Finding an agent with interest in the Chinese market

Hey there, everyone. New to these forums, hoping to get some advice and/or guidance. I am Canadian, but have been living and working in China for more than 20 years. I am not yet a published author, but I do have a non-fiction manuscript that's been accepted by the Humanist Press, and am currently editing and revising it.

But that's not why I'm here. I'm writing a series of children's novels that are intended specifically for the Chinese market (will be written in English, then translated into Chinese, and available in both languages), immersed in Chinese history and culture. Given the billion plus people in China, and the hundreds of millions more scattered around the rest of the world, this is quite a significant market (not to mention the potential for crossover into mainstream -- witness the recent popularity of movies based in Chinese culture/history, like Mulan, Kungfu Panda, and Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon).

My problem is that I absolutely do not trust working directly with a Chinese publisher; and Chinese agents don't have a terribly great reputation, either. Odds are that I'd get screwed. What I really want/need is an agent who has interest in the Chinese market, who can represent me to deal with Chinese publishers, and make sure that everything is done properly.

I've already queried several agents with international experience; several have said that the quality of my writing is good, but the project just doesn't suit them.

I don't want to say too much about these novels, but it is a very ambitious project, with many merchandising opportunities, and tons of potential revenue sources beyond the books themselves. I have several Chinese celebrities interested to be involved as voice actors to make audio versions of the books, and possibly help promote them.

What I need is to find an agent who's specifically interested in the Chinese market...preferably one who has some experience there, so they can understand the full potential of the project I'm working on (it is much more difficult to explain to people who don't know China).

I'm thinking that a Chinese-American agent (or similar overseas Chinese) would be ideal, but have been unable to find anyone like that.

So...any comments/suggestions?

Thanks in advance!

Thanks all for the comments. A few responses:

1) These books are being written primarily for the Chinese market; other markets will be secondary. If I try to sell this as an English ms first, I doubt very much that any agent or publisher would accept it, because they'd recognize that the English market for these particular books is likely too small.

I need a publisher who has both an interest in the Chinese market, and experience dealing with that market. Without that, I don't see much happening.

2) In regards to the translation, I have connections with several excellent translators; moreover, my wife is Chinese, and speaks fluent English and Chinese, so she would be monitoring the translations and giving feedback to ensure that it was done properly, and could easily consult with me on any areas that needed clarification.

Of course, if I find an agent/publisher with experience in the Chinese market, they may well be able to provide additional translation resources, also.

3) Rather humorously, after starting this thread, I had the (what should have been incredibly obvious) idea of doing a Google search for "American Chinese literary agents", which has yielded several very useful potential leads.

Donna Pudick said:

Keep in mind that all books published in China have to be vetted by many politicos before they ever reach the public. I have a friend who published a non-fiction book with a Chinese publisher and it took four times as long to get it out, because every aspect of the Chinese government had to have a crack at it. When it finally came out, it sold like crazy, with some folks and businessmen buying multiples (up to 50 copies) to give as gifts to clients, friends, family. At the signing, they started reading the book before they even bought it, and the inventory sold out in less than an hour (thousands of books). Seems the Chinese reading public is really hungry for commercial literature.

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Thanks, Donna...after 20 years in China, I'm quite abundantly aware of the bureaucratic hurdles involved. However, I was responsible for starting the first Toastmasters club in China (at a time when they said it would be impossible); I was one of the first foreigners to successfully register a non-profit organization to help a Chinese minority group; by comparison, getting permission for some children's books will be a piece of cake!

And yes...if done correctly, this could be very lucrative. This is very much a commercial venture, with characters that can be fully merchandised...even potential for TV or movie versions of the books (if it turns out to be very popular). None of this is certain, but there's very big potential here...and it's well worth dealing with some bureaucracy ;-)