Readers in other countries read American books, and American readers read books by foreign authors. Yet when we write, we usually think only about readers in our own country.
For American authors, the most important group of foreigner readers is Canadians. Consider that the price of a book printed on the back cover is usually listed in both US and Canadian dollars.
Do not forget your Canadian readers.
Our guest today is Rachel McMillan a Canadian author of multiple books, including The Herringford-Watts Mysteries. She’s also a senior associate agent with William K. Jensen Literary Agency.
How did you become a literary agent?
Thomas: Tell us how you became a literary agent.
Rachel: Bill Jensen is my agent, and he was the first agent I queried. I liked his roster. Authors should always look at who an agent represents. If you love what they represent, it might be a good fit.”
I was in a career change after having worked 11 years in marketing and publicity for an educational publisher here in Canada. One of Bill’s agents took an acquisitions editor role at Harvest House, so a slot opened.
Around that time, multiple authors messaged me on Facebook and said, “Rachel, if you ever become a literary agent, let me know.” I had never really considered it, but the timing lined up. I reached out to Bill and said, “This might be a lot of fun.”
He knew my sales and publishing background. As a published author, I’ve also seen the industry from that side. So, we partnered. He still represents my books, which is fantastic because he’s a great agent, and now I get to work with him. It felt like an organic God thing I didn’t plan.
Thomas: That’s one query letter. Most people send one hoping for a contract. You got a contract and a job.
Rachel: I know. It helped that Bill had been my agent for several years before I joined the agency.
What is it like writing for both Canadian and US markets?
Thomas: You’re Canadian, and you write for the Canadian and American market. What is it like having a foot in both countries?
Rachel: If you’re Canadian and you want to publish with a larger Christian publisher, you usually have to publish in the States. I work with Harvest House for nonfiction and HarperCollins Christian for fiction.
I’ve been reading Christian fiction since I was 10, and even though there is a strong Christian book market in Canada, authors know that to build a career you almost always need an American publisher.
You also have to remember you’ll attend American conferences and work with people who talk only about US industry structures, but America is not your only readership.
There are positives, too. I travel in the States and do signings and conferences.
Another positive is publicity. I have a US publicist, a Canadian publicist, and support from the UK. As an international author, you can get an amazing array of support.
You also get readers who like that you’re outside the US, because the Christian market can feel very American. When I wrote the Herringford-Watts series set in Edwardian Toronto, some rejection letters said the setting was too exotic and suggested moving it to Chicago. But I wanted it to be Toronto.
That was about 6 years ago. Now I’m writing books set in London, Prague, and Vienna, not the States, and publishers are more open to that. Readers like to travel through books.
What do we mean by “the Christian market”?
Thomas: Sometimes calling it “the Christian market” can be misleading, because it doesn’t represent Christians as a whole.
I’m putting on my marketing hat here, not talking doctrine, so don’t send me letters about doctrine.
You’re not seeing books for Coptic Christians, Nestorian Christians, or even much for Catholics or mainline Protestant readers. Some of those readers have nonfiction options, but there’s not much of a fiction market built around them.
We’re talking about a certain kind of evangelical reader looking for a certain kind of book. Publishers know how to serve that audience.
Those evangelical readers aren’t evenly distributed across the US, and I’m guessing they aren’t evenly distributed across Canada either.
Rachel: Canadian evangelicalism is different from American evangelicalism, and the pandemic has highlighted that.
When I think of Christian fiction, I’m thinking about publishers that specifically publish for the Christian Booksellers Association (CBA). People are often looking for clean reads.
We’re seeing readers who consider themselves evangelical gravitate toward books from Shadow Mountain Press, which is a Latter-day Saints press, and Covenant Communications, which comes from a Catholic background.
When it comes to fiction, a lot of readers want a good, clean story.
My own books do not necessarily have overt Christian content. Christian publishers are increasingly looking for crossover fiction because they want the largest marketplace.
What is crossover fiction?
Rachel: Crossover fiction is written by someone with a Christian worldview, published by an inspirational or Christian house, but with real general market potential. It’s not only for Christian brick-and-mortar stores; it’s accessible on Amazon or Books-A-Million to readers who aren’t Christian, but doesn’t bludgeon them with a gospel message.
Currently, there are two subsections of Christian fiction. One is the much-needed overtly evangelical books published by Tyndale, Bethany House, and Revel. The other is fiction that is more thematic and accessible to readers who don’t have a Christian background. These books are often published by Thomas Nelson, an imprint of HarperCollins Christian, and WaterBrook, an imprint of Penguin Random House.
