I thought my Indian publishing history would make it easier for me to get a US book deal for The Yoga of Max’s Discontent.
It didn’t.
I got sixty literary agent rejections before acceptance, as many if not more than an average debut US novelist.
The US and Indian publishing markets are different. Success or failure in one has little to do with success or failure in the other. Are you plugging away on your debut novel hoping to shake up India (or your home country) first and then make your way across the ocean? Don’t. Here are three reasons why you should go straight for a US publishing deal:
- The markets are different.
Here is last week’s NY Times Fiction Bestseller list and here is a reliable Indian bestseller list.
Of course, there is not a single book in common but note how strikingly different even the genres are. None of the staples of the US market–damaged CIA/FBI agent chasing a serial killer; love and hope in World War 2–have an Indian equivalent. And the US market doesn’t seem to have as much use for spiritual-inspiration or college romance as India has. As I explain a little more below, fundamentally the readerships are in different stages of development so success in one doesn’t crossover to the other. I’d argue, for instance, if you’ve written a romance set in the 1947 partition or about the inside working of a start-up in India, your chances of publication are no higher in India than the US. The genre isn’t established in either market so you shouldn’t assume that higher context will make it more successful in India. I’ve seen the US publishing industry very open to new contexts. - The rewards are better in the US.
Yes, of course, you’re writing to awaken the world and not for petty reasons like fame or money but deep down, don’t you want to be a full-time writer and drown your boss’s nagging complaints with the thunderous applause of millions of adoring readers each time you compose that perfect sentence? You have a better chance of making it happen in the US than India (.0005% probability instead of 0.00005% probability :-)). Seriously though, here’s a comparison of my advances for the same novel with the same publishing house in India vs. the US (read this for a more detailed breakdown of my writing income).The Seeker(2015) The Yoga of Max’s Discontent(2016) Publisher Penguin Random House India Penguin Random House US Terriotry Indian Subcontinent US + Limited Distribution outside US Book Advance $8,000 $75,000 Audio Rights 0 $5,000 Total $8,000 $80,000 What’s striking in the above is that The Seeker is my 3rd novel in India after two #1 bestsellers in India while The Yoga of Max’s Discontent is my debut US novel. For full perspective, the average US advance is closer to $10-20,000 but most top-agented novels come close to mine (read this on how to find a top US literary agent). By the same token, the average Indian advance for a successful repeat novelist would be $4,000 so the relative comparison is still intact.
- You’ll be pushed to go deeper in the US.
You’ll be pushed well, well beyond your ability in getting a US publishing deal in a way you won’t in India. This has nothing to do with editors’ ability. My Indian editors—VK Karthika(Harper) and Chiki Sarkar(Penguin) have been absolutely outstanding as has Jake Morrissey, my US editor. It has more to do with how economic forces shape the market. Kapish Mehra, Rupa’s very intelligent, articulate MD once told me that Indian readership pyramid is something like this:
The majority of people buying books in India are reading 1 or 2 books a year. For a book to truly break out (50,000+ copies) in India, it has to appeal across the rungs of the ladder. Now, since many of the folks reading 1-2 books/year are reading fiction for the first time, they’re looking for stories that turn the pages not overwhelm them with depth and nuance.
So if your Indian publisher think your book has a chance of bottom-of-the-pyramid mass success, they won’t push you to breaking point to deepen the book. It certainly won’t help the book and may even hurt it.
On the other hand, if they don’t view the book as having mass appeal, you’ll probably find it hard to get a book deal. India has many top-of-the-pyramid exclusive authors from Salman Rushdie to Amitav Ghosh and there’s limited scale in launching yet another author there.
