I should say that on the whole an agent is of little use to the author who has any business faculties at all, but so many have not. The agent's function is to be a sort of bar-loafer who hangs around, finding what publisher, magazine or paper wants what. He may be of use. But few agents will handle the work of young authors, who have always been my particular preoccupation. And the agent's interests are not by any means always at one with the individual author's. He will place a highly paid author in preference to another on his list; he gets more commission. He will place an author who is indebted to him rather than one who isn't. He is then sure of getting his money back. It is not always to his interest to press a dishonest or defaulting publisher to the point of definitely offending them. He has other authors that he will wish to place with that publisher.
All out then, you had better do without an agent unless you are a very big seller...
Return To Yesterday (1931)
Use the link below to visit THE FORD MADOX FORD SOCIETY, an international organization founded in 1997 'to promote knowledge of and interest in the life and works of Ford Madox Ford':
http://www.fordmadoxfordsociety.org/
You might also enjoy:
A Call: The Tale of Two Passions (1910) by FORD MADOX FORD
The Write Advice 050: FORD MADOX FORD
The Write Advice 030: FORD MADOX FORD
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