I’ve decided that it’s time to look for an agent again.
When I first looked for one back in 2012 (for Song of Simon) I got a few bites and requests for more. Mostly what I got was disappointment. Of course, SoS eventually got picked up by a publisher, so I thought that I didn’t need an agent anyway.
I was wrong. After immersion into the publishing industry, I realized that I had no idea what I’m doing. I rewrote and self published The Watchmage of Old New York after its long, popular stint at JukepopSerials. I’m proud of it. It’s a great story, and I plan on spending many years writing sequels (The second is in beta mode, and I’m plotting the 3rd right now).
The thing is: I can’t make a career out of self publishing. I’m not so prolific that I can write a book every three months (my planning, writing, and editing routine is purposefully long and arduous. A good book takes time). If I want to make this a real career, I need someone that knows what they’re doing, someone that knows the business. I was arrogant to believe that I can do this alone.
I have confidence that I can attract an agent for Watchmage, but I know that everyone says that. More to the point, I have confidence that this is what I need.
The downside is that I will probably have to take Watchmage off of the market if I get an agent, but it’s worth it in the long run.