# Pitching to American publishers as a Canadian?



## Guy Faukes (Nov 2, 2013)

Anyone know about limitations of sending manuscripts to American publishers as someone from up North? I'm writing religious-themed fantasy, and given how small, bottom-line (even more so with the current economy) and Canadian-fiction focused the Canadian writing industry is, I was wondering if I should seek publishers elsewhere.


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## Bard_Daniel (Nov 2, 2013)

I'm Writing General/Literary fiction here (without "Canadiana" content), and am thinking of doing the same thing. I would love to be enlightened.

+1


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## The Tourist (Nov 2, 2013)

Wow, this is timely.  I just had this very conversation this week sitting in a doctor's waiting room!  One of my wife's friend's husband just became an American citizen.  He and I spoke about these very topics while we waited.

I asked him how felt now that he was a redneck.  He smirked, and said the seemingly "paperwork" process did leave an impact.  He felt that as a Canadian he was watching the same events and culture, but "through a glass darkly."  Somehow, he had no stake in anything save that as an observer.

My assumption is that "marketability" is partially a factor in your decision.  In that regard, you might consider the views of this former Canadian.  It seems that the "flow" goes one way.  A Canuck can watch American TV and listen to American news events better than we can return the complement.

For example, it might be better to alter your lead character from a retired but kindly Edmonton Oiler to a deranged Navy SEAL from Peoria with six illegitimate kids.


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## krishan (Nov 3, 2013)

I live in the UK and have been told that (when looking for an agent) I shouldn't let the boundaries of the country in which I live restrict my search. I shouldn't think you living in Canada would be too much of a problem.


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## The Tourist (Nov 3, 2013)

krishan said:


> living in Canada would be too much of a problem.



Oh, it's a big problem!  Sure it takes less than a week to properly thaw them out, but months to get them to stop say "ooot," like in the example, _"I'm going to ask that girl ooot, perhaps go ooot to dinner, I have no food at home, I threw it all ooot."_

And that polite demeanor is just plain creepy.


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## Guy Faukes (Nov 3, 2013)

X_Daniel_X said:


> I'm Writing General/Literary fiction here (without "Canadiana" content), and am thinking of doing the same thing. I would love to be enlightened.
> 
> +1



Thanks! 



The Tourist said:


> For example, it might be better to alter your lead character from a retired but kindly Edmonton Oiler to a deranged Navy SEAL from Peoria with six illegitimate kids.



Lol. Oh man, I forgot about the amount of over-production and emotional simplicity I might need to resort to in order to get into that market... damn! Kidding, kidding, haha.



krishan said:


> I live in the UK and have been told that (when looking for an agent) I shouldn't let the boundaries of the country in which I live restrict my search. I shouldn't think you living in Canada would be too much of a problem.



Interesting... I've heard similar things. Honestly, I'm going to consider the UK too, since they tend to have better media in general then N.A. content. I wonder if there are legal issues or things to generally look out for (besides vanity presses or unfavourable contracts) when looking across borders for publishing.



The Tourist said:


> Oh, it's a big problem! Sure it takes less than a week to properly thaw them out, but months to get them to stop say "ooot," like in the example, _"I'm going to ask that girl ooot, perhaps go ooot to dinner, I have no food at home, I threw it all ooot."_
> 
> And that polite demeanor is just plain creepy.



From the opposite perspective, I was surprised that you Yanks don't have to drill a kilometer into the ice for your meal when I visited relatives in Boston. And I love the expression on your faces when I conduct myself with civil mannerisms. It's a strange mix of surprise, suspicion and conflicted agreement.


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## The Tourist (Nov 3, 2013)

Guy Faukes said:


> I was surprised that you Yanks don't have to drill a kilometer into the ice for your meal when I visited relatives in Boston. And I love the expression on your faces when I conduct myself with civil mannerisms. It's a strange mix of surprise, suspicion and conflicted agreement.



Guy, made me laugh with a tongue rival to my own.  You just might be the only foreigner I have any use for.  Sorry it's been so late in our meeting!

