All three novels of the series , 'Land of Broken Promises, completed
so - Time to submit the first novel - Maftur which in its final version spans 1933-1948, (although a reader who is a bit squeamish and wants a Happy Ending can choose not to read the last chapter but finish in 1944).
I want an agent interested in the Middle East so googled 'literary agents uk middle east'
Amidst all the non-fiction stuff I found a fiction agent who had been brought up in Israel. He only took submissions by snailmail but welcomed queries by email.
The Agency had a doggy sort of name which sounded very British and there was an Abbey in the address line which sounded cosier still.
It was only after sending off the email that I looked at the snailmail address more closely and realised it was actually New York - so much for google accuracy.
I envisaged a log cabin office set in a wooded area of New York State close to the River Hudson near the Canadian Border, and sharing the autumnal glory of Vermont until I received an automated reply saying sorry the office was currently shut because of power failure due to Sandy, and then felt embarrassed at the insensitivity of sending a query letter during a time of catastrophe.
The power cut finally over, I received a response. The agent was pessimistic about American Publishers being interested in a tale of an Arab woman living in the British Mandate of Palestine in the thirties and forties of the last century, however, he himself would be interested in reading it, so would I send the manuscript by snailmail.
After a last final polish I lugged the manuscript up to our local post office and found it would cost £33.60 to send by air mail (four days travel time) or £25 to send by sea (56 days travel time, - would posties row it over?)
I chose the airmail option but instead of sending return postage I emailed the agent asking him to recycle the manuscript when he had finished with it and so save airmiles.
I guess, I won't be trying any more foreign agents unless they allow email submissions.
I'll probably give myself a year of submissions and then start rejigging to make the series suitable for Kindle.