A nonfiction example is Rachel Hollis’s Girl, Wash Your Face. It includes Christian themes and she talks about being a Christian, but many of her readers are not Christians. It’s not a “you must be a Christian to buy this” book.
In fiction, Lisa Wingate published for years in the Christian fiction marketplace. Before We Were Yours has Christian themes, but it became an international bestseller far beyond typical Christian readership.
As publishing shifts, we’re seeing more books that aim to reach as many readers as possible while still presenting life through a Christian worldview.
It’s easier than ever to have a crossover hit because physical bookstores matter less. In a store like Barnes & Noble, a Christian title is likely shelved in the Christian section, so non-Christian readers may never see it unless it’s big enough for an endcap.
On Amazon, categories are less visible. A reader can engage with your book before they even notice it’s from a Christian publisher.
Cover design matters, too. You need gorgeous, Instagrammable covers for the Bookstagram community. Christian publishers are really upping their game.
The downside is expectations. Some readers see the Christian publisher label and feel betrayed because the content was not “Christian” enough. Others feel it should have been more overt. That tension is a constant conversation between publishers, agents, and authors.
Thomas: If you’re going for a crossover hit, you have to be okay with 1-star reviews, because you’ll get them from both sides.
I was looking at Rachel Hollis’s 1-star reviews. One says, in all caps, “This is not a Christian book.” Then the next complains about there being Scripture in it. You can’t win.
How are Canadian readers different from American readers?
Rachel: One thing you’ll notice is that Christian fiction does not necessarily have its own section in Chapters Indigo, our massive book chain. Because Christian fiction is interspersed, it can be easier for readers to browse and buy.
Another difference is that Canadians lost most of their physical “Christian and Bible” stores long before many US chains shut down. R.G. Mitchells was a big bookstore in Toronto. We used to have signings with authors like Jerry B. Jenkins and Bodie Thoene in that golden age of 1990s Christian fiction. My dad would take me, and I’d get my book signed.
Canadian readers are also generally a bit more accepting. We’re more self-deprecating, and I think more willing to try things. We may be less offended by certain content.
I read Goodreads reviews of my own books where someone says, “It was set in a nightclub, and they drank alcohol,” and I don’t see that reaction as often from Canadian readers.
I think American Christian readers often have a more pronounced expectation of Christian behavior. Again, people can disagree, but Canadians are often seen as a bit more liberal when it comes to religion and expectations around reading.
Who are “Christian book readers” in the US?
Thomas: That’s fair, especially when we’re talking about markets, not individuals. We’re comparing the kinds of Canadians who read Christian books to the kinds of Americans who read Christian books.
In the US, Christian book readers are very conservative. I often have to explain this to authors. At Christian writers conferences, about half the authors don’t attend church every Sunday, and they’re all along the political spectrum. That is not true of the readers they’re trying to reach.
The Christian readers many authors are targeting are often conservative, Republican voters, and their worldviews align with that. If your book is very progressive, it will struggle in the Christian American market because it is not what those readers want.
It may work in the general market. America has a broad range of political views, even within the church. But more progressive Christians are not walking into Christian bookstores. They’re choosing general market books.
That’s the key distinction. The person who sees themselves as a Christian book reader is often looking for a very clean, very Christian book. There’s a big difference between writing a Christian book and being a Christian who writes books.
What role does politics play in American and Canadian Christianity?
Rachel: Another major difference is that American Christianity is often aligned with politics. Here, it is not appropriate to go to a dinner party and announce who you vote for. It is more like the UK in that way. Politics can feel as private as someone’s salary.
When books include very transparent Republican or Democratic characters, international readers often will not connect with that. The political spectrum here is different, and it is more removed from the church.
Thomas: It used to be more like that in the United States too. There was a time when people did not wear politics on their shirt sleeves, so to speak.
Rachel: Honestly, it is not good or bad. It is just something to remember. Your readers, like your non-Christian readers, do not necessarily share your background. Non-American readers may not have the same approach to life.
If you are publishing with an American publisher, you have real international potential. People around the world have access to your books. The rest of the world is huge. The UK publishing industry is huge. There are many Christian fiction readers there. Australia and New Zealand have some of the most prominent Christian fiction bloggers, and they love this genre. So, keep your writing as open as possible.
