If I've written a first novel that's tailored to (or at least likely most appealing to) my home (UK) market but I'm living in Australia, what is the best way you could advise of seeking publication - to seek an agent in the UK who is likely best placed to represent it but who may not be willing to work with someone who lives overseas for obvious/practical reasons; to seek an agent in Australia who may not be interested on the basis that though the novel references Australia a lot, its setting's appeal is likely more geared towards the UK market; or to skip the agent issue completely due to the complexity of these issues and submit directly to publishers instead (ideally those representing both UK and overseas markets). The issue being that I'm struggling to identify many publishers of women's fiction who are happy to accept unsolicited manuscripts though I have submitted to 3 mainly to test the waters (2 are reputable and 1 I have just discovered via this site doesn't seem reputable - but whoops too late). Also, if I keep submitting to publishers direct is this off-putting if I do go down the agent route? I'd be so grateful to hear the thoughts/advice of anyone who has been in a similar position or who has some light to shed on the process. Thank you
I'm Canadian and publish in the US (bigger market) and I have a US agent. I don't know enough about the publishing structure in the UK or Australia to really comment on that, but I think it's worth taking into account. Does Australia even have the same literary agent structure the UK or US do?
Perhaps @Oscar Leigh might help shed some light on this matter? (he is the only Australian whose user name I can recall)
I'm just wondering how often you meet with your agent in person. I think that would be the biggest barrier in finding or having an agent in another country. Now with video calls and email it would seem less important that you try to find an agent or publisher close by. How did you decide to seek representation in the US? I think it was probably a smart decision, especially since a lot of things have worked out for you. I just don't know if I would have thought of it myself. They used to say you wanted an agent in NYC because that's where the big publishers are. Does that still matter? Couldn't a Canadian or Australian agent work with big publishers in the US or does that not really happen? I do have a friend who has an agent that in not in NYC and he thinks that could have been a mistake. I guess I just wonder how important proximity is today, but it would seem it still does play somewhat of a role at least.
What are these obvious and practical reasons of not collaborating with an overseas author? I don't see why it should deter agents in this day and age. I think it's said that it's better to have an agent simply because the agent knows market expectations, editors, as well as how to negotiate a favourable contract for you. I read an interview by Val McDermid once who said her first book deal was a truly terrible contract precisely because she did it without an agent, and since then she's had one. I don't see how not having an agent now would affect whether you could get one down the line, assuming you get published and sell well, but it does probably mean shitty conditions and shitty pay for you if you went without an agent, at least in the beginning.
I've never met my agent in person - we have the occasional phone call, but mostly we communicate via e-mail. (Phone calls mean something BIG happened!) I started looking for an agent in the US because we don't have a strong agent market in Canada and because all my books have sold to US publishers. My agent is in NYC, but I know there are good agents elsewhere... I think they may have to work a little harder to make contacts with publishers, but if they're good they can make it happen. and I guess a Canadian or Australian agent could work with US publishers, but it feels like an unnecessary layer of complication,really.
We have agents and publishing companies that work in a fairly standard way. Most of the things we have are drawn from the UK and US's examples.
Maybe find a ship heading to the motherland? Hand your script to a friendly steward? Otherwise you're fucked. Don't think books are out there, it's all like [deleted...one of my best jokes in submission].
Yes, I'm very sorry - and abhor any laboured prejudice on this issue - as I said up there @Oscar Leigh. Possibly NZ for the romance market or further south x.
A bore? Yes I suppose reading isn't that interesting. I don't what Labor preggy-dice have to do with it.
