The Role of Agents in Modern Publishing: Necessary or Outdated?

 

This blog post comes from someone who was once absolutely sure she wanted to become a literary agent. Spoiler alert: I did not, in fact, want to become one. Oh, the irony. Today’s discussion—or debate, if you prefer—is all about literary agents.

I didn’t even know literary agents existed until one was mentioned in King of Pride by Ana Huang. This was early in my publishing journey, and before then, I hadn’t cared much about how books were published, I was just glad that they were. My first interest focused on publishers and which ones I read from most (Hachette, specifically the Little, Brown divisions). Then I started looking into the agents who represented my favourite authors. One name kept coming up: Kimberly Brower.

Let me start by explaining what a literary agent is. Essentially, this is a professional who represents authors and their work to publishers, film and television producers, as well as author media outlets. They shop around for authors and handle all the tedious work that comes between the writer and the marketplace. Think of the words representation, negotiation, guidance, developmental editing, industry knowledge, and of course advocacy. In a more poetic sense, they are the mother of your professional journey.

So, the question now is, of course, do you need one?
I say you do. Here is why. It is very unrealistic to expect a publisher to just pick up your story, both in the literal and figurative sense. Why? Most big publishing houses do not accept unsolicited manuscripts. They want a polished, finished copy, like a shiny veneer. In terms of visibility, negotiation, and the workings of the industry, it is challenging to get your book on the shelf without an agent. Notice I said challenging, not impossible. Nothing in 2025 is impossible.

Having an agent does not guarantee infinite success or the visibility you hope for. That is not entirely in your hands; it is in the readers.

Let us take Somme Sketcher, Danielle Lori, and J.M. Darhower as examples. As of 2025, Somme Sketcher is represented by Kimberly Brower, but before that, she was not, and still her books and social media gave her fantastic coverage. Did she get recognition? Of course. Did she get her books on the shelf? Not yet. Will she gain more traditional outlets now that she has an agent? Probably. Many of Brower’s clients end up with Hachette Pikatus, so I would not be surprised. Not to say Sketcher did not have physical copies; she has and still does. I’m pretty sure book community readers, myself included, bought her latest release Sinners Atone the second it dropped on KU. It is getting sales; however, the magnitude of those sales if it had been with a publisher is arguable.

In contrast, Danielle Lori’s work remains a staple on readers’ shelves even years later. She was self-published, had no agent, and has largely gone off the radar, yet her talent still shines through. Danielle Lori achieved immense success as a self-published author, something many traditionally published authors never manage. When it comes to maintaining a lasting presence in the book community, having an agent does not necessarily make a difference. J.M. Darhower is in a similar situation. The author wrote one of the best books ever and then left readers hanging.

Now, let’s go through some common confusions between agents and other publishing professionals, because I had a lot of confusion when I first started down the publishing path, or academia, if you will. One common confusion is the agent versus publicist debacle.

An agent, as I mentioned, handles the wheeling and dealing, whereas a publicist promotes the book to media outlets and the public. While a publicist focuses on media coverage, reviews, and event planning, an agent is all business—think rights, deals, and the opportunities that come with publishing contracts. An agent gets involved far earlier in the book’s process, even before it is released to the world, at the submission or contract stage. A publicist, on the other hand, usually comes in either after the book is ready to launch or close to that date.

The biggest difference is that agents negotiate with editors and publishers on behalf of the author, while publicists do not—they work with marketing and media. One has the goal of getting the best deals, whereas the other aims to get the book noticed in order to boost its viability and sales.

This is what I was told, and it always helped clear up my confusion: An agent helped Ana Huang sell her manuscript to Hachette Piatkus and negotiate the contract for the USA and UK, while her publicist got the book reviewed and featured in The New York Times, set up interviews, and organized the book tours she does before, during, and in between every release.

That was when I realized I wanted to do part agent, meaning business-focused work, and part publicist, meaning creative work. And thus, this long-winded journey began.

The reason this distinction is so important is because of the following.
I think the biggest challenge is not getting noticed but securing the deals. Publicists are thriving with social media, so visibility is less of a problem; the real challenge lies in the deals. That is why I personally believe agents are an essential part of publishing, past, present, and future.

