Agent, editor or self-publish? Answer on a postcard, please.

With a finished book under my belt, a nearly finished second book, I have to give some serious thought to what to do with them.

DIVIDE AND CONQUER is slightly unusual in terms of story structure (prophesied heroes FAIL early on in the book and spend the rest of the time recovering ground) and character structure (think buddy movie, with two female characters sharing equal stage time, each with their own romance and plotline).

GUARDED is a more traditional paranormal romance, with vampires, werewolves, demons, the lot, where the heroine is a satyr.

As for their prospects, Guarded's pro is also its con. Despite a generous helping of plot twists, its more traditional setup makes it a good candidate for agents. To place something off-mold like DIVIDE AND CONQUER, an acquiring editor might be a better bet, because agents prefer to play it safe.

I have recently found out you can make more money by self-publishing. Especially since whatever happens, most of the promotional burden will be on you anyway. If your book is very good, you won't have to share profits with agents or editors. If your book is average, again, financially you'll be better off going it on your own. Because nowadays, readers will still buy what they're going to buy. They care little if you had an agent or not.

You can buy your own cover art and hire your own editors for a few hundred bucks, and hope to recover your costs through book sales. Many authors do.

So why would I even want an agent or a publisher? It's not the advance, because most writers don't get one. The royalties will be reduced, because everyone gets a cut. But agents and editors provide valuable services for their fees. Agents help you tweak your manuscripts, use their contacts to place your book, and are generally in your corner. Editors -- hey, the clue is in their job title. They will edit your work to a level you may not achieve yourself. They also give you cover art they know will sell your book.

But for agents and editors, this is about more than the quality of the writing or the book in general. It's about predicting trends, being brave or playing it safe, and a personal connection to the book.

I can only go by the comments I've received from beta readers and anonymous judges, but they seem to dig my writing, and they seem to dig my style. Many have provided their email addresses in their score sheets to let them know when DIVIDE AND CONQUER will be released. They alone do not a readership make, but it's a start. And a confidence-builder.

My preference? Just as some girls dream of the perfect guy and the perfect wedding, I've always dreamed of the perfect agent and the perfect editor. So for now, call me old-fashioned, but I want to give the traditional method a try.