What does an agent actually do to earn 10 or 15 percent of the authors money?
Ideally, four things: make the greatest possible deal; give the author emotional and editorial support, including reading the work in progress with enthusiasm and a sharp, critical mind; sometimes drag the book out of the author; resolve conflicts between writer and publisher, and help get the book reviewed in the right places and pressure the publisher for good publicity and advertising campaigns and author book tours. An important agent who also would only speak on the condition of anonymity said that she ”is doing more editing than ever — everybody is doing more editing — as there is a big void to be filled between what publishers offer writers today and what they used to offer.” It is an article of faith among writers that, on the whole, editing has suffered greatly in book publishing. In the endless war between agent and publisher, she adds: ”Publishers are shooting themselves in the foot. Big-name writers can rent a printer, hire a freelance editor and a publicist, work thei
