Well, I guess I'm in the wrong place! I'm not a "genre fiction writer." I write non-fiction--mainly about China. I've had two books in print, one an academic study of South China in the 1930s published by M. E. Sharpe and another, self-published, on that disaster area--American public education. I'm four pages short of finishing another manuscript--this one I call "China: a Contemplation," a popularized account based on my 60 years of studying and living in China and with the Chinese--a description of Chinese culture and history generally unknown or misunderstood by Westerners. I haven't yet decided whether to seek a publisher myself, search for an agent, or simply self-publish again--either in print or via internet. Going with an agent or a publisher takes soooooo long before the book appears--self-publishing is quick but somewhat unsatisfying. Any ideas out there?
Hello Eugene,
We originally started as a resource for SF, Fantasy and Horror writers - but over the years have expanded into presenting markets and agents for fiction and non-fiction. It's probably time we changed our tagline...
With your publishing experience, it would seem you would have an attractive manuscript for an agent and a tradiditional publisher. It may take longer to appear, but the audience reach is typically far broader than what you can achieve with self-publishing. Worst case scenario, you can always fall back on that as your final option.
Writers House in NY has a couple of agents who focus on this kind of work. Check out their agent bios for more details. Good luck with your manuscript.