Agents are responsible not only for getting a book out into the world but also for negotiating deals for adaptations. Many agents handle foreign rights in addition to all the other responsibilities they manage. They act as umbrellas, covering a wide range of roles and ensuring that authors are fully supported.

 Having a literary agent does not guarantee success, and lacking one does not guarantee failure. However, having an agent can give you confidence that your work is in the right hands—if you have the right agent, of course. This brings me to my next point.

Every author has their own vision of what they want their legacy to look like, so it is important to find an agent who will not ambush you but will help you reach that goal. Ali Hazelwood, for example, has minimal media coverage yet still enjoys widespread success who is managed by Thao Le from Sandra Dijkstra Literay Agency, whereas Ana Huang’s brand functions more like an event. Agents need to correspond to these different approaches. Predictable patterns in authors managed by the same agent get, well, predictable, and the lack of innovation becomes glaring. Variety is needed not only in the books we consume but also in how they’re shared and showcased.

I have noticed, particularly on LinkedIn, that many authors are using AI as their editor, and I am not a fan of this approach. AI is useful for many things, but it is programmed to sound the same across the board. Using it to edit a story that may reach countless readers is risky because, when errors slip through, they can be embarrassing. Not to say humans are error-free—they are not. I have seen a considerable number of mistakes in books published by the big five, and despite the so-called “editing hell,” the work can still be lackluster. AI is programmed with a robotic quality, and it can never write your story for you, no matter how amazing you think your prompts are. You cannot outdo an artificial system, and trying to use coding to improve your creative work can be an easy trap to fall into.

Having read so many manuscripts as a literary agent, that is, from the perspective of actual agents, not me personally, I can say that having a development editor built into your agent is a reliable way to ensure your story reaches its maximum potential. Fun fact: I also considered becoming a development editor myself until I realized it would suck the joy out of reading for me, so I happily stepped back.

Agents are evolving, with some even acting as consultants, rights specialists, and more recently, brand managers—a role I feel should really fall to the publicist. This leads to the ongoing debate around hybrid publishing, where authors can do both: leaning toward traditional publishing for prestige or self-publishing for income.

Just a quick FYI: agents do not get paid a fee upfront. They earn a percentage, typically around the 15 percent mark, of what the author makes from the deals the agent negotiates. The same applies to foreign rights deals as well as film and television deals.

 Let’s put an end to this chaotic but also very well-organized debate. Agents, in my opinion, are necessary if you want one. They take a lot of weight off your shoulders and, depending on their areas of expertise and reputation, could help you reach your career goals. With that said, you need to make sure your work is in trustworthy hands to protect your authorship. I’ve laid out some arguments for why you do and do not need one.

We have had great authors who have been self-published, like I mentioned above, as well as others like Lucy Score, who is now published by Hodder & Stoughton, showing that agents are accessories rather than the majority. There are also more direct platforms, with Amazon being the top one, which allows for global distribution in addition to social media reach. With TikTok taking publishing by storm even more than Instagram, it allows for direct marketing to readers, but not usually for the traditional spots where an agent would be your preferred method of action.

From experience, contracts are something you want in the hands of professionals, not just an online export. And the most baseless argument is that without an agent you can “control your career.” Yes, to a degree, but as I said, your books rising to fame is not entirely in your hands—you can’t force sales to rise or make people like your work.

Agents are still here because of the work they do, and with social media taking the world by storm, it’s really important not to dismantle their role. I’m all for working with agents to help my clients in this intersection between publicity and subrights. It’s something that motivates me, and one day, after getting the training I desire, I’d like to work as part of an agency—not as an agent, but as an asset.

Now, share your views or debate with me on mine.

I’m currently reading The Defender by Ana Huang and it’s amazing. Whilst I prepare for my next review and draft my next publishing topic, I’ll leave you with one final question.

Consider your favourite author for a moment. Do they have an agent? And if they do—or even if they didn’t—would their story be where it is today without someone guiding the deals and opportunities behind the scenes? That’s exactly why agents, for all their evolving roles and occasional critiques, remain a crucial part of the publishing world.

They are the ones helping authors navigate the business side so the stories we love can reach the readers who will cherish them.

See you between the pages.

Vivian.