Indie authors are changing the publishing industry. It's a statement we have been making for well over a decade, and from time to time you will hear publishers on panels hint as much. But now the Association of American Literary Agents has acknowledged as much in writing in the 2026 revision to its delightfully named Canon of Ethics.
ALLi News Editor Dan Holloway
The first update in four years to the guidelines for the profession's representative body makes clear that the way agents can and should interact with authors needs to change, “as self-publishing and hybrid publishing continue to gain popularity and traction.”
The updates address some of the practices that have increasingly attracted the wrong kind of attention, such as referrals, and some of the practices that are increasingly in demand, such as editing and marketing assistance. They outline what agents can and should be paid for and what they absolutely shouldn't be paid for.
In short, the changes that matter most to indie authors are these.
First and foremost, there is an entirely new section on noneditorial services. Agents will be able to hire people to provide services such as marketing to their clients and to charge for that service: a direct acknowledgment that for many writers, not just indies, doing your own marketing is required.
The section on services that can be provided to nonclients is also greatly expanded so that agents can now provide marketing as well as editorial services, for a fee.
Referrals to third-party services must be absolutely transparent when it comes to any fee for such a referral, and those referrals should only be made where they really are in the best interest of an author.
And a key new addition is that while an agent may not represent both a writer and a publisher, they may act as publisher for writers who want them to do so. This is stated as being intended to apply to situations such as where the agent
- sits on the board of a publishing company, whether it's for-profit or not-for-profit;
- advises a publisher on acquisitions or is active in some way at an imprint; and
- plays a role in the licensing of the creator's rights that goes beyond the agent's traditional role.
Thoughts or further questions on this post or any self-publishing issue?
If you’re an ALLi member, head over to the SelfPubConnect forum for support from our experienced community of indie authors, advisors, and our own ALLi team. Simply create an account (if you haven’t already) to request to join the forum and get going.
Non-members looking for more information can search our extensive archive of blog posts and podcast episodes packed with tips and advice at ALLi's Self-Publishing Advice Center.
