You’ve poured your sweat and tears—and lots of fuel in the form of coffee—into what you consider to be an amazing manuscript. Great job! But, now what? It’s no secret that publishing has shifted considerably over the past few years. With print-on-demand offering affordable printing options, and companies like Amazon KDP, Ingram Spark and Lulu serving as distributors, writers can release their books through an independent route with increasing ease. 

However, the on-ramp to traditional publishing is a bit more complex. It is a competitive process, with publishers receiving hundreds to thousands of manuscripts a year. Agents have increasingly become an important part of the publishing pipeline—gatekeepers that help traditional publishers with the sorting process. It may seem like a scary prospect to approach an agent, but they are meant to be your best advocate, depending on which publishing route you take.

Here are 5 questions to ask to help you know if you need an agent: 

1. Who is t...