For some time now, I've taken the position that self-publishing represents a threat to traditional publishers (not to mention agents and especially in the non-fiction market). Think about it. Why share the profits from a book, if you can publish it yourself, develop your own marketing (which traditionally published authors are expected to do now) and set up distribution channels on your own? Can't get into bookstores? Who cares, if you can sell your books to non-bookstore markets?
All these things have become more feasible. POD presses have helped make self-publishing printed books cheaper and easier. But now, the ever-growing demand for e-books is making the whole business much, much cheaper and easier than ever.
It was only a matter of time before a major author (Stephen Covey) decided to bypass the traditional big publishing houses and issue his books for Kindle (in Covey's case, through an e-book publisher) on Amazon. Figures it would be a business author--and one of the most successful ones in the last 20 years. As such, Covey can surely see the business sense in doing this.
So what does this mean for fiction authors? Well, duh. The bigger you are in the business, the more incentive you have to jump aboard and start publishing your out-of-print backlist as e-books. Even TV writer-producer and crime fiction author Lee Goldberg (one of self-publishing's biggest and most vocal detractors) has done this. And J.A. Konrath, another crime fiction author, says he can pay his mortgage with what he makes from his e-books.
Where does that leave the little guys? Well, right now, new authors and lesser-known names are probably wise to continue seeking an agent or traditional publisher (if only to open doors to the possibility of winning certain awards and establish greater credibility in the business). However, I think the possibilities for new authors who get their work out through e-publishing are awesome (especially in the not-to-distant future, as e-books become more and more popular, if not the norm). The main thing is to make sure it's your very best work. (Which means having someone more impartial than your mom or your SO review it before you send it out to the world.)
Anyhow, if you're looking for an agent, you should do your research, check guides like this one and the membership listings for the Association of Author's Representatives (an organization that requires its members to adhere to a code of ethics). Oh, and you could follow potential agents on Twitter. It could give you some insight into what they like (maybe). Remember that Twitter is a good place to gather information and make connections (it is form of networking, after all). However, if an agent is looking for your type of book, you should go to their Web site, see if they're taking submissions and follow the guidelines. And, unless they're really unusual agents and say otherwise in their Web site, don't tweet story pitches, okay?
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