smaller markets

[Enzo]

I was wondering to myself, would it be 'easier' for a writer to succeed in getting an agent/publisher if she turned to a smaller market? (OK, I know, it's never really 'easy,' but I'm speaking comparatively)

What I mean is, for example, would a US writer have more chances of success looking for an agent/publisher in Canada, and an Australian writer searching in New Zealand?

I am writing different novels in English and Dutch, and I'm wondering if I should be focusing on the latter, because the Dutch-language market (Netherlands/Belgium) is smaller and therefore there are likely to be fewer competitors vying for publishers' attention.

[alleycat]

I wouldn't think so. It's a little like saying it would be easier to get published by a small publisher than a large one because my manuscript might stand a better chance of being noticed there. Well, maybe, but a small publisher may only publish a few books a year, while a large publisher will publish hundreds. It's all relative; a large publisher may publish only one-half of one percent of what's submitted, but a small publisher may publish only one-tenth of one percent of what's submitted. I'm just pulling those figures out of the air; I don't know offhand what the percentages are.

Plus, New York and London still seem to be the centers of English language publishing.

I'm no expert however.

[Raphee]

I would say the chances are better. Just a hunch.

[allenparker]

We are in a global market. Write a good book. Make it the best you can. Determine to be in the (insert your own percentage) of people who get published. Then, pick the biggest publisher you can for your genre and go submit. Lather, rinse, repeat.

[Jamesaritchie]

I was wondering to myself, would it be 'easier' for a writer to succeed in getting an agent/publisher if she turned to a smaller market? (OK, I know, it's never really 'easy,' but I'm speaking comparatively)

What I mean is, for example, would a US writer have more chances of success looking for an agent/publisher in Canada, and an Australian writer searching in New Zealand?

I am writing different novels in English and Dutch, and I'm wondering if I should be focusing on the latter, because the Dutch-language market (Netherlands/Belgium) is smaller and therefore there are likely to be fewer competitors vying for publishers' attention.

If this were true, there wouldn't be so many unpublished writers in those countries, nor so many writers from those countries trying to break into the US market.

Generally speaking, it's far easier to get published in the US than anywhere else in the world. If you want a smaller market with less competition, the best bet is to simply look for smaller publishers right here in the US.

[veinglory]

I would say generally, no. New Zealand writers and musicians go to Australia, the UK or the US because sell better to mass markets.

Even on strictly population basis you would be assuming these small countries have as many agents per capita and fewer writers.

[pdr]

The answer is NO.

In NZ we have 500,000 people claiming to be writers! We have very few publishers or magazines.

If anything it's harder to be published in NZ than overseas. I've had International Short story Comp prize winning stories rejected by all the few literary NZ mags. These were stories which went on to be published in every other English speaking country!

[Carmy]

What PDR said goes for Canada, too.

[blacbird]

We are in a global market. Write a good book.

Which you can never know if it's "good" or not unless it gets accepted for publication. Back to Square Zero.

caw

[blacbird]

The answer is NO.

In NZ we have 500,000 people claiming to be writers! We have very few publishers or magazines.

If anything it's harder to be published in NZ than overseas. I've had International Short story Comp prize winning stories rejected by all the few literary NZ mags. These were stories which went on to be published in every other English speaking country!

This is exactly correct. Many American publishers adore writers from elsewhere. The "exotic" factor, you see. Unfortunately for American writers, it doesn't work in the other direction.

caw

[maestrowork]

It may be "easier" to find a good fit, especially if you write niches. But no, smaller presses publish fewer titles every year, so they may be very selective as well. Many will accept unagented submissions so you may save a step, but that doesn't make it "easier."

[veinglory]

I can assure you that for every US market that loves the exotic there are as many, or more, that hate it. Then there are the editors who insist on mutilating every single sentence to make them conform to American language norms.