I Acquire a Literary Agent

I’m happy to announce that I’ve just engaged literary agent Sarah Hershman, of Hershman Rights Management LLC, to represent and sell subsidiary rights to my Dylan Hunter thriller series.

In hiring Ms. Hershman, my primary aim is to publish more print, ebook, and audio editions of the Dylan Hunter novels in foreign languages and markets, and, if possible, to better exploit audio and print opportunities in the domestic U.S. market.

As you know, I’m a huge advocate of self-publishing for English-language ebooks. Because it is so easy to do, indie publishing of ebooks continues to make the most financial sense, because you do not have to share most of your royalties with an agent and publisher. That’s why I’ll continue to self-publish the English language ebooks for all the Dylan Hunter novels.

If you intend to sell your print books mainly online, rather than through bookstores, self-publishing “print-on-demand” editions through the printing services of companies such as Amazon’s Createspace division also makes sense. Obviously, you don’t need an agent or publisher to do that. These days, you can even produce and sell your own audiobooks through firms such as ACX.com, although there is an up-front commitment of several thousand dollars for studio time and a good narrator. (That’s what I did for the HUNTER audiobook.)

However, self-publishing is not a great option for producing foreign-language editions. Those require you to find and hire good translators and, in the case of audiobooks, narrators skilled in each language. I think it’s far preferable to leave all those logistics to foreign publishers to handle. And to pursue those publishers, it’s usually best to hire an agent with the time and market knowledge.

Also, bookstores don’t generally like to carry self-published print editions. If you wish to get your book into stores, a publisher is your best bet. And getting a publisher usually requires having an agent.

I’m excited about the prospect of expanding the Dylan Hunter brand globally, and I’m confident that Ms. Hershman is the right person to represent me. I hope that in coming months and years we’ll see many new editions of the books world-wide.