Do you HAVE to have an agent to be published by reputable publishing companies?

I don't know the upfront costs out of pocket for obtaining a literary agent. Last I researched, it was pretty expensive. I was wondering, do you HAVE to have an agent to be published by companies such as Scholastic? I read that if you don't have an agent, publishers don't want to even read your manuscript. Is this seriously true for companies such as Scholastic?Do you HAVE to have an agent to be published by reputable publishing companies?
For Young Adult, 99% of the time, yes, you have to have an agent.



It is true that they won't read your manuscript.
When was the time you last "researched" because legitimate agents don't charge upfront. They get their commission when they sell your novel and get a check from the publisher...



You said, "reputable" publishers. There are many small reputable publishers that don't require an agent. There are also some imprints of large publishers that don't require an agent.



Scholastic, however, does require an agent. It says so on it's website if you ever take the time to actually go there and read their submission guidelines. That's should be a requirement if you're trying to publish - going to the publisher's or agent's website and reading their submission guidelines.



The only way around it if you meet an editor for Scholastic and they request that you send them your manuscript. The only real way of this happening - unless you know them personally - is if you meet them at a writer's conference and you're able to pitch your novel to them. I know of a few writers who were able to bypass agents this way. But, writer's conferences aren't cheap.



THe thing is, whether writers want to admit it or not, editors tend to get better quality manuscripts from agents. They get lots of crap if they let writers submit their own work. They don't have time to read through the crap, which is why they prefer writers have agents, because they use agents to cull out all the bad, unpublishable stuff.Do you HAVE to have an agent to be published by reputable publishing companies?
I believe Scholastic prefers agented submissions.



It's not that they don't read non-agented submissions to be mean, they just don't have the time. It's a business and they prefer to have agents filter out the slush for them.



Look up writers with work similar to yours, most have a contact addy on their website, and ask if they would recommend a reputable agent.



Agents specialize. You don't get a non-fiction specialist to try selling a mystery. They don't have the contacts in the industry.



Before you shop that first book, get feedback.



It took me 2 years and 25 rejections and 26 rewrites before my first novel was good enough to sell.



I'd have sold it a lot sooner had I bothered to get feedback on it to make it better.
It depends on the company. For instance, Tor Books is an _extremely_ reputable publisher and I believe they take non-agented submissions. You'll wait a while for an answer, though...

However, look at it this way. If you can't get an agent, what makes you think you'll get a publisher? And, even if you can, who is going to help you decide if the deal you are offered is good, if the contract is legal and safe for you, and so on? Would you really rather be paying a specialist lawyer by the hour?

Edit: The upfront costs of any agent worth having are _zero_ - they take a percentage if and only if they sell your book. What was this research you did?Do you HAVE to have an agent to be published by reputable publishing companies?
I'm pretty sure that agents don't cost you any money right away.



What I mean by that is, they only get paid when your book is sold. They make some money off your book -- so you're making a little less for the book, but nothing is paid upfront, I'm pretty sure.



And yes, getting an agent would be good.