I'VE seen lots of discussion of this, with contradictory opinions expressed. I've also attended writers' groups and events where the same question arises. It's hard sometimes to know who to believe.
So when I asked for challenges to address here, it was no surprise that this was one of the first raised, from blogger and former production director CoffeeCurls.
Is it a better idea to pitch your book idea to an agent or a publisher?
My experience
My view has always been that for fiction you should pitch an agent, while with non-fiction you may want to talk directly to a publisher. Guidance I latched on to was if you are an unknown writer, there may not be enough money to be made in non-fiction by an agent working on your behalf -- the publisher could offer a tiny advance and/or royalties. This is definitely the case with small presses responsible for many non-fiction titles.
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