A plea for (literary) help

[panik]

I've approached a new agent, a rather good one actually, and he wants to see a chapter of my book. This is good.

He also (and I've discovered, this has become par for the course when approaching agents now) wants to see:

'1 page with a few lines on the five most recent competing and comparable books giving author, title, publisher and date of publication together with a note on how the books relate to the author's own book.'

This is not so good. Urm... Urm... Heck! I don't read travel books, I write them! Does anyone else read road books of this type - comic travel stuff...? Can anyone on m'flist rec a comic-type book of travels for me to peruse and decide if it fits the bill? 'Cause I freely confess, I'm at a bit of a loss here.

Quick summary: I've written a road story; true story - how me and a friend crossed Cuba at the height of its troubles; the Berlin Wall is down, the USSR is gone; everything is rationed, most of Cuba is getting four hours of electricity and three buckets of water a day. 33,000 people just fled the country on a raft and Maria and I decide to hitch across Cuba on ten pesos (50c) a day. Sometimes it goes well, sometimes, it doesn't  (We are offered jobs in the porn industry, are almost killed by a well-meaning mercenary, kidnapped by a voodoo priest... ) It's mostly funny, but with a few sad interludes.


I've got a short-list of potentials:

In a Sunburned Country, Bill Bryson

The Almond Blossom  Appreciation Society, Chris Stewart.

Narrow Dog to Carcassonne, Terry Darlington

Snowball Oranges, Peter Kerr

I haven't read all of these books.  I have read one of these books. OK, I have read about two thirds of the Bill Bryson book. I think it's clear, I need some help, here. ::wibbles a bit:: Have any of you read a book (preferably published in the last 3 years) that sounds anything like mine? All suggestions would be received with grovelling gratitude. You will be mentioned in dispatches the acknowledgements when if in the very unlikely event that it's published.

::kisses you in advance::

Comments

[t-verano.livejournal.com]

This is not actual help -- I used to read travel books rabidly but haven't for years. However, if you don't find what you need through LJ, could maybe a library help you? They (should be) happy to help find out what's been recently published, have all the publication info, maybe some of the books themselves; I don't know, maybe even something that has some reviews, or some such.

That probably doesn't help -- good luck! (And also, WTF? The agents basically make you do their own job for them? Huh? They're supposed to be the ones up on what's been published, aren't they -- not you? You're, like, supposed to *write* -- not do their work for them...::exits, with eyebrows raised heavenwards::)

A couple of thoughts/suggestions

[vamysteryfan.livejournal.com]

You could try stating that your book is sui generis - nothing like it before, something new in the annals of travel. Considering how rare books about traveling in Cuba are, let alone off the beaten path, that could work just fine.


Our Hearts Were Young and Gay was recently re-released. It's set in post-war Europe and chronicles the adventures of two young ladies on their first trip to Europe. Highly mannered, yet hilariously funny. Yours is a modern-day Hearts, two adventurous young women, traveling through a post-war country having adventures Cornelia and Emily never dreamed of.

You might try going to Google and googling teh topic. I saw a guide to sex in Utah, travels in Morocco, and a guide to Japan that might fit the bill.

I am the proud owner of "How to S*** in the Woods" a guide to how to poop no matter where in the world you are - deserts, woods, etc. It's perfectly serious, or else written in a serious deadpan.

HTH

[snailbones.livejournal.com]

Eeep - mean agent!

Like t_verano I used to read travel books at the same rate I eat olives... but not so much lately. How about 'Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil' by John Berendt - which is older but similar - not really road, but funny and same sort of atmosphere. Or 'Holy Cow' by Sarah MacDonald.

Poop - I should be better at this *g* If the wine jogs anything else loose later, I'll let you know.

And Wheeeeeee! Interested agent.... ::bounces madly::