I was assigned to a panel about agents on the final day, which was (IIRC) the first time I discussed the subject all weekend. And when I contradicted the assumption that you have to have an agent, explained that my sales record and income have typically been better WITHOUT agents than WITH during my 20+ years as a full-time, self-supporting writer, and that my sales frequency, advances, and income all improved significantly after I permanently shed agents from my business model six years ago…

The reaction was as if I had suddenly grown an extra head. And not in a good way.

As long as writers keep telling each other and everyone else that you HAVE TO HAVE AN AGENT, the majority of writers aspiring writers are going to keep beleiving it.

In the past year or two, I have been VERY pleased and relieved to see that my position is finally no longer the seemingly unique and isolated anomaly that it has largely been since I shed agents form my business model 5-6 years ago and starting talking about it.