Agents, editors, and publishers travel in pretty much the same circles and
are interested in a lot of the same things, namely the publishing industry. A
good agent keeps track of what’s going on in the industry, what’s hot and
what’s not. They also keep up with the specific needs and wants of the various
publishing companies and their editors. This means an agent will know where
best to send your manuscript in order to maximize its chances of being
published.
Summary
Your agent only gets paid when you get paid, so it stands to reason that an
agent that is representing your interests is going to work hard to make sure
you get as much as possible for your manuscript. This is also an enormous
incentive for your agent to make sure your manuscript gets plenty of attention
from the publisher’s marketing department, and that other important
considerations involving your manuscript are not overlooked. Your agent will
wind up being your literary advocate, and will work hard to help you reach your
goal of being a published author.