Why an agent?

With novel number #3 going out to agents, the question that comes up is why? Why use an agent? Why not publish small press as I have before?

I'm confident enough in the story to know I could publish it small press. I've published books before with small press (ignoring the freebies on lulu, there are also six formally published with ISBNs) which have sold successfully. Between connections, conventions and more, I could confidently say I would sell between 500 and 800 copies - not bad for a small press run in an area I don't usually write in.

So why try to go mainstream now? A mix of reasons:

The traditional reason, to get your name in print, really doesn't hold. I'd rather use a pen name; I'm better known under my pen names, and more importantly I've already got books in print (just not novels).

Fame, fortune? Again, not so much. After my rant about online privacy it should be obvious how I feel about fame, and as for fortune? I'm actually happy where I am right now.

On consideration I think it's mainly curiosity: I'd like to see how one of my books does with some actual backing. Rather than just me and my informal network, how they do on a book store shelves, whether it stacks up against commercial fiction, and whether I can in fact break into a new area.

With #3 there is a strong story with more mainstream interest than many of my other works, which makes it the one with the most potential for this test and the highest chance of success. (#1 has issues, #2 is too focused on one interest and #4 is incomplete and produced in haste for NaNoWriMo, so it gets a sanity check before it goes anywhere!).

So, I have a manuscript with potential, the London Book Fair is in April, and most agents have a long turn around on whether they are or are not interested. Sounds like a good time to send it out.

Fingers crossed.