In comparison, not only is the book reading population in the US (174MM) double as compared to India (90MM)**, they’re also buying more books per reader. Here’s a snapshot of the US book reading pyramid*
Three differences emerge between India and the US as a result of the variation in these reading statistics:
a) With more absolute readers, more books/reader in each rung of pyramid and higher $/book sold, there’s enough financial scale to justify a debutant at each rung of the pyramid in the US.
b) With more scale comes more competition. Nearly every novelist I meet in the US is a trained writer with a MFA degree, teaches creative writing in a university, and writes articles for The New Yorker on the side. In contrast, most novelists in India are MBAs and software engineers and such. Now of course, I think life experience rather than education degrees make a writer but all things being equal, when reading and writing is your entire life, you’ll probably develop more depth and nuance in it than when you’re a forced hobby-ist.c) Also as a result of more competition, US agents, editors, and the reading population have to accept stories that open windows to new worlds because writers have tried nearly every trick in the book before. I think, for instance, that a detective novel set in the dark underbelly of Mumbai has a higher chance of success than yet another damaged CIA agent novel in the US since it’s a fresh and new take on a popular genre.
In summary, given the scale and competition, you’ll be pushed far more in the US than you’ll be in India. For example, The Yoga of Max’s Discontent belonged to the middle rung in both US and India but Jake Morrissey, my US editor, went through seven rounds of major edits over one full year, pushing me well beyond what I thought was capable of, before green-lighting the novel for publication. None of my Indian novels have gone through such intensive edits in contrast.
Net, I’d say go straight for the US market with one caveat: You’ll have fewer chances of getting a foot in the door without a track record.
For example, my initial cold query in the US had an acceptance rate of 30-40%, 5-10x higher than a typical debutant query, likely because of my Indian publishing history (you can read my full query here). But the advantage ends there. Post the query stage, a book is judged by its own merits.
If this convinces you to go straight for a US publishing deal, here are two final pieces of advice to increase your odds (read this for a detailed perspective on how to get a worlwide publishing deal):
1. Write a big story/Live a big life
In every writing class I’ve attended in New York City, I’m shocked by the lack of diversity in stories. Everyone is writing about a dysfunctional rich family in Manhattan or a young adult dystopian novel, making it very hard to stand out among the crowd. Pursue a big idea. Backpack, travel, self-destruct, tear your life apart, do anything that pushes you out of your comfortable life so you don’t tell comfortable stories. That’ll exponentially increase your chances of being published–and living a good life.
2. Hire a freelance editor before you start submitting to agents and publishers.
Jake Morrissey, my editor at Random House US, accepts <0.5% of manuscripts that cross his desk. And these are agented submissions from the best literary agents in the world. My agent, Mollie Glick at CAA, has a similar acceptance rate. With odds like these, your manuscript has to be polished and shining before it gets out into the world. Your friends and family can’t lift it to the same level a professional can. Hire a freelance editor to help you unpeel and de-layer and go deeper and deeper into the story you’re trying to tell. That’s their job and they’re good at it.
Now, set forth. Writing and eventually, publishing will change your life, making it deeper, richer, and more full of possibility than ever before. Aim for nothing less than the best—and always reach out if I can help you with anything!
**Projected based on AC Nielsen Estimates

Like WHAT
KARAN HAS TO SAY?
SIGN UP FOR WEEKLY UPDATES. IT'S FREE!
29 Responses to “Should you aim for a US publishing deal for your debut novel?”
Hi karan
Once again Nice article. We could also see the same trend with movies. Thanks.
Interesting thought, thanks Prabhu.
Hi Karan,
I found the article very encouraging. With some more inspiration, I think I’ll reach out to the US.
Thanks
Great decision.
Great to read your posts, as always…! You’ve done it, can hear a lot of rave reviews for the worldwide book launch. Strives me to believe, makes me to commit, dares me to begin… I will.
Thanks Karan!
Excellent Siddharth, you’ll do great!
I’m loving your transparency and pragmatism in comparing your experiences, Karan. As I edit more Indian authors seeking to publish (either in India or for the first time in the US), I am growing more interested in the industry there and hope to find new ways to serve that niche. These posts are gems, and so are my clients!
Sarah, you were a gem, The Yoga wouldn’t have existed without you! I’m so glad I could be a bit of a catalyst for the Indians to discover you.