Best of luck to you in your pursuits, and if I can help in any way, then contact me at any time!


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## Guy Faukes (Nov 3, 2013)

The Tourist said:


> Guy, made me laugh with a tongue rival to my own.  You just might be the only foreigner I have any use for.  Sorry it's been so late in our meeting!
> 
> Best of luck to you in your pursuits, and if I can help in any way, then contact me at any time!



Ahahaha! Aye, it's a rare pleasure to meet someone with such refined sense of humor. 

And I sincerely don't wish to creep you out, but in lieu if my nationality, I will say "thank you", and extend the offer of assistance to you as well.


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## The Tourist (Nov 4, 2013)

Guy Faukes said:


> And I sincerely don't wish to creep you out, but in lieu if my nationality, I will say "thank you", and extend the offer of assistance to you as well.



(Open message to the forum, Guy and I exchanged "friend requests."  I'm actually being civil to a foreigner, so there...)

I appreciate your offer, but in Wisconsin we have snow and ice.  Toss in a marauding pinniped, and I know everything about Canada that you do.  LOL.  I even eat Canadian peanut butter.

To shatter another myth about my fine state, the seminal font of every decent motorcycle ever made, _we do have polite people_.  In fact, I met him once when our governor gave him the keys to the state.

His name is John AusVenner, he is 112 years old, and officially the oldest, kindest Wisconsinite to ever grace our area.  His random act of kindness involves a French tourist who dropped her purse on a city bus.  John kicked it to her.  Amazing act of compassion.


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## Guy Faukes (Nov 5, 2013)

The Tourist said:


> (Open message to the forum, Guy and I exchanged "friend requests."  I'm actually being civil to a foreigner, so there...)



Hmm... I sincerely hope that by friend-ing you on here that you don't start using the line "I'm not xenophobic... heck, one of my friends is one of those maple-syrup chugging, beaver pelting, puck-slapping foreigners..." 



The Tourist said:


> I appreciate your offer, but in Wisconsin we have snow and ice.  Toss in a marauding pinniped, and I know everything about Canada that you do.  LOL.  I even eat Canadian peanut butter.



I would advise you to be careful when eating Canadian products. I think we lace it with something that somehow makes saying "eh" at the end every sentence seem acceptable. 



The Tourist said:


> To shatter another myth about my fine state, the seminal font of every decent motorcycle ever made, _we do have polite people_.  In fact, I met him once when our governor gave him the keys to the state.
> 
> His name is John AusVenner, he is 112 years old, and officially the oldest, kindest Wisconsinite to ever grace our area.  His random act of kindness involves a French tourist who dropped her purse on a city bus.  John kicked it to her.  Amazing act of compassion.



Ya know, I'm ashamed to admit that I bought into the stereotype that all Americans are rude. 

In fact, I went to New York once with a bunch of friends. Unfortunately, I was mugged when I was there, but I remember that kind man who took the effort to neatly put my wallet back into the exact same pocket he lifted it from after stripping it of all the cash, credit and ID. Such civility.


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## The Tourist (Nov 5, 2013)

Mr. Faukes, you wound me.  Clearly you have misjudged me on many fronts!

I am not xenophobic.  I respect the language.  Rightly, I am an "armed xenophobe."

Puck-slapping.  Oh, no, no, no.  Wisconsinites were part of 1980 Olympic Hockey Team.  The Canucks used more of a limp-wristed movement I cannot duplicate with this much upper body strength.

So far, no ill effects from Canadian food.  You capische, eh?

Rude Americans?  Hardly.  We are a good, moral, and forthright people.  As I've stated, we stole Texas from the Mexicans fair and square, and we were standing in a chapel at the time.

See how "hands across the borders" benefits our diverse customs and beliefs.  For example, look at the difference just between you and I.  Beaver pelting?  Not I.  I am more of your "catch and release" kind of guy.  We Yanks value freedom, and we insist others take it, even if we have to throw them out the following morning.


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