One quick correction with regards to Studio B (one of the agencies mentioned in your post), we're actually going by The Salkind Agency now for book representation as the majority of Studio B now focuses on marketing content and custom technical content. The Salkind Agency is the division of Studio B specifically focused on representing computer book authors, science and technology authors and also text book authors in various subjects.
I've heard many horror stories from authors about their experiences working directly with publishers. Certain publishers are fair to authors but there are many more who are less so. This is a business transaction after all and everyone in the equation wants what is best for their interests. Agencies can help weed out unfair terms in your contract and (especially for new authors) help get you the best contract possible. So, my advice is to look at agencies FIRST and decide whether agency representation is right for you BEFORE looking into publishers. If you decide signing up with an agent isn't your cup of tea, then move on to researching which publishers would be best for your book.
Slashdot Mirror
One quick correction with regards to Studio B (one of the agencies mentioned in your post), we're actually going by The Salkind Agency now for book representation as the majority of Studio B now focuses on marketing content and custom technical content. The Salkind Agency is the division of Studio B specifically focused on representing computer book authors, science and technology authors and also text book authors in various subjects. I've heard many horror stories from authors about their experiences working directly with publishers. Certain publishers are fair to authors but there are many more who are less so. This is a business transaction after all and everyone in the equation wants what is best for their interests. Agencies can help weed out unfair terms in your contract and (especially for new authors) help get you the best contract possible. So, my advice is to look at agencies FIRST and decide whether agency representation is right for you BEFORE looking into publishers. If you decide signing up with an agent isn't your cup of tea, then move on to researching which publishers would be best for your book.