Hi guys, I am writer from India. I've written a few short stories for magazines and some e-zines and I'm in the process of writing a novel. It's about the life of a young woman in south India . it comprises the social life and political climate in that part of India during the 50's and 60's. I was wondering whether there is any market for such a story in the US. I know there could be some interest in UK, but i'm not certain about US. what do you guys think? P.S: tell me who's you favorite indian author(s) and what do you like about their writing and what do you don't like about them. what do you expect while reading an indian novel? is it the exoticism of the india, the culture, tradition or the way of life. is it because it's foreign or something else. tell me all. don't hold back yourself. help out a fellow traveler. thank you
I've read a lot of Jhumpa Lahiri's work, but her stories/novels all take place in the US and focus on immigrant characters. I know there are a few other Indian writers whose works are famous here, but these writers all live in the US and have an established US audience. I think Arundhati Roy is the only exception (I'm sure you've heard of her), but even so, she won a major literary prize and got several very positive reviews for her first book, which is why she's known around the world. To be honest, I'm not sure a writer living in India would sell many copies of his/her works here unless he/she becomes very famous and/or wins a major award; similarly, I wouldn't expect a writer like Jonathan Safran Foer, who's relatively famous here, to sell many copies in India. But don't let that stop you from writing. I'm sure there's a big market for novels in India, so focus on that. If your novel happens to do really well, it'll find its way to overseas markets. Good luck.
Salman Rushdie is the main name in Indian literature here in the United Kingdom, and I am also quite the fan of R.K. Narryan's novels. One of my favorite novels by a British author is all about India, Passage to India by E.M. Foster. Oh the whole, Indian literature, and literature related to India has an extremely good reputation, I'm sure there would be a market for more of it. Cross-cultural and what's been called 'post colonial' literature is not only enjoyed in the UK, it's studied academically.
I should probably add that novels by Indian writers are read and studied here in the US as well. For example, I see people reading Rushdie all the time. But the chances of your average writer from India being read in the US is about as low as your average American writer being read in India. Just wanted to clarify that point.
thank you for taking the time to comment. yes, i see your point. however, is it likely that i could find a publisher/agent for my stories in the US market?
OMG! you didn't think I was talking about writing in indian languages did you? I'm sorry if i gave you that impression. of course, i was talking about writing in english language. thank you once again.
possible, if well-written... can't honestly say 'likely' as even local unknown writers have little to no chance of being published... if what you call 'stories' are only short stories and not novels, there is no chance for you to get an agent, since they only represent books, unless the author is a bestselling current client...
I was 99.9% sure you were talking about writing in English, but I just wanted to state it explicitly to make sure.
