Foreign Agents First

I know plenty of UK agents who have non-UK clients. In these days of e-mail and Skype it doesn't matter where the client is provided their writing works for the UK market.
If you have a US publisher you need to look at your contract to see who owns the foreign rights. If you still own them then maybe a foreign rights agent would be the way to go.

Undercover said:

Has anyone tried to get a foreign agent first if all or most of the US agents keep rejecting you? I read somewhere that it's another avenue to get your book out there. I do know some foreign publishers pay pretty good advances, so I'm thinking if I go through the back door would it work? Could I still get a US publisher afterwards?

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Of course your non-US agent could get you a US deal. But remember that you pay a higher agent commission on foreign sales. America is a huge market, and so you'd probably end up paying that higher commission on the bulk of your sales.

Also, if you've attracted nothing but rejections from US agents, agents in other places are likely to reject the book too. Rather than trying to get an agent elsewhere, you might like to consider reworking your query or your book--or moving on to your next book.

Also what if you have a US publisher for some of your titles, do you have to go through their foreign rights department first? Or could you seek to get your work published in a different country on your own or with the help of a foreign rights agent?

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That depends on your contract with your US publisher. If you've given them foreign rights, then no, you can't look for deals for yourself: your US publisher would have to do that for you. If you retained those rights, then yes, you could look for those deals for yourself.

Has anyone successfully published with a foreign publisher first before a US one?

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How do you think writers who aren't American and who don't live in America manage?

America is a big market: but it's not the only one. And publishing exists beyond its shores.