What can torpedo a book’s international potential?
Thomas: What are some of the things that torpedo a book’s international potential? Not every book that does well in America does well in Canada.
Rachel: For Christian books, one issue is assuming the only real market is America. That often means American settings, American landscapes, and American values. There is nothing wrong with that. I set a series in Boston because I wanted as many research trips there as possible.
But fiction has broadened. There is more openness to stories set in other countries. That helps international reach.
It also matters that we are global citizens, now more than ever. The pandemic has given us a rare moment of global empathy. We are all experiencing it together.
When we write, we cannot think only about our faith community, our surroundings, or our country. What we write, and what I represent as an agent, can affect readers globally.
For the next year (2020), we will not have sports, movies, theater, or TV in the same way because everything shut down. But books can still be new. We can still publish. We can still attract new readers. As authors, we will either rise to the challenge or we will not.
How do regional tastes affect bestsellers?
Thomas: Writing for international markets is tricky. A couple years ago I traveled to Switzerland to speak at a conference. As we traveled through airports, I paid attention to bookstore displays. I find it telling which books face the window.
In the US, it was Rachel Hollis’s Girl, Wash Your Face and Michelle Obama’s book. Those were the top two bestsellers. In Europe, Hollis disappeared, and suddenly it was only Michelle Obama facing the window.
Hollis was still in the bookstore, and her books still sell in Europe, but she was not a top one or two bestseller there like she was in the US. I have wondered whether Rachel Hollis would have been facing the door in a Canadian airport bookstore.
Rachel: She is not as popular here. I only knew about her through the American Christian publishing world. I only learned in the last two years who Chip and Joanna Gaines are, because Magnolia is not as prevalent here.
You will see popular books like Lisa Wingate’s Before We Were Yours and Michelle Obama’s book. But some things appeal regionally. That does not mean people should not write from their locale and experience. That is what makes me want to travel.
Still, just because something is a bestseller somewhere does not mean it will be a bestseller everywhere. Then you have outliers, like Dan Brown and The Da Vinci Code, which was a bestseller everywhere.
Voice matters too. Rachel Hollis’s voice is very casual and very American. Even the word “girl,” is vernacular that feels very Californian.
How do Canada’s provinces differ culturally?
Thomas: It is also true that every major Canadian city is closer to a nearby American city than it is to the next major Canadian city. Unlike Texas, where major metro areas influence each other, Canada has the challenge that Detroit is right across the river, Seattle is right across the border, and Vancouver is influenced culturally by Seattle more than by Toronto in some ways.
Rachel: Absolutely. One thing I love is that I can go to New York for a week because it is only about an hour flight. Same with Boston and Chicago.
Another interesting thing about Canada is there is no single “all Canadian” experience. We are a relatively young country, and we pride ourselves on being multicultural. Toronto is often described as the most multicultural city in the world.
Even pandemic responses varied. Vancouver responded differently than Toronto. So yes, regional differences matter.
Thomas: For someone who does not know the cultural differences between provinces, can you paint with broad strokes? Obviously there are exceptions, but what are some big differences?
Rachel: In some ways, it parallels what you see in the States. Vancouver and British Columbia have a West Coast vibe. They are sometimes characterized as our West Coast hippies.
Calgary and Alberta have a cowboy culture. Lots of range.
Thomas: As we move west to east, Calgary is cowboys, kind of like Montana. That Western culture far from major urban centers.
Rachel: Saskatchewan is harder to sum up, but I would almost align it with Montana too. Prairies and that kind of thing.
Then you get into Ontario. The province is twice the size of Texas. Toronto and Ottawa are here.
I grew up in a small town up north, and it can feel kind of Midwestern.
Thomas: If you are from friendly parts of the US, like the Midwest or the South, it can feel familiar.
Once you get into central Canada, it can feel more like Minneapolis and St. Paul, or even Detroit.
Rachel: And major cities are major cities. If you come to Toronto and you do not feel that warm Canadian friendliness, it might just be because it is a massive city of about 4 million people.
Smaller towns, as in the States and the UK, often have that wonderful sense of community.
Then you have Québec, our French-speaking province. It feels like Europe. If you go to Québec City or Montreal, it can feel like crossing the ocean without leaving the continent.
And my passion is Atlantic Canada, Nova Scotia, Prince Edward Island, Newfoundland. One reason I love Boston is that it reminds me so much of Halifax. Geographically, they are aligned.
