Literary Agenting: The Good and the Bad
Literary Agenting: The Good and the Bad: and some tips for writers
Article by Arevik Ashkharoyan was featured at EVNreport magazine’s special edition on Books and Literature.
“What is being a literary agent like? What are the pros and cons that one should know about the job –– which can be time-consuming and exhausting but can also bring incredible satisfaction –– before taking it on?
Since I took up literary agenting, I have been asked dozens of times what the job entails. I will leave the job description aside and be a bit allegorical. Imagine you adopt children who are very different from one another, but you love each of them equally and have faith in their future success. Your job is to give them support and encouragement and help them navigate the big wide world in their own way. When they achieve a milestone, you let them have the limelight, proudly and unobtrusively, just as a parent would. This is smart parenting… oops!… agenting.”