Unfortunately, American readers are mostly interested in reading about Americans, so yes, it’s much easier to sell a book to an American publisher if the book is set in the U.S. and features a lead character who is American. Even the currently popular international thrillers that are bestsellers here feature American leads, though the books may circle the globe.

There are of course exceptions, such as the novels by Alexander McCall Smith, or literary novels with non-U.S. settings.

All the best,
Evan

Question for you. How hard is it to get a non-American novel published in America ? Say, for instance, the story is based in New Zealand and the hero in a new Zealander ? As a small country, we are very used to reading novels from all over (eg. I’m a real fan of Michael Connelly). However, I get the impression (and it is ONLY an impression) that it is easier to market a book in America if the setting and characters are “ported” to America (Bruce becomes “Chuck”, and Wellington becomes Washington) – Your thoughts.

Regards,
Mike.