Book writers need a couple of things to make their lives easier--a place to write, and something to write with. The rest all comes natural. No? There might be some other things that will help them along their way to becoming published. One of them might be an agent. This could be debated hotly by bookwriters that think you need an agent and those that think you don't. There are many resources to help you no matter which side of the writer's fence you are on. If you're a fence rider and don't know which camp to set up your tent with then take a few minutes and look over some of your researching choices.
- Guide to Literary Agents 2005 This is a book that you can get anywhere but we have conveniently linked it to Amazon.com.
- How to Be Your Own Literary Agent Another book, another link to Amazon.com
A book writer, no matter the genre, doesn't have to get an agent but we have listed what every writer should know about what they do.
- Submit writer's material to publishers. They should know their editor's and have an 'in' with them that you might not have. Not always, but sometimes.
- Negotiate contracts. They can wheel and deal in a manner that you might not be comfortable with.
- Collect monies and distribute them. They review extremely complicated royalty statements, point out mistakes and get the publisher to pay up. Do you have the time for this?
- In return they get a 10% commission on your actual earnings. That was tradition, which is now leaning heavily towards 15% across the board.
Another thing that lonely little writers of books might need is an association. You can join organizations, guilds and societies that fit the category of the books you write. There is comfort among fellow writers that you just can't get elsewhere. Often these writer's organizations also offer such things as group discounts on health insurance etc. that a writer might not otherwise have access to. You can read each other's books and become a mutual approbation society. Nobody understands a writer like another writer, right?
Another thing a writer might need is great book ideas. We aren't giving those out here but we do have advice on how to get your own. Glean all the written material you can for the latest in science, finance, technology, medicine and more. Listen to people's conversations for juicy bits of gossip, I mean for language use and syntax and for ideas on how every day people communicate. Listen to the radio and watch the idiot box for the newest fads and faux pas. The ideas will just build upon themselves until you have enough to write a lifetime of books. You go writer, go!