I recently collaborated with a much-published and widely read author to edit one of her pending publications. We discussed my literary life, too. She indicates I should get an agent to market my newest manuscript. What do you think?

Even if you can land a reputable agent (there are countless snakes online pretending to be literary agents), it could take months or even years to get the book accepted by a publisher…or it may never get accepted at all. If it is, it can take then many more months or years to get it published. A better idea is to try to land a traditional contract while already have a self-published version of your book on the market. Publishers are much more likely to give a contract to an author who has already proven there is market for their book.

See other self-published authors who have landed traditional contracts here.