I was trying to answer one of the many "how do I publish" questions on B&A when I realized that I couldn't come up with a valid reason for using a publishing house without an agent. Why would a writer choose to forgo an agent when dealing with a publishing house? Personally I'm an amateur when it comes to this business and I would want the expertise of an agent by my side. I could never negotiate a contract with a publishing tycoon without feeling like I am over my head and being jipped.

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Well, the agent does have to be paid a commission, but for that very reason, he or she is going to negotiate the best possible deal for you. There is no good reason not to use an agent, if you can get one. In any case, you are not terribly likely to get a publisher without an agent in this day and age, so the issue probably will not arise for the vast majority of writers. This is a good site on the subject:

You might want to forgo an agent if you can't find one. Sometimes getting an agent is harder than getting a publisher. Literary agencies turn down like 98% of all people who submit their manuscripts. The reason for rejection isn't always because the novel is badly written, but sometimes it's just not a good fit for that agency, meaning the agent probably feels he/she wouldn't be able to sell it, or the agent doesn't have an interest in the story. Don't get me wrong. Most of the time the rejection is because there's a flaw with plot or it's badly written, or unoriginal. If you know how to negotiate a publishing contract and understand all the terms, like Global Rights, that will be mentioned in the contract then you might want to negotiate it yourself. Therefor, you don't have to give 15% of your advance and royalties to an agent. If you're fine being printed by a small press that can barely afford to financially promote and market your book and you know how to negotiate a publishing contract, or at leas hire an attorney to do it for you, then that you might decide to do it without an agent. Small presses can still get your book in bookstores. Time Traveller's Wife was published by a small press and we know how successful that book was (it was a fluke, though). The current Nobel Prize Winner in Literature was printed by a small press. So, small presses lack finances to promote and market their books on a large scale, but they aren't completely ignored. It really depends on your circumstances, negotiating skill, and your wants. Though, I think for most people getting an agent would be best.

Only small book publishers will consider a writer without an agent. All the big publishers, like Random House, only look at work submitted by an agent.

Well, if you _can_ do it without an agent, you don't have to pay one. That's an obvious benefit. But you probably can't, not least because most publishers won't even look at your book unless you have an agent. I'm with you. I wouldn't even try either.