No Longer Looking for Agents

by L.J. Sellers, author of provocative mysteries & thrillers

Last weekend I was the keynote speaker at an e-publishing workshop in Ashland, Oregon, where I also participated in panel discussions. The author on the panel with me kept talking about agents and publishers and what they could do for writers—as a counterpoint to my indie focus. I finally looked at the group of hopeful writers and asked, “How many of you are looking for agents?” Not a single one indicated they were. 

This is a radical change from just a year ago, when so many aspiring writers I interacted with were still “holding out for a traditional contract.” Those Southern Oregon writers, of course, don’t necessarily represent authors everywhere, but I think more and more writers are finally realizing that querying agents is a colossal waste of time and that publishers really aren’t necessary, and in fact, may be counterproductive to a successful novelist career.

This is not true for everyone, but then, playing the lottery is not a waste of time and money for everyone either. A few people get lucky every year. I’m just glad that aspiring writers, in general, are no longer counting on it. They’re attending conferences to learn about e-publishing and taking control of their own destinies.

I did what I could to inspire them.