I would agree that it'd be an uphill battle for his novels to land at a MAJOR publisher today, but there are plenty of indie ones to submit to without an agent if you're not stuck on the path to success via an agent to major publisher route. Even if you got published by a major publisher, it doesn't guarantee they'll market your book. Most authors have to do that themselves. There are so many paths to getting published these days. I think that King's method of getting your short stories published first is still valid today. The rejections thicken the skin and sometimes, just sometimes, an editor might give you good feedback. Once you have a few short stories under your belt, those pitches to agents get a little bit more attractive. I personally don’t want an agent or a major publisher, but if you want one, you have to start somewhere. Why not short stories?
