In all of the recent debate surrounding traditional publishing versus self-publishing, both models appear to be emerging as valid options for books. But while the Big Five aren't closing up shop entirely any time soon-despite recent mergers and rumors of future mergers-and self-published authors continue to earn accolades and income, one entity in the publishing industry has been largely overlooked: literary agents.
Agents, once considered the first-round gate keepers to getting your book published, have had to look for new ways to continue their relevance in a rapidly changing book market. Some agents, such as Deidre Knight of The Knight Agency and Scott Waxman of Waxman literary, were the first to embrace digital publishing as a viable option for their clients, citing the desire to get a client's book "out there," regardless of the interest from publishers. Ebook-only or digital-first became an opportunity to not cast aside a quality book that just hadn't found its place in the market.
