I came across this post on GalleyCat about who needs a literary agent anymore and the well written rebuttal by DGLM. And it's interesting to see some published authors I love, like Jeaniene Frost and Seanan McGuire weighing in. Even more interesting is reading the passionate (sometimes overly so) comments on these posts.
But the thing is, this isn't a new discussion. Yes, e-books and the digital age in publishing, might change some aspects of the industry. But, this isn't the first time a "Who Needs an Agent" post spurred a discussion in the blogosphere. Less than six months ago, there was this one.
I agree that agents aren't for everyone and there are authors out there who can get published without one. And of course there are self-publishing opportunities out there, and some authors who are self-published can become very successful (though I've heard more horror stories than successes).
But I just don't see this eliminating the need for agents. We put a lot of time into knowing the industry, networking with editors, writing our own editorial letters before the book has sold, and the time and effort that goes into managing a writer's career, liaising between the author and publisher (on everything from cover art and typeface to royalty statements and check), negotiating deals, subrights, and contracts - it's a lot of work. I can't imagine doing all that and trying to also write, and write well.
But, it's an interesting discussion to check out, if you haven't seen it yet.