Do you live outside the USA or Great Britain? Are you wondering if agents, editors and publishers in those countries will still be interested in your books?
As a Canadian author who has published eight novels in both the USA and England, including at least one UK bestseller, I’m happy to tell you that the answer is yes! You can get an American agent, you can get a British agent, you can sell your books to any publisher in either country. If your manuscript is well-written and exciting enough, the fact that you live in a different country won’t be an obstacle. And any good agent should be able to help you figure out all the necessary paperwork and tax forms to make sure you get all the money that’s coming to you from your book sales, no matter where in the world you live.
However, as an international author there are a few challenges you should be prepared for.
Challenge #1: Finding the Right Market
First, it’s a good idea to think about which international readership is most likely to appreciate your books. Is the type of story you’re writing and the way you’re telling it better suited to an American or a British audience?
For instance, I discovered when my first book Knife was published that a novel about small, winged faeries fighting for survival in the modern world could be greeted with excitement in the UK and read by tween girls, teen boys, and even adults, probably because faeries of all sizes are a long-standing part of English folklore and respected as such. There, the book was allowed to keep its original title, was marked suitable for readers aged 11 and up, and received a dark, moody cover with a fierce-looking faery that practically flew off the shelves.
But in the US, where small faeries are associated with the Disney version of Tinkerbell and tend to appear only in cute, sparkly books for little girls, a serious fantasy novel about them was a tough sell. In fact, the original hardcover of Faery Rebels: Spell Hunter sold so poorly in the US that it didn’t even get a paperback edition. Yet it was exactly the same story that sold well over 100,000 copies in the UK!
That’s a bit of an extreme example, but it does go to show that there are differences between the US and UK markets, and it’s good to know which one is most likely to appreciate your books before you start looking for agents and editors. Read both US and UK novels in your genre, look at the list of bestsellers and popular authors in each country, and that will help you get a better idea of where you’re most likely to succeed.
However, you can have the best of both worlds by seeking out an agent with good contacts in both the US and the UK. My own agent, for instance, is based in the US but works in partnership with a UK agency to sell books in both countries. Other agents may be UK-based but still keep a foot in the US market, directly or indirectly. If you look at an agent’s recent sales and read the biography or agency description on their website, that can tell you whether they have the international connections you’re looking for.
Challenge #2: Getting Promoted (or Even Published!) in Your Own Country
If you sell your books to publishers outside your country, they may or may not be equipped to promote your books and get you nominated for important awards at home. When my YA paranormal thrillers Ultraviolet and Quicksilver came out, my US publisher for those books had no office or significant experience in the Canadian market, so many influential Canadian reviewers, booksellers, teachers, librarians, and readers had no idea that I was a Canadian author or that those books were set in Canada. In fact, for some time it was difficult for Canadian bookshops and readers to buy them. So if it’s important to you to have your books available in your home country and be known as a local/national author, make sure your agent and publisher know that, and try to sign with a publisher that has an office in your home country. Otherwise, be prepared to do a lot of extra publicity work to get the word out.
Challenge #3: Having to Watch Your (Local) Language
This isn’t a problem if your books take place in the US or UK or some imaginary realm, but if your story’s set in your home country, agents or editors may ask you to change regional words, phrases and references for fear that readers outside your country won’t understand them. I had to change my very Canadian “tuque” to “knitted hat” and “Grade Seven” to “seventh grade” in Ultraviolet, and cut a reference to “bags of milk” from Quicksilver, for that reason — but now I wish I’d pushed to keep those Canadianisms, because I think US readers are smart enough to figure out (and maybe even enjoy) those cultural differences. However, I know other Canadian authors who were advised by agents or asked by editors to change their book’s setting to the US, and I’ve heard of Australian authors being encouraged to do likewise. So if your book is set in your home country, you’ll need to think about how important the location and cultural background of the story is to you, and whether you’re willing to change it or not.
Thank you for the advice! I did not think about publishing internationally at all, and now that sounds really interesting. Who knows, maybe I’ll try it out someday! Thanks again!
Glad to know you found it helpful and encouraging, Adi! Thanks for your comment!
Thanks for sharing your wisdom, RJ. This was so interesting. I never knew any of this–especially about the British market. So fun.
Thanks, Jill! I grew up reading 20th-century British children’s lit so I knew there was a difference between UK and US books, but I thought it was mostly a matter of setting rather than content. Turns out, nope! I’ve since realized that UK books for children and teens also tend to be a little slower-paced, smaller in scope (ie. saving family/community rather than saving the world), and rooted in history, folklore and small details of worldbuilding than the average US bestsellers for the same age. Not always, but often. It’s fascinating.
Thanks for sharing, very informative. This will definitely help me in the near future!
This is really interesting! I’m quite far away from seriously considering anything like this, but it’s neat to see how the markets are different.
Also, even as a US reader, I wouldn’t mind a reference to bags of milk 😉
Right? Cultural differences are fun! 😀 Thanks for commenting.
Very thought provoking. I guess I hadn’t even considered it as an option. Thank you for sharing your experiences!
Thanks, Ashley! Glad you found it interesting!
Really great info! International publishing has always been the ONLY option for me, and China is a bit– okay, a lot– different from either the US or the UK, but this post was helpful nevertheless. Thanks for these tips!
Thanks for your comment, Merie! China is definitely a different market than any I’ve personally dealt with, but I’m pretty sure any US or UK agent would be interested in representing an author from any country if their books are good enough. I wish you all the best!
This is so helpful! I live in South Africa, and I’ve wondered before if it was possible for me to publish a book in the States when I don’t live there. This answered many of my questions!
That’s great to hear, Kristianne! I’m happy it helped you!
Thanks for this post! I’m just wondering whether I need to convert my US English manuscript to British English before sending it to UK agents. Any thoughts?
Thanks for sharing such important information, R.J. You have solved many doubts. I have one question, I hope you can see it, I’d highly appreciate it. Would you say you’d need an attorney just in case, regarding these foreign contracts and international copyrighting? The attorney, do you recommend it to be local or foreign?
Thanks in advance, I hope you have a lovely day!