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Another popular question from children's writers is, "Do I need an agent to sell my children's book?" The answer to this lies solely with you. Many writers are successful on their own without an agent. When you're trying to break in as a new writer, it's just as hard to find an agent to take a chance on you as it is to find a publisher. Many say that it's even easier to get published than it is to find an agent! Many agents have reputable client lists, so it's hard for a new writer to prove that you're going to make them money.

Many writers are capable of handling all the business aspects that come along with writing (researching publishers, mailing and marketing your manuscripts, negotiating a contract, etc...) There are many resources on the internet and how-to books that can help you along the way if you have any questions. You need to ask yourself if you're that type of person. There are writers who can't stand being bogged down with the business aspect and would rather spend their time on their writing. If you're this kind of person, it might be wise to find an agent.

Some tips on finding an agent. . .
-Find one who specializes in children's literature.
-Check out the Preditors & Editors website to research an agent's reputation.
-Just as you would query a publisher about your manuscript, you need to query an agent as well. Include your publishing experience if any, the type of writing that you do, and mention specific manuscripts that you would like them to market for you. Just as you would sell these manuscripts to a publisher, you need to sell them to an agent. Another thing to consider since it just might be easier to go straight to a publisher if you're doing the work!
-Get all the information you can on the agent's terms. Do they charge reasonable fees? (Most agents require 10-15% of what they make for you) Do they submit your work to houses that don't accept unsolicited manuscripts?
-Some agents charge fees to read new writer's manuscripts while others do not. Are you willing to pay up to $50 to have an agent consider you?

Books that will help you find an agent. . .
2008 Children's Writer's & Illustrator's Market (Children's Writer's and Illustrator's Market)
2008 Guide to Literary Agents

Websites that will help you find an agent. . .
AgentQuery
Preditors & Editors
Query Tracker

Be sure to visit these other articles for information on agents. . .
Resources about Agents for Writers and Illustrators by Harold Underdown.
Finding and Choosing Literary Agents by Harold Underdown.
Literary Agents on Writer Beware
How to Find a Great Children's Book Agent by Cynthea Liu
How to Interview a Literary Agent by Cynthea Liu
Cynthia Leitich Smith's official author site- click on agents for tons of articles and information.

There's a lot of confusion about self-publishing and POD publishing. Some will say there is no such thing as a POD publisher. They say that POD is a technology used by self-publishers, subsidy publishers, and traditional publishers, however, self-publishers use this technology more.

POD does describe the technology used, but many companies are basing their business around this technology exclusively so they refer to themselves as POD publishers. Many traditional small presses have replaced their traditional printing equipment with POD equipment. Print on demand (POD) is the commonly-used term for the digital printing technology that allows a complete book to be printed and bound in a matter of minutes. POD technology makes it easy and cost-effective to produce books one or two at a time or in small lots, rather than in larger print runs of several hundred or several thousand.

Some of the benefits of POD are that you don't need to keep large inventories of a book, and the set-up is quicker and less expensive than offset printing. The initial investment for POD services is usually less expensive for small quantities of books when compared with self-publishing that uses print runs. Print-on-demand services offered by these providers often include other services such as formatting, proof reading and editing, but they usually don't offer help with marketing. Commercial and academic publishers use POD to print advance reading copies and to keep backlist books available.

For more information on POD technology and POD publishers visit Writer Beware.