Do I want an agent?
"The longer a writer can hold off having an agent, the better. The more they can offer, the more choice they will have. It is a crucial decision - which agent to opt for - in a writer's career. You should be in a position to 'audition' agents rather than the other way round."
The first question that you need to ask yourself is: why do I want an agent in the first place? Having finished a play you may think the first step is to get an agent to help get the play on. But under present conditions, not even the best agent can wave a magic wand. An agent would certainly be displeased if work submitted written by a client wasn't given some priority over the slush pile. And in television an agent's representation is often needed for the work to be even considered. But to seek an agent to give some kind of spurious professional gloss to your work is invariably wrong and good agents won't do it.
Negotiating Alone?
If a producer offers you your first commission for publication or performance you may think you need an agent to represent you. But can you negotiate alone? The Writers Guild have long experience of helping writers to negotiate independently. And it is worth remembering that the 10% commission also incurs a further 17.5% VAT. This can reduce the money the writer to a startlingly small sum. In most cases, with good advice a writer should be capable of self-managing the early part of their career.
However, you may already have had several performances of your work and the interest generated in it means you are spending a disproportionate amount of time administrating your writing. Or, you may have established a track record within one community or region in the country and you now want access to wider outlets for your work.
If you are going to go after an agent, this is the best situation to be in, since this essentially is what a writer buys into with an agent: a guide to a range of contacts both nationally and internationally, through which one's work can be promoted, and someone who can negotiate and administrate on one's behalf.
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