows open. (I post calendar reminders for just this purpose.)

Finally, note that many small presses are open to literary forms other than book-length work, such as novellas, short stories, or chapbooks. Getting a smaller work published first may open the door for your full-length books later on.

Related: Jane has a thorough list of what to ask a publisher before signing if you don’t have the benefit of an agent.

Keep your eyes on the prize

While it can be hard to let go of the dream of landing a prestige agent, kicking off your publishing career with a small press is a great way to get to know the industry, build your author profile, and establish a reputation.

This is a fluid business. You have time to prove yourself in the marketplace before seeking an agent. Indeed, with a few books from small presses under your belt, you may be better positioned to catch an agent’s eye.

And if not?

Keep writing. Keep getting published. And don’t worry about “the one that brung you to the dance.” Your ideal reader, browsing in a bookstore, is looking for your story, not your backstory.

Amy L. Bernstein

Amy L. Bernstein has worked with three traditional publishers who believed in her unagented work. Her latest nonfiction book, Wrangling the Doubt Monster: Fighting Fears, Finding Inspiration, is due out in September from Bancroft Press. Learn more here.