The latest controversy surrounding New Leaf Literary—where over two dozen authors were abruptly dropped via email without warning or support—has once again ripped the curtain back on an uncomfortable truth: traditional publishing is not just flawed, it’s fragile. And for many writers, it’s time to stop waiting for someone to open a door that may never unlock.
For decades, the literary world has functioned like a gated community. At the entrance: the literary agent. They are the ones who decide which writers get to knock on the publisher’s door. Without them, you’re told, your manuscript is dead on arrival.
But for a growing number of writers—especially those working in serious, literary, or unconventional fiction—that gate has become less of a checkpoint and more of a blockade. And now, in 2025, many are asking a different question: Do I even want a literary agent?
For writers tired of chasing gatekeepers, the answer is quietly becoming a resounding no. And the solution isn’t waiting to be chosen—it’s self-publishing.
The Old Model Is Broken
The traditional route looks like this: you write a book, spend months (or years) pitching agents, hope one bites, then wait again as that agent submits the manuscript to editors. Maybe it gets picked up. Maybe it doesn’t. Maybe you rewrite it again. Maybe you give up.
All this before a single reader ever sees a page.
What’s worse is that the system isn’t filtering for quality—it’s filtering for marketability. Literary agents are not patrons of the arts; they are salespeople paid on commission. If a book doesn’t scream “high advance” or “hot debut,” it’s not worth their time. Subtlety, innovation, or slow-building brilliance? There’s no space for that in a pitch letter.
Writers who dare to create something unformulaic—books that challenge genres or contain real emotional risk—are told they’re not “commercial enough.” Many end up shelving entire novels that are, in truth, far more meaningful than anything currently on a bestseller list.
Editors Can’t Save You Anymore
It would be comforting to believe that editors are out there rescuing great books from the reject pile. But most big publishers have eliminated direct submissions entirely. If you don’t have an agent, your manuscript won’t be read. Full stop.
This has handed enormous power to agents. Editors no longer discover writers. They wait for agents to bring them what’s already been vetted for sales potential. And most agents are now focused on signing authors who already have “platforms”—a built-in audience on social media, a successful podcast, or a viral blog.
It’s not that editors no longer care about literature. It’s that the industry has restructured itself around a different priority: profit over prose.
The Midlist Is Dying
Once upon a time, publishers supported the so-called “midlist”—writers who might not sell millions but sold steadily. They were nurtured over time. Their readership grew book by book. They taught, they wrote, they endured. Some even became legends.
Today, that model is vanishing. If your debut doesn’t perform, you’re dropped. If your second novel is quiet and literary, you’re told to “rebrand.” Long-term development has been replaced by high-stakes betting—and the house rarely loses.
So where does this leave serious writers? Not just those starting out, but those with books behind them. Writers with depth. Writers with vision.
Enter: Self-Publishing
In the past, self-publishing was considered a last resort. It meant giving up, giving in, going it alone. Today, it’s becoming something far more exciting: a declaration of independence.
Self-publishing is no longer synonymous with amateurism. In fact, some of the most thoughtful, artistically bold, and commercially successful authors in recent years have built their careers without agents or publishers. They’ve built loyal readerships, earned full-time incomes, and published on their own terms.
Here’s why self-publishing is not just an alternative—it’s the logical evolution of literary independence.
1. You Keep Your Rights
In traditional publishing, you often give away lifetime rights to your book in exchange for a modest advance (if you get one). In self-publishing, you own everything: the content, the design, the pricing, the future. If your book becomes a success five years down the line, you—not an agent or publisher—reap the benefits.
2. You Choose Your Team
Rather than relying on overworked editors and invisible interns, you can hire your own freelance editor, cover designer, proofreader, and marketer. You choose people who believe in your work. You control the quality. And you get feedback that serves the book—not a marketing department.
3. You Control the Timeline
No more waiting eighteen months for your release window. No more holding back revisions for a seasonal launch. Self-publishing allows you to move at your own speed. You can respond to reader feedback, build a series, or experiment with new genres—all without waiting for permission.
4. You Build Directly With Readers
Self-published authors often develop deeper relationships with their readers. Through newsletters, social media, Patreon, or in-person events, they build audiences that aren’t dependent on bookstore placement or publisher buzz. In a world where trust and authenticity matter more than mass advertising, that connection is gold.
5. You Can Still Go Traditional—Later
Self-publishing doesn’t close the door to traditional publishing. In fact, many self-published books have been picked up by big houses after finding success. Some authors now use self-publishing as a testing ground: they publish on their own, prove there’s an audience, then negotiate from a position of strength.
A New Era of Literary Autonomy
The best reason to self-publish isn’t money, or control, or speed. It’s freedom.
The freedom to write the book you want to write. To take artistic risks. To speak directly to readers without filtering your voice through agents, trends, or sales projections. In short: the freedom to be a writer again—not a contestant in an impossible game.
Will it take work? Yes. You’ll need to learn new skills, seek out collaborators, and think like a creative entrepreneur. But the rewards are real—and deeply literary. Self-publishing isn’t just a shortcut. It’s a renaissance. And it’s happening now.
So… Do You Need a Literary Agent?
No.
What you need is belief in your work, the courage to share it, and the willingness to meet readers where they are. You don’t need permission to publish. You don’t need a gatekeeper’s nod. You just need to begin.
In a time when agents are too busy, editors are too distant, and the industry is too risk-averse, self-publishing isn’t the fallback. It’s the future.
Looking to find out more about self-publishing? We are here for you at Bookshelfie.