How can Americans think about Canada more accurately?
Thomas: A shorthand heuristic is to look at the map and find the closest US region. That often tells you more than comparing one side of Canada to the other.
And Québec is French, and culturally there is also a connection to Louisiana and New Orleans. The Cajuns in Louisiana were settled by French people from Québec who did not want to be ruled by the British and fled to the nearest French settlement, which was in Louisiana.
Rachel: And then you get beignets and all that amazing food.
We are both countries with two languages. Canada has two official languages, and you study French through school, much like many Americans, especially in Texas, learn Spanish.
We are similar in some ways and very different in others. For fun during the pandemic, watch a US press conference and then a Canadian press conference. They are very different. I am not picking a side, it is just the way questions are asked, the way media is handled, and the way information is presented. We are a lot more boring.
Are American books too direct for international readers?
Thomas: There is a directness to the American approach, and I think that shows up in how we approach Christianity. American Christian books tend to be very overt and clear, and we are comfortable with that. In Canada, a little less directness is acceptable. Indirectness is not a problem in the same way.
Rachel: I think a lot of that comes from our history. We are still technically a British colony. The Queen is our head of state, and she is still on our money.
Much of this difference comes from American patriotism. Canadians are not very comfortable being overtly patriotic. We try, but it is different.
If you go to Washington, DC, you see massive monuments to Lincoln and Washington. I love Washington. In Toronto, John A. Macdonald gets a small bust in Queen’s Park. America fought a war for your Constitution and independence. We did not. We are governed in ways Americans are not. I am not saying one is good or bad. It is simply different.
All my clients are American, and all my books are published in the United States. My livelihood comes from America. We have the longest undefended border in the world.
When you are writing for an international audience, especially Canadians, remember that Americans feel like celebrities to us. Before I was published, if an American Christian author emailed me or messaged me on Facebook, I lost my mind. Our media, culture, television, movies, and books are heavily influenced by the United States. That is true internationally. When Americans broaden their sense of place and remember we are global citizens, it can do wonders for publishing.
How should authors write Canadian characters?
Thomas: Authors often want to include Canadian characters. As a Texan, I see this done badly all the time. Someone writes a Texan, and it is obvious they have never met one. What’s the key to writing a Canadian character?
Rachel: Localization matters because Canada is massive. We do not have your population, but geographically, we are huge. Authors will say, “I have a character from Canada.” My response is, “From where?” I also want Americans to know that Toronto gets over 100 degrees in the summer. We get all four seasons. It is not always winter. We are not all friendly all the time, just like anywhere else. Social media makes it easy to find Canadians. Use us. Ask questions. Get details right.
For example, When Calls the Heart features a Mountie reporting to a district attorney. That is a very American detail. We do not have that structure. I have seen books where someone calls a character a deputy sheriff. That does not exist in Canada.
If you care enough to set a story in another country, care enough to research it. That responsibility is on the author.
Thomas: One advantage of Canada compared to the UK is accessibility. The UK has separate institutions and author communities, and time zones make collaboration harder.
Canada shares American time zones. We see Canadian prices on book covers. We do not see British pounds. You probably already have Canadian author friends on Facebook. Canadians take my courses, attend webinars, and participate in the Novel Marketing community.
If you need help, post in an author group and ask for Canadian beta readers. This applies to any region. If you write a Texan holding a gun, you need to get the details right. Texans will notice.
Rachel: My encouragement to writers is this: the world is smaller than you think. Canadian readers are an untapped market. We buy American books on Amazon. Our church libraries are full of them. Many giveaways exclude Canadians. If you include us, even occasionally, we talk to each other. There are many Canadian Christian readers, and we are loyal.
Connect with Rachel McMillan
- Website: www.rachelmcmillan.net
- William K Jensen Agency
- Twitter: @rachkmc
- Instagram: @rachkmc
- Facebook: rachkmc1
Sponsor: Christian Writers Institute
The Christian Writers Market Guide 2020 is the most comprehensive and highly recommended resource on the market for finding an agent, an editor, a publisher, a publicist, a writing coach, or a place to sell whatever you are writing. Wherever you are on the writing spectrum – from beginner to seasoned professional – the Guide will help you find what you are looking for. Over 1,000 curated listings, including more than 200 book publishers, 150 periodical publishers, 40 agents, 200 freelance editors and designers, podcasts, and much more. Includes a denominational index.