Hi, I’m so glad I found this SubStack! I have been wondering specifically about this question on US vs UK publishing for some time now. This was a great post. If you do a part 2, could you discuss which genres are more popular in the UK vs the U.S. market from what you’ve seen?
Thank you. I look forward to reading it in future 😁. I did comparison posts on UK vs. U.S. humor, & since I have one foot in both worlds, I love studying these things.
Thanks for such an informative newsletter, Kesia. As a querying UK YA/NA Fantasy author I've always felt the market in the US to be more geared towards these genres. It's interesting to hear your thoughts on US vs UK publishing and their differences (including book covers!!). Looking forward to your next newsletter...
I’m in Australia – population 25m: way smaller print-runs and advances than America or the UK...so we have comparatively few agents, but wonderful publishers including all the biggest names. Many of our creators would love a US or UK agent and publisher. Some Australian publishers are happy to publish books with content particularly relevant to Australian readers, eg history, setting or wildlife, but others depend on content being accepted by US branches or rights being sold before acceptance.
I went to the SCBWI Symposium in Bologna and in front of the audience, pitched the first page of a picture book to a panel of mainly US agents. “Once a creepy crocodile crept along a river bank and spied a baby brolga by a bottlebrush tree...” (A brolga is an Australian waterbird.)
“What’s a brolga, and what’s a dingo?” said the US agents. The audience shouted that they’d be illustrated and it wasn’t a problem, but the agents insisted that American children wouldn’t be interested in a story with such unfamiliar critters. Fortunately, it was published and award shortlisted in Aus five years later.
My agent for 10 years has retired and I’m now querying a MG compendium, The Giant Book of Small Things...tiny objects kids' parents, grandparents and earlier ancestors may have owned and used, including record holders for the smallest of their kind. The subjects, from the 1980s back to medieval and ancient times, are from countries worldwide. Though many are American, a rejecting US agent said it could be more suited to the UK market. Though my experience is limited, it seems to me, therefore, that the UK is more openminded to consider global content and a wider time span, at least for the children’s market.
Like UK residents (but unlike those in America?), we in Australia also receive annual government payment for books held by public and school libraries...long after the books have gone out of print. These payments can be significant and compensate for smaller sales volumes and royalties, and also cover books we have written/illustrated that were published overseas but sold in Australia and appear on library shelves.
At my UK publisher we had a similar issue with trying to sell a book with a squirrel main character into Australia - apparently squirrels are not such a big thing there! So funny. Glad you have find your publishing home and wishing you the best of luck with the Giant Book of Small Things!
Thanks, Kesia! Australia and Antarctica are the only continents with no native squirrels (there may be some in a zoo). We don't have the right trees. A couple of creatures are named as squirrels, but are not the real thing.
I appreciate that publishers make decisions on profit potential, but in early childhood, kids are interested in absolutely everything. It's adults that choose what to offer them and limit their experience. Why wouldn't Aussie children love stories about squirrels? Books with dragons as characters sell, and kids don't see those in their garden or local park either. Another life/publishing industry mystery, ha, ha.
Hi, I’m so glad I found this SubStack! I have been wondering specifically about this question on US vs UK publishing for some time now. This was a great post. If you do a part 2, could you discuss which genres are more popular in the UK vs the U.S. market from what you’ve seen?
Yay, I’m so glad! Yes, absolutely - that’s a great question.
Thank you. I look forward to reading it in future 😁. I did comparison posts on UK vs. U.S. humor, & since I have one foot in both worlds, I love studying these things.
I’ve been really enjoying the newsletter – thank you. I for one would be really interested in a ‘part two’ on this topic!
Thanks so much! I’ve been thinking about this one, I’m sure I’ll get to it at some point. ❤️
Wonderful, I will keep a look out 😁
Thanks for such an informative newsletter, Kesia. As a querying UK YA/NA Fantasy author I've always felt the market in the US to be more geared towards these genres. It's interesting to hear your thoughts on US vs UK publishing and their differences (including book covers!!). Looking forward to your next newsletter...
Many thanks for all that you share, Kesia.
I’m in Australia – population 25m: way smaller print-runs and advances than America or the UK...so we have comparatively few agents, but wonderful publishers including all the biggest names. Many of our creators would love a US or UK agent and publisher. Some Australian publishers are happy to publish books with content particularly relevant to Australian readers, eg history, setting or wildlife, but others depend on content being accepted by US branches or rights being sold before acceptance.
I went to the SCBWI Symposium in Bologna and in front of the audience, pitched the first page of a picture book to a panel of mainly US agents. “Once a creepy crocodile crept along a river bank and spied a baby brolga by a bottlebrush tree...” (A brolga is an Australian waterbird.)
“What’s a brolga, and what’s a dingo?” said the US agents. The audience shouted that they’d be illustrated and it wasn’t a problem, but the agents insisted that American children wouldn’t be interested in a story with such unfamiliar critters. Fortunately, it was published and award shortlisted in Aus five years later.
My agent for 10 years has retired and I’m now querying a MG compendium, The Giant Book of Small Things...tiny objects kids' parents, grandparents and earlier ancestors may have owned and used, including record holders for the smallest of their kind. The subjects, from the 1980s back to medieval and ancient times, are from countries worldwide. Though many are American, a rejecting US agent said it could be more suited to the UK market. Though my experience is limited, it seems to me, therefore, that the UK is more openminded to consider global content and a wider time span, at least for the children’s market.
Like UK residents (but unlike those in America?), we in Australia also receive annual government payment for books held by public and school libraries...long after the books have gone out of print. These payments can be significant and compensate for smaller sales volumes and royalties, and also cover books we have written/illustrated that were published overseas but sold in Australia and appear on library shelves.
At my UK publisher we had a similar issue with trying to sell a book with a squirrel main character into Australia - apparently squirrels are not such a big thing there! So funny. Glad you have find your publishing home and wishing you the best of luck with the Giant Book of Small Things!
Thanks, Kesia! Australia and Antarctica are the only continents with no native squirrels (there may be some in a zoo). We don't have the right trees. A couple of creatures are named as squirrels, but are not the real thing.
I appreciate that publishers make decisions on profit potential, but in early childhood, kids are interested in absolutely everything. It's adults that choose what to offer them and limit their experience. Why wouldn't Aussie children love stories about squirrels? Books with dragons as characters sell, and kids don't see those in their garden or local park either. Another life/publishing industry mystery, ha, ha.
Completely with you on that one!!
A great newsletter, as always and welcome to Substack, Kesia! Always great to get insider information on the publishing game.
Thank you so much! It's lovely to be here.