Thanks Karan for inspiring budding writers like me.
Can you suggest some US publishers for my debut book on Patanjali Yoga Sutraa?
Love n light
UK
UK, go through agents. Lots of info in my blog about them.
Hi, Karan, as always a very motivating and informative article. My 1st book ‘THE INVESTIGATOR SERIES’ is doing good. I plan to bring out the sequel in November. But another suspense filled religious thriller is getting ready – THE DEVIL’S ULTIMATUM which I’ve been nurturing the idea of publishing in US. 80 % of the 1st part is finished. will be grateful for any sort of help from you.
Sure Arvind!
Thanks for spreading all the good vibes
Sarah Thanks a lot for the information! I will surely go through your site. @Karan thank you once again for this article, it has helped a lot and I hope I win!
The article is what I really needed. Thank you so much for the information. I have a query that I am a 18 year old Indian girl and I have written a fantasy thriller novel so should I try for US agents or Indian would be fine? Because I am young and my budget for editors is less.
@Rituparna–couldn’t help noticing your comment. I’m an independent editor who has worked with Karan and totally understand the budget challenges of being a young writer. Check my website around Sept. 1 (www.threepennyeditor.com), because every year I run a contest to give away a free edit. The deadline is usually Oct. 15, and the editing slot is usually the first week of February.
Sarah is excellent, Rituparna, hope you win the contest!
Thanks for the very informative article, Karan!
I have one query – when you say look towards publishing in the U.S., does this refer to only NRI’s in the U.S., or to aspiring writing in India as well? Is there any scope ( and I’m not talking about the difficulty, I understand it would probably be quite difficult
) for aspiring writers living in India to publish in the U.S.?
Yes absolutely man. I don’t think being a NRI offers any particular advantage at all. Shoot for the stars!
Thank you Karan for your constant inspiration and motivation. I always loved reading your article.
Karan,
Can I sell my indian and international right to two different publishers?
Yes
Thanks, Karan! That is a great article!
I am a first time writer with a completed manuscript. I submitted my manuscript and an Indian publisher has shown interest. However, I strongly feel (and your article reinforces my belief) that I need to publish this in US/UK instead of India. My question for you is this:
Should I go ahead with the Indian publisher and publish the novel in India and then look for an international publisher?
OR
Should I wait to find a US/UK publisher and keep the Indian publisher on hold?
Looking forward to your reply. Thanks.
Viraj, Option A. Getting an Indian deal can’t hurt with pitching to a US/UK publisher. Congrats!
Awesome blog and great insights. Exactly what I have been searching for. Thank you, Karan
Hi Karan, just went through this post and I must say, it gives a clearer picture why one should go for a US publisher. I have always been attracted to the foreign market to publish my work rather than an Indian publisher. As I was saying in my previous post about my ready manuscript — The Indian Crow — the untold story of the common man — some friends have read the first three chapters and found them appealing to the theme. The language has been written from the perspective of a domestic help who is intelligent, practical as well as emphatic.
I don’t know if I’m asking too much, but would it be okay to send you chapters 1-3 and the synopsis; and which literary agent would you suggest me.
Thanks for giving your time.
Hi Karan;
I am a writer based in Kolkata. Thanks so much for your honest and helpful post, “Should you aim for a US publishing deal for your debut novel? ” I hope you mind my connecting with you again?
Angshuman
Sorry, I meant, “I hope you don’t mind my connecting with you again?”
Dear Karan,
Thank you for such an inspiring article. I’m very impressed by your transparency and willingness to help by sharing your experiences. Like many of your blog readers, I’m also an aspiring author who is currently looking for a suitable representation for my debut novel. While the US market does seem like a challenging opportunity, I was wondering if the access to it is restricted by the work visa regulations? To elaborate further, can an expat living in the US, and working full-time on a H1B visa, legally publish a book here? I’ve searched for answers to this particular on the internet, and unfortunately most of the responses have been discouraging. Would you have any information in this regards?